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Condo News
26 October 2015

Bill 106 Committee hearings
They are now over. The Committee will go through the Bill, line by line. Then the Bill will go back to the Legislature for a final debate and a final vote.

That is when the real work starts; the writing of the regulations. That could take two to three years to complete.

Open House on condo issues

It is important for MPPs like Mr. Milczyn to hear from condo owners on the problems they are having and what we need from the new Condo Act.

RV sales down a third
Garth Turner's blog has been warning us of a big collapse in housing prices for years now and so far he has been wrong.

However, Garth has reported that recreational vehicle (RV) sales are down about a third this year. This is a sure sign that the economy is on a downturn.
http://bit.ly/1McmLW9

If I can’t text, I won't buy
If you are buying or renting a condo, check to make sure that you have good cell phone reception before you sign the contract.

A number of buildings have poor reception for cell phones. It also depends on what carrier you have signed up for. Generally speaking the cheaper-cost carriers have weaker signals.

You won't want to have to stand on your balcony in January or to walk outside the building to make or receive phone calls.
http://nyti.ms/1VS7ioZ

Condo Questions
Robert Noce's column, in the Edmonton Journal, is likely the best condo column printed in a Canadian newspaper. Always worth reading.
http://bit.ly/1Mcolat

B.C. Supreme Court rules owner not strata responsible for drug lab damage deductible
Some condo owners expect the corporation (their neighbours) to pay for everything. Too much gall for my liking.
http://bit.ly/1PttBMJ

Articles from USA
Attorney admits to stealing from homeowners association
The theft was for only a small amount but it is embarrassing for a lawyer to plead guilty of theft.
http://bit.ly/1Mbip1t


Bagel shop causing 100-degree heat in condos above: suit
Two Upper West Side condo owners say a ground-floor bagel shop is making their apartment “uninhabitable” by causing temperatures to reach a stifling 100 degrees, a new lawsuit charges.
http://bit.ly/205klmw

Australia
Barbecue and tobacco smoke could fetch fines up to $2200 under proposed NSW strata (condo) laws
Tenants who create too much smoke when barbecuing their lamb chops or sausages on unit balconies could soon face fines of up to $2200 under proposed changes to strata laws.

The same goes for smokers if the smoke from their cigarettes or cigars drifts into neighbouring units.
http://bit.ly/1PsrAQT

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Condo News
15 October 2015

Bill 106 Public Hearings

Bill 106, Protecting Condominium Owners Act, 2015

The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs will meet to consider Bill 106, An Act to amend the Condominium Act, 1998, to enact the Condominium Management Services Act, 2015 and to amend other Acts with respect to condominiums.

The Committee intends to hold public hearings in Toronto on:
Thursday, October 22 and
Thursday, October 29, 2015.


Interested people who wish to be considered to make an oral presentation on Bill 106 should contact the Clerk of the Committee by 12:00 noon on Monday, October 19, 2015.

Those who do not wish to make an oral presentation but wish to comment on the Bill may send a written submission to the Clerk of the Committee at the address below by 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2015.

An electronic version of the Bill is available on the Legislative Assembly website at: www.ontla.on.ca.

Soo Wong, MPP, Chair
Katch Koch, Clerk
Room 1405, Whitney Block
Queen's Park, Toronto, ON  M7A 1A2

Telephone:                                                                                                           (416) 325-3526
Facsimile:                                                                                                             (416) 325-3505
TTY:                                                                                                                       (416) 325-3538
E-mail:                                                                                                                    kkoch@ola.org
Collect calls will be accepted.
http://bit.ly/1ZEojT4
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Condo News
14 October 2015

Update: Etobicoke condo owners demand 'justice' after fee increase
Since this story ran on 11 September 2015, 40 Panorama Court has come out of court-appointed administration and an elected board of directors now manages this condo building.

We wish the new board luck as they now assume full responsibly to put this long-troubled condo back into the pink.
http://bit.ly/1OHAHKV

Can A Condo’s Value Ever Drop To Zero?
It's possible, but unless the condo complex burns to the ground, it won't matter what the appraised value is. Rundown condos will limp along as termination is not a practical solution.

Where can the owners go with the little they will get? Move to a cheap rental building? Will they buy in another low-priced condo and renew the same headaches all over again?

Another point. The taller the building, the more expensive it is to tear it down. Some of those 40-50 story condos, on tiny lots, in the downtown will be a nightmare to demolish when it comes their be their turn for the wreaking ball in about 40-50 years from now.
http://bit.ly/1OpLrRs

East Village condo project made of Lego
A video about a condo sales model in Clagary that is made from Lego.
http://bit.ly/1jRSDZE

Trailer Park Boys' Mr. Lahey on why you should vote
Our favourite superintendent has a series of videos to help get people out to vote. Love this video. Watch what he uses for soap when he washes his hands. Just brilliant.

His advice goes for condo elections too. Get involved, get out and vote.
http://bit.ly/1ZmznnF

Support for Condo Dwellers Through the Creation of Condo Clinics
The City of Toronto is considering holding Condo Clinics to assist condo owners with some of their issues where city departments may be of help.
http://bit.ly/1PsjhUZ

Hiring an HOA or condo management company
Six good tips to adopt whenever your condo is planning to hire a new management company.
http://bit.ly/1K4UkIb

Vancouver Centre candidates face naked tenants when canvassing
Door-knocking in her condo-heavy riding of Vancouver Centre, Liberal candidate Hedy Fry encounters at least three naked people every campaign season. Her NDP rival, Constance Barnes, goes by a different metric, estimating one in 30 tenants answers the door in the buff.
http://bit.ly/1Ra9jpG

Articles from USA
Fires, fires and more fires. 7 Eyewitness News use to show wood frame homes in Buffalo burn down, one after another. Now TV news have turned their attention to wood frame condos.

14 families displaced in Ludlow fire

Living in a wood-frame townhouse or stacked townhouse with no attic fire stops? These photos will show you why that is not a good idea.
http://cin.ci/1G7LU7N

Fire destroys 3-story Titusville condo
If one wood-frame condo fire is not enough, here is another one.
http://on.flatoday.com/1WVCaSC

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Condo News
09 October 2015

Best practices
This morning
the fire alarm went off at our condo. I thought that it may have been our regular monthly fire alarm testing until I looked out the window and saw the fire trucks at our front door.

How quickly they arrived and how quickly they left.

How unusual. We have had next to no false fire alarms since we moved here three years ago. Another sign that I live in a very good condo.

Fall in Love campaign

Beginning today, residents can "Fall in Love" and adopt a kitten or cat for only the cost of a licence ($15, $7.50 for seniors). The campaign runs until Sunday, October 18 and features a wide variety of cats and kittens for adoption at City of Toronto animal shelters and adoption partner locations.

A cat makes a purrfect condo pet, especially in condos where dogs are prohibited.
http://bit.ly/1L4JgwB

Witness to Limberlost fire alerts other residents
"All eight units are impacted by the fire. Six have extensive damage. Two units have water and smoke damage. We're estimating the damage currently at $1.5 million,” says London fire inspector Jack Burt.

A neighbour tells CTV News of two single mothers, new to London, without insurance. Another family with a small child has also lost all their possessions.

There are too many fires in wood-frame townhouses.—editor
http://bit.ly/1MY65oA

Real estate website to allow new home purchase online with
credit card

Online shopping has finally hit the real estate market, but will Canadians buy in? Well, it would depend if the buyer was an "investor" who planned to flip the condo or someone planning to be an owner-resident.

A lot should depend on just what documents they would show on the Internet. Would a buyer be able to read the Disclosure, the Declaration, the by-laws and rules before hitting the BUY button?
http://bit.ly/1VDtqmP

Nearly 1 in 6 couldn't handle $500 increase in mortgage payment: Poll
Nearly one in six Canadians would not be able to handle a $500 increase in their monthly mortgage payments, a new survey from the Bank of Montreal suggests.

