Shared facilities
Shared facilities is when two or more corporations, or other
properties, co-own certain amenities, infrastructure, sidewalks, roads
or driveways.
Types of shared facilities
Shared facilities can be co-owned between a residential condo corporation and:
• one or more residential condos.
• a commercial condo corporation.
• a retail store condo corporation.
• one or more rental buildings.
• a common element condo corporation.
• a hotel.
• a public housing building.
• a co-op.
• a combination of the above.
The attraction
Shared facilities is sold as a great way for the owners to share the costs
of amenities and services between one or more condos and/or other
corporations so that the number and size of the amenities can be far
greater than what a single condo could afford. The shared maintenance and upkeep will
also be far cheaper.
The costs are split between the corporations based on a percentage that
is stated in the declarations of each corporation. For residential
condos, it is usually based on the number of residential units.
What are the shared facilities?
That depends on the way the developer built the development and what
was included in the parties' declarations. Among many other items,
shared facilities can include:
• security huts & gatehouses
• landscaping and snow removal
• roads, driveways and sidewalks
• water and sewage systems
• visitor parking lots
• lamp posts
• fences
• underground parking garages
• fire alarm & security systems
• electrical transformers
• a grand hotel-type lobby
• guest suites
• swimming pools, hot tubs & saunas
• fitness centres
• movie theatres
• basketball and tennis courts
• bowling alley
• party, ping pong, card, mahjong rooms
• library
• pool rooms
• barbecue pits
• outdoor terraces
• dog runs
• the property management contract
• management office
• car wash & a car sharing program
• bicycle racks
• retail shops & day care centres
These amenities and services is how the developers sell prospective
buyers on the idea that they are buying a home in a gated community that
offers “five-star” hotel comfort and security plus resort-type amenities.
Location
The amenities may be in one or more condo buildings or in a separate
building. The residents of other condos may have fobs that allow them to access the shared amenities in your building.
How is all of this paid for?
The shared facilities is jointly managed by the participating
corporations and it has its own budget, operating and reserve
funds. It also has its own Reserve Fund Study and bank accounts.
The shared facilities committee agrees on the yearly operating budgets
and the required reserve fund contributions. The shared facilities
committee submits to each of the parties their portion of the annual
costs. These costs are added to each unit owner's monthly fees.
Different phases
If a developer is building different phases over a period of several
years, the first condo corporation pays the full cost of
the shared facilities until the second, third and even the fourth
phases are registered and start paying their portion of the costs.
How are the shared facilities managed?
Usually the board from each corporation appoints a director to
sit on the Shared Facilities Committee. If there are three or four
corporations, each will have an appointee.
Decisions are made by committee vote. Sometimes resolutions are passed
by a simple majority and sometimes decisions must be unanimous. It
depends on what is stated in the declaration and by-laws.
The committee hires a property management company, usually one of the
corporations' management companies, to manage the shared facilities.
Issues with shared facilities
Shared facilities are very hard to manage as the different corporations
have different standards and have different abilities or willingness to
pay to operate and maintain the amenities and services. A condo that has
financial problems or higher monthly fees than the others, may insist
that the shared facilities fees be frozen or reduced.
Since each corporation has an equal vote, a large corporation may feel
that it is being pushed around by one or more smaller corporations.
It can be impossible to reach consensus.
Transparency
Many owners do not know that there is a shared facilities committee,
how it is formed or who their representative is. They are less likely
to know that the shared facilities has its own audited financial
statements, fees and reserve fund.
They can be shocked to receive a special assessment from the shared facilities committee.
A surprising number of condos do not include shared facilities
audited financial statements in their AGM packages and sometimes the
shared facilities financial statements are not included in with the status certificates.
Disputes between the parties
It should not be surprising to find that the different corporations
disagree on the required fees, what shared facilities to keep open,
what level of services should be provided and what major repairs and
replacements should be undertaken and when.
It is common for the parties to quarrel. There are times when a condo corporation refuses to pay its share of
the fees or may refuse to allow residents from the other corporations
to enter their building.
Lawsuits
Many shared facilities agreements call for mediation and arbitration to
settle disputes between the shared facilities members. Lawsuits, or
threats of lawsuits, between the corporations are not rare.
Shared facilities may be sued by persons who had slip and fall
accidents or got hurt using the facilities. These lawsuits must be
disclosed in the status certificates.
Withdrawing
Some corporations want to terminate their relationship with the shared
facilities. The other corporations may allow them to leave if they pay
a lump sum as compensation. (Such separations must be agreed to by a vote of the owners.)
That injection of cash may help the committee make much needed major
repairs to the facilities so it may seem like a good deal in the short
term but down the road, the reduction in monthly payments is sure to
hurt.
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