Condo owners may not face such a huge mortgage increase but what if they got hit with a $500 monthly fee increase, a special assessment or the condo takes out a loan?
http://bit.ly/1KYUrJk

Toronto Homeowners Get $8,500 Richer Every Month, While Condo Owners Get The Shaft
Say hello to the new face of wealth inequality in Toronto, where owning a back yard is a pass to riches, and owning a balcony is a pass to condo fees.
http://huff.to/1OmcDPj

Articles from USA
Red-Tagged: A Condo Copes with Being Gasless
While the contractor was hammering a nail into the floor, he accidentally banged into a gas pipe running underneath. He punctured it. "You could immediately smell it," DeGrushe says, "and you could hear the 'shh' sound."

The contractor came screaming out of the apartment. DeGrushe, the manager, was at the building in under 20 minutes. Within the hour, Chelsea Seventh Condominium was "red-tagged" by Con Edison, and the gas shut off to the entire building. The 120-unit condominium, located at 170 West 23rd Street, would remain gasless for the next four months.

Once a building is red-tagged (an actual red tag is placed on the building's gas meter to signify that it has been turned off), there is a protocol to follow to get it turned back on. The problem facing your board, though, is that it doesn't know what the protocol is, it doesn't know how long it will take, and it certainly doesn't know how much it will cost.
http://bit.ly/1GvZbC7

Gladly
Here is an interesting Twitter site for American HOAs.
https://twitter.com/GladlyHOA

One of your neighbors at Coral Point Condo is being evicted for some petty reason. Why you should care.
The following Notice has been seen today September 2nd 2015 on one of the resident's door at Coral Point Condo.

Your neighbor's eviction notice—some names have been blurred out.

Our neighbor Linda is seeing her lease immediately terminated and is being given seven days to vacate the premises. She has been allowing her cat to go out of the unit without a leash. It is stated Linda has been previously notified.

We don't know about you, but we find that to be quite a petty reason to throw somebody out the door. Especially someone who as far as we know, has not been a disturbance in any way.

And it seems we are not the only ones to feel that way, as some of you have commented, “I feel like I am being watched every time I go outside”.

Maybe you don't care or don't feel concerned in any way? Well, we invite you to reflect on the following. What if you are the next one to find an eviction notice taped to your door? How do you know some new rules are not being cooked-up as we speak or tailor-made in order to get rid of you?

Here is a photo of Linda's cat taken one night (sorry for bad quality). He has caught and killed a rat, apparently rodent infestation is a recurring issue at Coral Point Condo, one that residents are not ever updated on by the way.
http://bit.ly/1Mb1il8
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Condo News
06 October 2015

How many condo owners have made that decision only to realize years later what an expensive mistake that was.

Butterball's condo has defects

Poor Butterball. His new one-bedroom downtown Toronto condo was poorly constructed. Will the Tarion warranty pay to have it repaired?

Waterloo property manager fired
The manager had the authority to ask people to leave and repeatedly did so. By the letter of the law, Haffner explained, as much force as necessary could have been used.

But the use of force in such situations is something police discourage.
http://bit.ly/1LuFKky

This is Fire Prevention Week

Surrey condo residents flee early-morning fire
Nelson said one of her neighbours lived above where the fire started and lost her home. “She’s in shock, running around in her light pajamas,” Nelson said. “It’s devastating.”

Another resident said: “I just thought it was fake because it happens all the time,” she said. But someone pounded on her door and yelled at her and her partner to get out. She grabbed her cellphone, wallet and laptop before running outside.

This story has so many lessons for all condo owners. First, one resident didn't believe it was real because they have so many false fire alarms. Residents didn't evacuate immediately but grabbed valuables and pets before evacuating. Another resident doesn't have any insurance. Finally, the fire started on a balcony.

Lucky no one died.
http://bit.ly/1FLCPBK

In case of fire
Our advice on what to do in ase of fire.
http://www.condomadness.info/emergency-fire.html

Articles from USA
Arsonist gets 160 years for Thornton condominium fire
An Adams County District judge sentenced Martin Castruita Espinoza, 22, to 160 years in prison Thursday for a fire that destroyed a Thornton condominium complex in March of 2014.

Flames engulfed the Corona Village Condominium complex at 8760 Corona Street, destroying 18 condominiums in two buildings on March 4, 2014. Two residents and two firefighters were injured in the fire.
http://on9news.tv/1N9RSYA


Four Seasons Building Official Fights To Improve Chances Of Escaping From Fires
After a fire that killed four young children, an official with the Village of Four Seasons is stepping up his push to make condominium living safer.

Robert Davis, the Village’s chief building official, has asked trustees to consider adopting an ordinance that will require all condominiums inside the Village to retrofit the stairwells with sprinkler systems or install a secondary fire escape system by the year 2020.
http://bit.ly/1FNq2ys

One drip at a time
A condo president saved $6,000 a month; one drip and one toilet at a time.
http://bit.ly/1QPzf9S


Pooch falls 11 floors and survives
A dog miraculously survived an 11-story plunge from a balcony in Florida, with just a minor injury.
http://abc7ny.com/1012574/
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Condo News
02  October 2015

Best practices
Here is a notice that was posted in a North York condo informing owners that they are "highly encouraged to run for the Board of Directors".

This is a condo that keeps the owners informed with regular bulletins and where both the manager and the directors have a close relationship with the owners.

At least 50-60% of the owners attend the AGMs in person and there has been meetings that had just a single proxy. That's right, just ONE.

Informed owners who attend the AGMs and who respect and appreciate their manager, superintendent and directors make this condo a pleasure to live in.

Changes to Condo Act met with mixed reviews at Town Hall
The changes proposed by the Ontario government in the new Protecting Condominium Owners Act were discussed Wednesday (Sept. 30) at a Mississauga Town Hall style meeting that was attended by more than 100 condo owners and managers.
http://bit.ly/1VohF3B

That’s Garbage!
David Fleming, a Toronto Realtor, bogs about issues with garbage and recycling in condo apartment buildings.
http://bit.ly/1O7xaIR

Former condo owner sore over special assessment settlement
When an owner sells their unit, they lose any proceeds from future legal settlements. On the other hand, the new owner will be liable for any future losses.

I don't understand the seller's complaint. She couldn't have it both ways.
http://bit.ly/1PMoF3o

Articles from USA
"You’re walking into a trap".
A retired couple who accused their homeowners association of denying the husband, a disabled former Marine pilot, access to the community pool have settled the case for a six-figure sum – provided they move out.

Allen Campbell, who once sat on the HOA board, said the association seized a home for $3,500 in unpaid assessments but never accounted for proceeds from its sale. He said he wasn’t allowed to inspect the association’s bank statements, as other board members were, and that he subsequently told the FBI and other government agencies about the funds he thought were missing.

He resigned from the board in protest in 2011. After that, he said, the HOA ignored his repeated requests that the broken pool lift be fixed so he could use the swimming pool.

Another provision of the settlement, agreed to by the Campbells, requires them to move before receiving full payment. Their home was listed for sale as of Tuesday. Cynthia Campbell said the couple plan to stay in the Sacramento area but won’t buy another home that’s part of a homeowners association.

“Never again,” she said. “People do not understand the power HOAs have. They think it’s just lawn maintenance and the pool. They have way too much legal power. You’re walking into a trap.”
http://bit.ly/1iIalht

In condos vs homeless—condos win
In Denver the condo owners stop the expansion of a homeless facility.
http://dpo.st/1KJJHOT
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Condo News
27 September 2015

Elections Canada warns staff to watch for dirty 'voter suppression' tricks
Elections Canada has quietly warned staff to be on the lookout for increasingly sophisticated tactics aimed at discouraging — or even stopping — voters from casting a ballot.

The advanced voter suppression techniques flourishing in the United States are likely to spill into other countries, employees were advised in a presentation aimed at raising awareness prior to the Oct. 19 federal election.
http://bit.ly/1NHCnWe

Condo elections riddled with election fraud
I have written two full chapters on condo election fraud. In some condos, the owners can only dream of having an honest election and Bill 106 does nothing to address this serious issue.
http://bit.ly/1ppNSmf
http://bit.ly/1Ksqlh1

Don Peat on Twitter
"If anybody has ever played SimCity ..." Cllr Stephen Holyday to public works committee #TOpoli

Sim City is a children's computer game. Is this why Toronto' planning seems so messed up?

10 Signs of Co-op/ Condo Financial Trouble
This list is a good start. I have referred to a page from CondoMadness that describes what happens when the horror hits home.
http://bit.ly/1L4jOg0
http://bit.ly/1LuBct3

Alberta NDP should move on condo regulations
This resulted in Bill 9, the Condominium Property Amendment Act, which no one can really understand fully at this point, because regulations still have to be drafted and implemented. In other words, nothing has happened. Among so many issues, the main peeve of consumer advocacy groups is that there is—to date — no resolution mechanism short of going to court.

I worry this is what we will face in Ontario once Bill 106 is passed.
http://bit.ly/1MFOiFd

Water efficiency = lower condo fees
Saving water will save you money. Toronto Water has plenty of ways to reduce your water use that will help reduce your condo fees.
http://bit.ly/1QGOQZt

Articles from USA
Orlando MetroWest condo complex faces millions in code-violation fines
Florida property owners in particular get a false sense of security about their buildings because "the lawns are manicured; they have beautiful clubhouses, modern amenities, and new paint. But when you look closely, or examine the wood framing behind the pretty exterior, you see major problems."

"I genuinely believe that every similar aged wood-frame apartment building or condominium conversion in Central Florida, clad with thin-coat stucco and single-pane aluminum windows, is probably as bad or worse than the Hamptons," Prichard said.
http://bit.ly/1j6mOvV

For the one millionth time....HOAs are a thieves' paradise!
Read the Reader Comments below this article by Nila Ridings. Blowing the whistle on corruption at a condo or HOA can be a very stressful thing.
http://bit.ly/1KTKEXW

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Condo News
21 September 2015

Where is the consumer protection?
Buying resale condos can be a dangerous purchase for uninformed purchasers. In the last week, I saw a couple of sales that reinforced my belief that a condo purchaser cannot rely on the real estate agent, the status certificate or the real estate lawyer to look after their best interests.

In the west end, a buyer spent $280,000 to buy a unit in a condo corporation that has next to nothing in the Reserves, can't pay its utilities in full, was going to have the electricity cutoff for non-payments—twice—and needs over $4 million in repairs. By the way, many of the units on the east side of the building have serious water leaks and mould. Is it a surprise that most recent sales have been units that face west?

Oh yes I should mention that the board holds an AGM every three years or so.

Meanwhile a unit sold in a Scarborough condo that has a total deficit of over  $650,000, no Reserves and needs repairs in a the worse way.

So what does the status certificates say? After claiming $300,000 in the reserve Funds—a complete fabrication, the status certificate says; "The reserves are not secured by cash or liquid assets and may be inaccurate."

I am disappointed that during the debate on the second reading of Bill 106, the MPPs complain about the lack of consumer protection for buyers of NEW condos but are completely silent on the woes facing purchasers of re-sale condos.

A friend of a friend is not necessarily your friend
The Honourable Mr. Justice J.W. Quinn seasoned a May 2015 judgment with such colourful language that the judgment becomes a "must read" for anyone who is thinking of buying a used car. Could help in the purchasing of a re-sale condo as well.

The quotes that make this such a great read include:
"A friend of a friend is not necessarily your friend."

"Singh, on the other hand, is a devious man and an unbelievable witness who will do or say anything to advance his position. He was maddeningly unwilling to respond to the simplest of questions and often had to be asked the same question over and over (no doubt using the time gained to visit his pantry of untruthful answers). He was evasive, non-responsive and verbose in his testimony. Throughout the trial, I patiently waited for a Phoenix-like moment that might serve to rehabilitate his credibility: it never came. All in all, he was an exasperating witness who told untruths too numerous to catalogue and insulting in their breadth."

"Late in the trial, while being cross-examined, Singh abandoned the Toyota story, said “Yes,” this document related to the Lexus, and offered an explanation that fell somewhere between a yarn and a fairy tale."

"If lies were clothes, Singh would have been considerably overdressed for the trial."

"The corporate veil here was more of a bandit’s mask."

On punitive damages
“ “The kind of conduct that attracts punitive damages has been described with a wide variety of colourful words and phrases. These include malicious, high-handed, arbitrary, oppressive, deliberate, vicious, brutal, grossly fraudulent, evil, outrageous, egregious, callous, disgraceful, willful, wanton, in contumelious disregard of the plaintiff’s rights, or in disregard of ‘ordinary standards of morality or decent conduct.” At least 12 of these descriptions apply to the conduct of Singh."

Buying a used car or getting your car repaired in Brampton? You may want to read this judgment. It names names.
http://bit.ly/1Okndrk

Judge says tragedy of case stems from buyers’ improperly aimed lawsuit
A real estate agent took items from a house that he sold.

The judge wrote: “In this case the defendant lied and stole. His conduct was fraudulent. The tragedy of this case was that the proper action and proper parties were not before the court.”

Five years before the trial, RECO, the Real Estate Council of Ontario which governs agents, refused to take action on the buyers’ complaint until after a court ruling.

RECO’s core purpose is “to foster confidence and uphold integrity in real estate transactions” and “protect the public interest in real estate transactions.”

In this case, it failed in its mandate.
http://on.thestar.com/1Ys3CJq


Airbnb causing condo conflict in Vancouver
'This is our home,' resident says. 'This is not a hotel.'
http://bit.ly/1LHt1Fv

Only in Vancouver: Parody condo proposal inspires petition against it
I like the concept. Too bad it would have been out of my price range.
http://bit.ly/1FSIHnk

Article from USA
Former San Mateo condo manager accused of embezzling $2.8 million, pleads not guilty
A stack of 150 false invoices to Professional Painting Inc. was discovered next to her computer. Prosecutors said she had been sending checks for work not completed to Professional Painting’s owner, 58-year-old Michael Anthony Medeiros, and the two would later split the money.
http://bit.ly/1QqL06G

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Condo News
18 September 2015

Gotta have an impressive lobby
I follow the sales prices of some of the more "troubled" condos in the GTA. Last week, a unit sold in one of these condos; a condo that has a leaky garage, a serious roach problem and, according to a property manager who worked there, bricks that are about to fall off the exterior walls.

What's more, the board has not raised the condo fees for the last several years.

So I was interested to see that the Realtor added a note to the MLS listing: "Lobby under major renovations."

Now there's a condo that knows its priorities.

Buyers beware. A renovated lobby may be just a "false front" that may be hiding rooms full of horrors.

Will ACMO become the manager licencing body?
Last Wednesday, when Bill 106 was being debated in the legislature, Liberal MPP Bas Balkissoon stated:
"The member said that the Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario exists today. I just want to remind him that it exists as a voluntary organization, and the bad apples we have out there who are condo managers, the ones who create the fraud and everything else that has been going on that condo owners have been complaining about, are not members of that organization. This act makes it mandatory—

Interjection: As it should be.

Mr. Bas Balkissoon: As it should be."

Mr. Balkissoon has been badly mis-informed. He is incorrect in saying that all the bad apples out there are "not members of that organization". I doubt that even ACMO would go that far.

He must not know that Channel Property Management was ACMO 2000 certified. He must not know that some managers who have their RCM designation have engaged in accepting kickbacks, have committed fraud and are heavily engaged in manipulating condo elections?

Not all independent property managers and property management companies are incompetent or act dishonestly. To say so is unjust as there are many independent property managers who are ethical, are honest and work hard for the condo owners that hire them.

It implies that all a condo corporation has to do is hire an ACMO certified RCM and they will not be a victim of any underhanded dealings. Hogwash.

The second statement that Mr. Bas Balkissoon makes is that it will be mandatory for all condominium property managers to join ACMO.

He is a member of the Liberal government so he may be stating what the Liberal government is planning. Time will tell. I understand that the Liberals are continuing to meet with CCI/ACMO lobbying groups so who knows what they are discussing.

If cars were built like houses
A cute short video on how houses are built.
http://bit.ly/1Qe0ISq

Burlington councillor, developer at odds over condo ads
The developer says "Coming Soon" while the councillor says that the project has not yet been approved. Since the developer is going to the OMB, both can be right.
http://bit.ly/1KNM1aI

Articles from USA
City Manager ordered police to clear homeless from near her luxury condo
It is nice to have the police do your bidding. So the homeless hang out in front of other condos.
http://bit.ly/1EZzVcp
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Condo News
15 September 2015

Bill 106 has passed 2nd reading
Bill 106 is back in the house for second reading. Once passed, it will be referred to legislative committee. Hopefully they will hold public hearings that will give condo owners and directors the chance to give their input.

A new Ministry of Government and Consumer Services critic
The Progressive Conservative Party has had a shuffle in critic portfolios and Randy Pettapiece has been replaced by MPP Jim McDonell as the Conservative Ministry of Government and Consumer Services critic.

Mr. McDonell will now be the Conservatives' caucus lead on the new condo legislation. Mr. McDonell has held this critic portfolio in the past.

Mr. Pettapiece is now responsible for the Ministry of Community and Social Services and we wish him well in his new role.

MPP Jim McDonell
Queen’s Park Office
Room 343, Main Legislative Building
Toronto ON M7A 1A8
Tel : 416-325-2910
Fax : 416-325-2917
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Condo News
14 September 2015

Etobicoke condo owners demand ‘justice’ after fee increase
Residents at 40 Panorama Court say as many as half the owners at risk of defaulting.

The protesters are seeking to replace Joe Vero—their court-appointed administrator for the last four years—with engineers hired by the condo board to examine the condition of the building.

They have also signed a petition asking the province to intervene.
http://bit.ly/1OHAHKV


Tom LePage, a condominium consultant, has built a new website that is a great resource for condo owners and directors.

The site has a blog for comments, questions and answers; something Ontario condo owners need. Be sure to check it out.
http://condo-ology.net/

320 Dixon sales record


A three-bedroom condo unit at 320 Dixon Road recently sold for $112,000. It has been a long time since units at YCC #42 sold for such sums. As recently as a couple of years ago, prices were approximately $40,000.

Midtown rundown mid-rise buildings being targeted by developers
Two four-storey apartment buildings at 55-65 Broadway Ave., near Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue, were recently purchased for $44.5 million by the developer Times Group Corporation.
http://bit.ly/1F2xyFd

Arsonist alleges he was coerced by his boss into setting condo fire

'You were persuaded, duped, bullied into taking part,' judge tells Jeremy Thibert.

According to the joint submission, Thibert's boss knew there were deficiencies in the framing work he'd done on the complex. So he hatched a plan to burn it down and cover up the shoddy work.
http://bit.ly/1L9bg5O

Articles from USA
HOA decision rankles residents at The Lakes in Visalia
A typical dispute about owners getting upset about a special assessment.

What is informative is the position of the board of directors:
"When reached by telephone at his residence at The Lakes, Bernard te Velde, current president of The Lakes HOA board, declined to comment on the uproar over the assessment.

“This is a private matter and I don’t think we want anything about it being published in a newspaper.”
http://bit.ly/1K1ugil

Quail Run condominium building severely damaged by fire


What caught my eye was that the first two fire hydrants that the firefighters hooked up to did not work.

I wonder if the condo corporation owns these hydrants and have not been inspecting them. Then when they found one that worked, a car runs over the hose splitting it. Sounds like a Keystone Cops skit.
http://bit.ly/1OIy7UY
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Condo News
11 September 2015

Section 134.(5) Where is the justice?
The courts are seeing that some condo boards use Section 134.(5) of the Ontario Condominum Act to bully condo owners. In a recent case Justice Myers refused to grant orders to PCC # 231 because a nasty neighbour quarrel got out of hand.

The result? Each condo owner will be out of pocket for over $1,000 in legal fees while the respondents had to pay their expensive legal fees and sold their condo townhouse.
http://bit.ly/1icz9hU

Justice Myers strikes again
Instead of involving a condo dispute, this judgment involves fraud against an insurance company. However Justice Myers judgments are always worth reading. My favourite quote:
"They are dishonest people caught in dishonest acts acting dishonestly in court rather than forthrightly seeking to make amends."
http://bit.ly/1F0ODPR

Two injured by glass from shattered window at Four Seasons Hotel
Toronto Fire Services says two people were injured after a window reportedly shattered on the penthouse level of the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville.

The top levels of this tower are condominium unts.
http://bit.ly/1KdfDw6

40 Panorama Court is back in the news
The owners of 40 Panorama Court went to CTV News to tell how their present $1,200 a month condo fees may go up to $2,000 for the next four months as a special assessment kicks in to pay for the removal of mould in the building.

On top of the $1,200 a month they are presently paying, they have to pay for individual electrical metering plus their mortgage payments and property taxes.

Residents are asking Joe Vero, the court appointed administrator, to spread the special assessment payments out over a longer period to ease the financial hardship.
http://bit.ly/1O39p4v

Condo owners in Mississauga East-Cooksville
Your MPP Dipika Damerla is hosting her free annual BBQ this weekend. Bring your family to this great family event.

Canadians watch their Fort Myers, Fla., home being broken into on webcam
Homeowners phone police from Ontario and turn over webcam recording. A suspect has been arrested.
http://bit.ly/1MczDkC

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Condo News
09 September 2015

A Tale of Two Condos
In 1973, I bought my first condo. I was deciding between buying at two new condominium developments: PCC # 26 at 1615 & 1625 Bloor Street East in Mississauga and YCC # 82 at 4645, 4673 & 4689 Jane Street.

At both sites, a two-bedroom unit with two-bathrooms cost $17,000. I picked the Mississauga location and I lived there in bliss for nine years.

When I sold my unit, I got $27,000. That worked out to be an average annual compounded increase of 6%. Not bad; not bad at all.

1615-1625 Bloor St. W. Mississauga

Recently I drove by PCC # 26 and saw that it still looks as good as it did forty-two years ago. I have also drove past YCC # 82 and was shocked how depressing it looks.

Both started equally so how do the two condo corporations hold up?

Two-bedroom units at PCC # 26 now sell for $200,000, a price that is steadily creeping higher. Incredibly, that condo corporation has managed to continue to appreciate at compounded 6% per year over the last 42 years.

YCC #82

What about YCC # 82? A unit that went for $17,000 in 1967 now sells for approximately $40,000 on power of sale. There seems to be a lot of power of sales. That works out to be an average annual compounded increase of 2%. Pretty grim.

How do those prices stack up?
In 1973, a condo unit in both corporations cost approximately ten times the price of a new Toyota Corolla. Today, you can buy ten basic Toyota Corollas for the price of a unit at PCC # 26 and only two Toyota Corollas for the selling price of a unit at YCC # 82.

So one condo corporation retained 100% of its original value, after accounting for inflation, and the other has retained 20% of its original value.

What's the lesson here?
Buy a unit in a smaller condo corporation rather than a large one. Keep informed of what is going on in your condo. Read the AGM package and attend the meetings. If everything is going well, bask in your good fortune.

When it looks like your condo is neglecting maintenance, you have too many rental units, there is political infighting among different factions, there is a constant turnover in property management companies, selling prices have stagnated, or all of the above; get out before the roof caves in. Cut your losses early before the condo drags you down with it.

Repairman urinating in a coffee cup?
Well now, this is something new. I have heard of tradesmen rustling through medicine cabinets looking for pills and other antics but this stunt takes the cake.

Talk about an abuse of trust.
http://bit.ly/1NcD61g

Smoker-rights battle heads to B.C. Supreme Court
Strata claims smoker is breaking their rules; smoker claims strata is discriminating against him.

This will be a very important case for all condos in Canada.
http://bit.ly/1KYwW4C
ctv.news/gON2kUM

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Condo News
05 September 2015

Downtown condo units are tiny
If you are buying a pre-construction condo off of floor plans, it may be hard for you to visualize what you are buying. So Butterball offered to help new buyers envision what condo life is like in tiny condos.


Here is Butterball in a bachelor suite in a typical downtown Toronto condo. It looks like he will have to sleep standing up.

We know that one-bedroom condos in downtown Toronto are small, but just how small are they?

This is what living in a tiny 380 square foot one-bedroom condo can feel like. No room to turn around. Where do you put the scratching post?

Still what else can you buy for under $400,000 in downtown Toronto today?


Now this is what a larger one-bedroom with a den would feel like. At a far, far higher price, there is enough room to stretch out a little.

I hope there the condo's amenities include a gym. Butterball looks like he could lose a few pounds.

Coffee and the price of real estate
Studies show that the values of condos near Starbucks & higher-priced coffee shops rise higher than condos near lower-end coffee shops.
http://bit.ly/1NPxFH6

Fancy website, no information
Churchill McLaughlin Property Management Specialists Ltd. has a very fancy website with very slick stock photographs. Lots of eye candy.

Only one problem; no substance. There is no contact information, no phone numbers, no address, nothing.
http://www.churchillmclaughlin.com/

How not to sell real estate
I suspect that this condo unit was rented and the owner never inspected it once during the time it was occupied. Do you still think being a condo "investor" is a great idea?
http://bit.ly/1i2kgyA

Articles from USA
ABC legal analyst taking condo board to court
The $2 million suit, filed Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court, also claims the same board members who have denied Abrams “have been permitted to make extensive renovations to their own units without any substantial board review or objection,” according to the New York Post.

Abrams “spent two years trying not to file this lawsuit,” he said in a statement, adding that he “can no longer watch [the condo board] create and play by their own special rules.” -
http://bit.ly/1NN1kAL

Liability lessons
In wake of high-profile cases, co-op and condo board members grow fearful of getting personally targeted in lawsuits
http://bit.ly/1EFkJkv

Articles from Asia
Free grocery delivery: Chinese developers score with premium perks
Traditionally, Chinese developers offered little more than security and maintenance services at their residential projects. But more apartment towers now offer bonuses such as in-house takeout and grocery delivery, tour reservations and even personal financial products such as wealth management services.
http://bit.ly/1VwFy5E
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Condo News
01 September 2015

City building inspectors won't help condo owners
I was talking with an owner who owns a unit in a lower-priced condo corporation that is in the heart of Ford Nation up in northern Etobicoke.

The man and his family have a problem with his bathtub filling up with a couple of inches of water whenever the neighbours in the unit beside his have a shower.

Three times he wrote out a resident's complaint form and the manager ignored his complaints. There is bad blood between them over some needed repairs to his unit a few years ago.

So since the property manager and the board will not clean out the drains, he phoned Toronto's  Municipal Licencing and Standards Department.

They told him that they would not intervene because he lived in a condo and he should take his complaints to his condo board but that if he lived in a rental building, they would investigate.

It is time for this taxpayer to make an appointment with his city councillor.

Then its time for him to re-boot an old owner's association of disgruntled owners to see what pressure they can put on their entrenched board.

Two-tier postal service will favour multi-residential units
Anyone who currently gets their mail at an apartment, a condominium lobby box, a mailbox panel at seniors’ homes or at a community mailbox will not see any change to their postal delivery.

Finally condos have one clear advantage over detached houses.
http://bit.ly/1KqJtxn

Beware of who you rent to:
What landlords can do to avoid tenants from hell

Bottom line? Be safe. Pay 6% or more of the rental income to hire a property management company.
http://bit.ly/1UneLpS

Swaying antenna on Trump tower shuts down Bay and Adelaide
First it was a series of falling windows. Then there was the lawsuits from the condo-hotel suite buyers. Next was a scathing food critic review of the restaurant. Now it is the antenna. When will there be some good news?
http://on.thestar.com/1O3q4Sp

Maybe, the rudest concierge in Toronto?
Last week, I met maybe the rudest concierge I’ve ever come across in Toronto. An amusing tale by David Fleming.

I have news for David. Most property managers and concierge hate real estate agents. They too have horror stories about the most rude real estate agents they have come across.
http://bit.ly/1NSRtZ7

Articles from USA
‘Airbnb’ Horror Story: Tenant Sublets Condo, Without Owner’s Permission
Recently a condo owner came back to Chicago and found a young couple living in the master bedroom. His liquor supply was gone and there was a hookah on the dining room table.

He believes it was the young man who had been living there, with his permission, renting the second bedroom. Sure enough, he found the listing on the website.
http://cbsloc.al/1N3v1xe

Hostility between boards and residents is not unusual
The reason is simple: There is no accountability.

No kidding!
http://bit.ly/1JrGz7j

Photographer and model could be forced out of Soho condo
Pay your fees or lose your unit.
http://bit.ly/1UifKgs


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Condo News
28 August 2015

Democratic Survival Skills for Condo Owners
2013 census data shows there are 115,000 strata units in Greater Victoria. Almost every one of those buildings are run by elected volunteers with little or no training. Yet your strata council (condo board) can issue fines and has the power to put a lien on your home if you flout their decisions. Strata has a big stick. Knowledge is your shield.

These 2-hour workshops were expressly designed to fill that need.

Learn the basic democratic skills every condo owner needs to protect their financial investment.

Make your case with clout on issues such as noise complaints, condo repairs, budget decisions, maintenance standards, parking allocations and rental or pet restrictions.

This is a workshop that should be offered for owners across the country. Owners need to know what they are getting into if they have a legal dispute with their condo board.
http://bit.ly/1JBBHAa

Charter rights don't apply to strata (condo) disputes
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has dismissed a White Rock man's attempt to invoke Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms in a dispute with his strata corporation (condo corporation).

The courts have always held this opinion. This is just another risk people take when they buy a unit in a condo corporation.
http://bit.ly/1i1pCd3

Conviction results in substantial fine after fatal Toronto
rooming-house fire

This has implications for condo owners and boards because rooming houses exist in condo townhouses and in apartment units. Often it is called "over-crowding", "bed-sits" or "private spaces" but overcrowded rooming houses are what they actually are.
http://bit.ly/1Kk0LMH

Montreal woman stunned after rental property host threatens to sue if she posts bad review
No bad reviews on the Internet may not mean that everyone was a happy guest or customer.
http://bit.ly/1U8IS9X

Articles from USA
High number of heroin overdoses at condo complex prompts action from Orange County
A new fight is underway to save lives at a crime-ridden, Orange County condo complex that’s seen 15 drug overdoses in just 24 hours.

According to sheriff’s officials, 55 people were arrested at the complex over the weekend, and nine of those charged with possession illegal drugs. Another 35 were issued warnings.
http://bit.ly/1hfik4Z

Cigarette sparks $350,000 condo fire
A discarded cigarette ignited a blaze in a Grantville condominium that caused an estimated $350,000 in damage Wednesday, a San Diego fire official said.

The Red Cross was called to assist a woman and three teenage boys.
http://bit.ly/1Jwy8qB


Photos show the squalid Boston condo that 'grossed out' a state judge

Mental illness is a growing problem for condo boards everywhere.

Some families dump their "special needs" relatives in a condo unit and leave them on their own. This is a social problem that the neighbours, condo managers and directors are ill equipped to handle.
http://bit.ly/1Jmze9l

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Condo News
25 August 2015

Six mistakes new condo investors make
I would have changed the title to six mistakes condo purchasers make. I care for the people who want to buy a home and not so much for "investors" who I see as people who want to make money at the expense of the owner-residents.

I agree with mistakes number 1-5 but I don't think that buying early (mistake #6) is a good idea. Many VIP events are when the developers dump the dog units at so-called bargain prices while they save the nicer and more expensive units for later.
http://bit.ly/1E9Fc03

10 tips for buying a condo in Toronto
Ten good tips for condo buyers. This article is for purchasers of pre-built units and resales.
http://bit.ly/1UTvHXd


Rented house turned into an illegal rooming house
"We figured he made about $4,000 a month in profits from our house."
It happens to semi-detached houses and detached houses but the same thing can also happen with condo townhouses and apartment units.

If they are not rented as over-crowded rooming houses some tenants may rent the units as a short-term hotel rooms.
http://bit.ly/1JnsNlt

Judge Denies Defence Counsel $100,000 in Costs due to Sharp Practice
This is a great article that describes how judges decide costs.

In the case of Saleh v. Nebel, the conduct of the defence counsel reads like a train wreck: you just can't turn away from this disaster.

In this case, the defence lawyers conducted themselves so poorly and with such gall that the judge felt it was reasonable to deprive them of a significant costs award despite succeeding at trial.
http://bit.ly/1fCB0KJ

Calgary to mandate regular maintenance of buildings with new bylaw
Calgary will mandate regular maintenance of building envelopes five stories or taller. Similar bylaws concerning the exterior of buildings exist in Vancouver and Montreal, said Civitarese, who noted Calgary’s version has been in the works for some time.

Individual bricks falling off of older condos is not as rare as you may think.
http://bit.ly/1fBBlNJ

Articles from USA
Indianapolis Firefighters Contain Condo Fire

Here are more details on the $250,000 fire damage caused when a smoker threw his cigarette butt into a plastic garbage pail.
http://bit.ly/1JpqHBk

Condo Association Sued for Sexual Harassment National Origin Discrimination and Retaliation
If you have a manager who is violating people's basic human rights, the board better deal with it.
http://bit.ly/1Ltalvr

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Condo News
21 August 2015

Buying a home in a rental building?
Renting a unit in one of these buildings makes sense. But do you want to buy your primary residence in what is legally a condo corporation but in reality is basically a rental building?
http://bit.ly/1Liad1J

Requisitioning meetings becomes more complex  (1 of 2)
Not everything about the new Condo Act is rosy.
http://bit.ly/1PkQJu0

Pets and condos
What you need to know about owning a pet in a condo.
http://bit.ly/1MHtMDS

Condo’s pet restriction muzzles couple’s Human Rights claim
If you plan to fight a condominium corporation, says Bob Aaron, be prepared for a ‘very risky and expensive undertaking.’

At the first sign of trouble, don't fool around. Get a legal opinion from a lawyer experienced in condominium law.—editor
http://on.thestar.com/1JclsFg

Condo living on Humber Bay

We can't forget that condo living does have its good side.

Articles from USA
Cigarette starts 2-alarm condo fire
What is it about smokers? Don't they ever learn?
http://bit.ly/1NrXGLp

City threatens to turn off running water at West Palm Beach condo
A Florida HOA owes the city nearly $62,000 in unpaid water bills. The HOA president Zandra Stevens said that only about 60% of the condo owners are paying their monthly HOA fees. (I think that may be why the HOA is broke.)

If your condo doesn't have AGMs every year and withholds financial information, sell and get out FAST.
http://bit.ly/1E3Xos9

Condo owners at St. Pete's Signature Place to cough up $8.7M for repairs
Condo owners in Signature Place, Tampa Bay's tallest and newest condo tower, are being hit with $8.7 million in special assessments to correct "urgent construction defects'' that endanger residents and pedestrians.

Repairs to the six-year-old building in downtown St. Petersburg originally were estimated to be less than $700,000 but mushroomed after experts discovered "missing or improperly installed'' rebar, which helps strengthen exterior walls.
http://bit.ly/1JlboOB

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Condo News
17 August 2015

The big surprise
This is the best Garth Turner blog in a while now. So we have Harper encouraging people to buy and renovate condos and houses by taking on more and more debt to save the economy and Tom Mulcair  saying “People could be in for a terrible surprise.”

Oh my gosh. We have the smelly bearded sandal-wearing bicycle-riding socialists warning people to be financially prudent before taking on more and more debt and the right-wing conservatives encouraging people to absorb more and more debt. Their motto: "How to stop worrying and love your mortgage."
http://bit.ly/1hGcxWw

An interesting Blog
A GTA condo management company has an interesting blog on their website that is far better than glorified advertising. It is worth reading.
http://trawaymanagement.blogspot.ca/

Canadian Museum of History workers stole cash under noses of auditors
Internal audit says three contract employees embezzled $41,000 in cash receipts from box office.

The potential for fraud is everywhere, not just in condos. Once again, it took a whistle-blower, not the auditors to report it.
http://bit.ly/1DTHGzz

Making a lounge chair out of a shopping cart
Hopefully, it will ever come to this.
http://bit.ly/1IZ1BZR

Erik the Red to retire from rodent control officer duties on CSS Acadia
Hotline set up for fans to bid bon voyage to feline rodent control officer.

There are some condos that could use a rodent control officer on the lower floors and in the underground garage.
http://bit.ly/1Lb75EY

Articles from USA
Family threatened with jail time
In Missouri, a purple playground has become a problem for a Lee’s Summit family after their homeowner’s association is threatening them with fines, sanctions and even jail time if it’s not removed.

I'd take the playground down and sell the family home. The legal costs and stress that a condo or HOA board can put on the owners is not worth the fight.
http://bit.ly/1f7PPos

Black bear tries to get into condo through cat door
Check out all of the photos. They are quite something.
http://usat.ly/1TGwsjQ

Singapore
Woman trapped on ledge as fire rages inside Tanah Merah condo
For 20 minutes, the 35-year-old woman was trapped on a narrow window ledge, clinging on to dear life.

The fire is believed to have cut off the only exit of her unit. Residents The New Paper spoke to said the woman had earlier been shouting and waving for help from inside the unit.

But as thick, black smoke poured out of the windows, she climbed out and lay face down on the ledge.
http://bit.ly/1TIuBv4

Australia
Increased sentence for strata manager who stole
A strata (condo) manager who defrauded his clients of more than $67,000 has had his sentence increased on appeal but has avoided jail.

Jason Christopher Hext, of Strataco Strata Pty Ltd, was sentenced to 12 months' jail in April, after being found guilty of embezzling funds from the trust accounts of seven strata plans.

Mr Hext was convicted of transferring funds out of these trust accounts for his own and his wife's personal use.

Last week, Parramatta District Court dismissed Mr Hext's appeal against the severity of his sentence.

Instead, the court took the view a stronger sentence was required to recognise the objective seriousness of the offence and to generally deter others, noting Mr Hext had shown no remorse or acknowledgment of his offending.
http://bit.ly/1DW4VJh

—†—
Condo News
13 August 2015

Preventative Maintenance Stretches HOA Dollars
A reminder why regular maintenance and safety audits are a must for condo corporations.
http://bit.ly/1DHbobi

$25,000 above listing price

Here is a recent sale at the Toy Factory Lofts where a unit went for $25,000 more than the asking price.

It is a very lovely unit so I wonder? Did it sell for so much because the unit was in above-average condition or because the monthly maintenance costs are so low?

Coming to a condo near you?

In Japan, the infrastructure ministry and the elevator industry agreed that drinking water and portable toilets should be stored in elevators in preparation for emergency stoppages after earthquakes.

Condo managers must also have emergency procedures to get the residents out from the top floors when the elevators are not working.
http://bit.ly/1gmNqXY

Booking.com
This website shows a number of companies that rent condo units as short-term hotel rooms. As you go down this list, you will see some of the condos in Toronto that allow short-term rentals and what the daily rates are.

There must be a lot of suitcases going and and out of the lobby and lots of strangers using the amenities.
http://bit.ly/1h2v5Ap

MPP BBQs

This is the time of year that your local MPPs are holding their summer BBQs for their constituents.

I urge all condo owners to attend these free events to meet your MPP and inform him or her of your condo concerns and issues, urge them to become informed about Bill 106—the upcoming changes to Ontario's Condominium Act—and most importantly have some fun.

Ward 10 Community Update
I also urge you to get on your municipal councillor's e-mail list. James Pasternak keeps his consituents informed on such things as "Free Outdoor Movies in Earl Bales Park" and "Taste of Manila" that will run Saturday, August 22nd to Sunday August 23rd at Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue

For the 2nd year in a row, Ward 10 hosts one of the largest street festivals in the city.
http://bit.ly/1HEDSxf

Condo Questions:
Here is a great condo advice column written by Robert Noce in the Edmonton Journal. Always worth reading.
http://bit.ly/1f0ijAg

Articles from USA
Criminal complaints filed in condo catastrophe
Records also show that at the end of Perez's time as president last fall, he began writing large checks on the Jade Winds account to cash, adding up to more than $800,000.

Then there is the condo manager and the question of $60,000 in dental work. Then there is more, much more.
http://bit.ly/1MhpyCN

Vegas HOA crime kingpin Leon Benzer sentenced to 15½
years in prison

Former construction company boss Leon Benzer, the man behind the massive scheme to take over and defraud Las Vegas-area homeowners associations, was sentenced Thursday to 15 ½ years in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge James Mahan also ordered Benzer to serve five years of supervised release after prison and pay $13.4 million in restitution.

Benzer, 48, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion charges, is to surrender to prison authorities Nov. 6.
http://bit.ly/1KZbdYr

Norway
Smoking bans spread to balconies
A new condominium project in the Oslo suburb of Bærum will ban smoking on balconies and in the garden terraces of those with units on the ground floor. Developers claim the smoke would otherwise bother neighbours.
http://bit.ly/1NofwNc

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Condo News
10 August 2015

Fighting Airbnb rentals
If you have owners, or their tenants, leasing out residential condo units as hotel suites, the board can put a stop to it.

Besides the excellent ideas put forward in this article by Rodrigue Escayola, a well-known condo lawyer, you can look at such things as the units not meeting commercial property city by-law requirements, nor is the "business' paying commercial property taxes.

The board may be legally required to collect HST on the common elements. (Check with the corporation lawyer) and you could snitch on the owner to Revenue Canada.

I was talking with an executive of a condo management company and he was telling me that the got a call in the middle of the night last weekend because of a horror show at one of his buildings. An owner was using a rental agency to lease his unit and the agency was renting it as an Airbnb unit. That night, 35 people were smoking dope and cigarettes in the common areas, making a hell of a lot of noise and trashing the place.

Of course the cops were called but getting the mob out of the condo was brutal.
http://bit.ly/1KX3OvF

Dog condos units
David Fleming didn't mention the possibility of homeless sleeping, drug users shooting up or prostitutes turning tricks and late night drunks urinating under that balcony.

Just thought I add those possibilities to the conversation.
http://bit.ly/1M56BSd

Olivia Chow vs. Adam Vaughan: a battle for condo votes
In this federal election, the new Spadina-Fort York riding is where condo residents need to be taken seriously.

Gone are Little Italy, the Annex and other residential communities that were considered Chow’s power base. Included now are condos in Liberty Village, CityPlace and Distillery, meaning more of the roughly 64,000 eligible voters live in condos rather than in houses.

It will be interesting to see just how many of these condo residents, keeping in mind that most are renters, will vote.
http://bit.ly/1ONCttK

Paying for two lawyers?
It is surprising how freely some condo boards spend the corporation's money. Have you ever had your condo lawyer show up to chair your AGM and he or she brings along a young lawyer to help as a scrutineer?

Guess what, the young lawyer is charging the corporation his or her hourly rate to gain some practical experience. Two directors told me that their law firm charged their corporation approximately $3,500 to chair the meeting and for supplying the "scrutineer".

Two issues here. Why are the condo owners paying for a lawyer to gain experience? A second point is that chairing a condo meeting is pretty basic so why hire a an experienced lawyer with an expensive hourly rate to perform a basic service?

Before the AGM, the board should phone around and find an experienced property manager, a condo consultant, or if it is really required, a lawyer who will give you a fixed price to chair your meeting.

Better yet, any condo president worth their salt should be able to chair a normal owners' meeting.

Articles from USA
Suspected embezzler in court
This time the HOA is in California and the accused was the treasurer. So many criminal charges for condo fraud in the USA and so few in Canada.
http://bit.ly/1SHchqT

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Condo News
04 August 2015

Homeless man "buys" condo in Hamilton
And we thought that the supply of buyers would dry up.
http://bit.ly/1IaC0Qt

Top-10: Subtle Annoyances For First-Time Condo Owners
Another interesting blog by David Fleming.
http://bit.ly/1h9rZKr

Sprinkler system showers residents inside St. Pete condo
It's very rare for an in-suite sprinkler to go off, even the one in the kitchen although condo kitchen fires are common.

A Toronto firefighter told me that they get called to a condo kitchen fire at least once a month. Young drunk people, often students, put something on the stove and then go to sleep. The fire alarm wakes up the whole building.
http://on.wtsp.com/1H8Enzr

Condo pricing
We are in another Year of Rising Prices for most condos in the GTA. Yet not all condos have been invited to the banquet.

At one Toronto condo, a couple of one-bedroom condos sold for $30,000 and a two-bedroom went for $35,000. These power-of-sale prices have froze at those levels for a couple of years now.

In Mississauga, two similar sized two-bedroom, two bath condos sold last week. Same size units, similar amenities and monthly expenses. At the one building, the price was $100,000 more than the condo just down the street. (Believe me, the cheaper one was not a bargain.)

Then there are a few troubled condos where nothing is selling.

So even in a hot market, be careful. Check the building's status certificate, financial statements and the sales history. If you can't read them, pay someone who can.

Like buying a used car, buying a resale condo can be risky for those who don't do their homework.

Cats Days of Summer
The City of Toronto is holding a "cat days of summer" adoption blitz until August 31. Residents can go home with a kitten or cat by paying a special low adoption fee of $25 in addition to a  $15 pet licence fee ($7.50 for seniors) at any of the City's three animal shelters and a number of adoption-partner locations.

All cats and kittens are sterilized (spayed/neutered), micro-chipped, vet-checked, de-wormed and vaccinated.

Fire in Cote St. Luc leads police to grow-op
A fire in Cote St. Luc, Quebec condo led police to the discovery of a marijuana grow op. No one was hurt, but all the residents were forced out of their homes.
http://bit.ly/1IzTAdF

Articles from USA
Small condo buildings give owners more say — and more responsibility
Personally, I would shy away from a condo that has less than 25 units as much as I would avoid the huge condos having over 240 units.

If you are in a condo of three-four units, do you think it would be easy to hire a lawyer to lien someone who is arrears?
http://wapo.st/1VSlLyw

Condo association bookkeeper pleads guilty to fraud
A New Hampshire bookkeeper, Courtney Stone pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud and one count of impeding the administration of tax laws. A federal judge said Stone lied when she was in charge of the books for the associations during a period of three years.

Stone was the bookkeeper for a family business and was accused of creating losses of between $400,000 and $1 million.
http://bit.ly/1JRjwma

4-year-old girl drowns in Kenner condo complex
A 4-year-old girl drowned Friday evening (July 31) in a condominium complex pool, according to the Kenner Police Department. (Louisiana)

Everyone has to be so alert when kids or elderly are in a pool.
http://bit.ly/1KHZhNj

E-mail from a reader
If we suspect that board of directors are not paying condo fees is there a way‎ to challenge. Is there a way we can go to court about it?
Reader—Toronto

I guess you could write a letter to the auditor stating that you have heard rumours that certain "owners" are not paying their monthly expenses and that you hope that he/she will pay attention to these concerns when he or she does the corporation's audit.

I am aware that at a few condos, the directors believe they should be paid for "all the hard work they do". They submit 12 monthly cheques for their fees. Those cheques are cashed but they then get cash payments from the corporation that are added to the administration or maintenance expenses in the operating fund account. It can be very hard and extremely expensive to uncover such irregularities.

You also realize that these accusations are just as likely unsubstantiated rumours that are spread by the board's political opponents.
—editor

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Condo News
28 July 2015

Fired property management company sues condo
A condo fires their property management company instead of giving 60 days notice. After two years of court battles, the dispute is over.

In my opinion, aside from the lawyers, no one won.
http://bit.ly/1eq4FX0

What is with the condo war on the car?
The war on the car is getting out of hand. Sure more tiny units can be stuffed into a smaller space if there is limited parking but what will be the future value of these units?
http://bit.ly/1fzAAF8

What’s Old Is New Again!
David Fleming blogs on older condos spending their reserve funds giving their lobby and the outside a face lift to make them look "younger".

Condos do this all the time. They believe, with good reason, that it increases property values and so their units will be easier to sell.

Good for the one's selling I guess.
http://bit.ly/1KuE0nx

Rising rents, noise and health issues: Is Artscape failing its tenants who seek affordable live-work studios?
Artscape is a non-profit corporation based in Toronto that, among other things, manages condo units for artists.

This Globe an Mail article gives a glimpse into who Artscape is and how it operates. This is a sentence that caught my attention:

"While an Artscape spokesperson acknowledged its overall salary and benefits expenses exceed the amounts cited on its financial statements, the organization would not provide details about its total annual payroll outlay."
http://bit.ly/1VGKTIH

Metro Vancouver apartments, condos face fines for food scraps
on July 1

Some organic waste recyclers say many apartment buildings in Metro Vancouver still don't have a system to keep food scraps out of the garbage.
http://bit.ly/1JBKwIA

US News
Condo residents displaced by roof collapse get update
Roof collapsed on a townhouse complex last winter. There was no money in the budget to shovel the heavy snow off the roofs.

The TV video story describes the high costs and the long waits after evacuating your condo due to serious damage.
http://bit.ly/1Inpw9x

Making More Space in a One-Bedroom Apartment
Make a one-bedroom into a two-bedroom. It's happening in New York and it's happening in North York.
http://nyti.ms/1S2CaBi

Donald Trump’s Fordian Slip: Two campaigns singing the same tune
An interesting Gobal News story comparing Donald Trump and Rob Ford.
http://bit.ly/1JFNcCx

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Condo News
24 July 2015

An Array of New Authorities
More interesting information on Bill 106 from Clifton Kok LLP.
http://bit.ly/1gPa1N7

Scarborough condo residents say new windows already cracked, mouldy
Residents of 20 Gilder Drive say windows the building's windows were replaced only last year have already developed cracks and leaks.

Drew Durjodhan, who has lived in the building for 15 years, scrubs her windows for nearly an hour each day. Still, she can't rid them of persistent mould.

Condo owners in the building paid nearly $10,000 for their own independent energy audit after their requests to the building's management were ignored.

You should watch the CBC video.

It's a nice report that names the parties that are involved.
http://bit.ly/1IhoRSJ

Charles Hanes is back
Charles Hanes has resumed blogging on his site and it remains a must read for Ontario condo owners and potential buyers.

In one of his recent blogs, he tells the story of a man who bought a pre-built condo and just a few days before he was to take possession, he found out that he can have only one dog and it has to be under 25 lb.

The man owns two dogs, one that exceeds the maximum allowed weight.
http://simplycharles.com/

City urges better reporting of food poisoning incidents
Whether it’s bad hamburgers, dicey potato salad or a stroganoff that went a little off, Toronto Public Health wants to know if it caused the tummy trouble that kept you off work Monday.

And to help, it’s established an anonymous website — GastroBusters — that will help track incidents of food poisoning across the city that often go unreported.

The restaurant industry is not so thrilled about this site.
http://bit.ly/1Dvxg3F

Sussex woman reportedly stole thousands as condo association treasurer
Theft and fraud criminal charges involving condos are common in the United States. In these two cases, it was the treasurer who have been charged with sticking their hands in the honey jar.

A criminal complaint says that the current treasurer, contacted two banks where the condominium association keeps its money and discovered that both accounts, which each contained about $14,000, had been mostly drained.
http://bit.ly/1IbPvw7

Ex-HOA official Vicki Yancey arrested on larceny
Officials with the Deer Path Homeowners Association said that, according to their audit, Vicki Yancey took a total of $28,772.85 from the HOA account. The HOA president told Spillman she was the association's treasurer from 2002 until August 2014. He said she was not authorized to take money without the knowledge or consent of the board of directors and was the only person who had access to the account, Spillman's report states.
http://bit.ly/1KjHw45

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Condo News
20 July 2015

Canada’s first shopping apartment offers real-life retail in a tiny downtown Toronto condo
Well, what do you know. Now we have a small higher-end fashion retail store operating out of a downtown condo. Sure it's cheaper than renting a retail unit; that's because a small condo is not zoned or taxed as a retail unit. Nor would it meet commercial building and fire codes.
http://bit.ly/1L9rWLa

Besides shopping "The Apt" will also be having regular shopping parties, artist showcases, dinners and can even be rented out for a meeting, or a private party.
http://bit.ly/1LlNeFq

Bill 106 changes merged with Condo Act 1998
Here is a valuable resource from the lawyers at Clifton Kok LLP who have added all the proposed changes in Bill 106 to the Condo Act in one 129 page pdf document.
http://bit.ly/1VbgYrH

Flooded Toronto condo basement
CBC video on a parking garage flooding in a York Mills-Yonge St condo.
http://bit.ly/1HDV7js
http://bit.ly/1Lfjzhd

Sudbury home buyers still 'experimenting' with condominiums
Despite some high profile projects planned for the city, the Sudbury condominium market has been slow to get off the ground, with few buildings under construction and sales not meeting expectations.

Developer Dalron started work on converting an office building on Larch Street downtown a few years ago. It had planned to finish the units after they were sold, but slow sales saw all 12 completed before they had an owner.

Sales agent Joanne Belanger said three of the $279,000 units are still empty.
http://bit.ly/1OcOMPV

Strata law reform: government guarantees compensation for home owners facing eviction
The state government (New South Wales, Australia) has locked in controversial plans to make it possible for a majority of 75 per cent of owners to sell their unit blocks for redevelopment, regardless of the wishes of the minority.

It was one of a package of updated strata law reform proposals announced on Wednesday by the Minister responsible for Fair Trading, Mr Victor Dominello.
He said there will be a guarantee of proper compensation–market value plus relocation expenses–as well as a Fair Trading hotline to help people whose homes are being sold from under them.

The proposed new Condo Act will also limit the number of proxies an owner can collect.
http://bit.ly/1J3CJoC

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Condo News
16 July 2015

Trump hotel investors lose legal fight to rescind deals
An Ontario Superior Court Justice has rejected legal efforts to rescind deals on behalf of investors in pricey hotel-condo units in Toronto’s Trump International Hotel & Tower, saying buyers knew that “all investments are risky.”

Justice Paul Perell makes clear in his 49-page judgment that marketing materials provided to buyers — setting out potential revenues that could be generated based on projected occupancies and room rates of more than $500 a night — were “deceptive documents.”

But they did not constitute an “investment contract” and they did not breach an Ontario Securities Commission ruling that set out specific conditions for how Talon International, developer of the hotel, was to market the unusual hotel-condo suites, the court found.

In a sort of buyer-beware ruling released late Friday, Justice Perell seems to take the view that it was ultimately up to buyers to do the math for themselves and review legal documents more carefully.

Three issues here. The first two are obvious. Condos are risky purchases, especially hotel-condo units and you can't believe what the sales agents say.

The third point the judge made is far trickier. The sales agreements, the disclosure, declaration, by-laws and rules are so complicated and thick it is impossible for the average buyer to understand them. So they really should spend the money and hire a professional, an accountant and/or an experienced condo lawyer to review these documents for them.—editor
http://on.thestar.com/1GlPbcZ

Two-unit neighbourhood condominiums
Toronto has changed its by-laws so that developers can buy a detached house, demolish it and build two vertically-stacked homes on a single lot. Basically there is one unit build behind a unit with the two attached on at least one floor.

I went to a meeting on Tuesday night (14 July 2015) that was hosted by councillor Mike Layton to see if I could find out why they are registered as condos, how does that benefit the developer and why would anyone want to by a vertical condo over a semi.

So far in Toronto, there may be as few as six of these projects built or going through the planning process.

The developer wins because he can put two units on a single lot. As for parking, these condo units, which may sell for over a million dollars, only require one parking spot for each unit.

I asked a developer who attended the meeting on the wording of the declaration, by-laws and rules and they said that they leave all of that up to their lawyers.

I can see lots of problems buying into a two-unit condo.

The two owners could fight over common element fees, the enforcement of by-laws and rules and what happens if one of the units goes into arrears. They could argue bitterly about improvements to the common elements and a dozen of other things. If the two owners have issues, the legal fees to pay for mediation, arbitration and/or court costs could go through the roof.

Finally what happens if one of the parties wants to terminate the condo?

When I raised my concerns about these issues, Mr. Layton said that the city cannot zone the ownership of a property.

Quebec landlords highlight gross apartments in new contest

A group representing Quebec landlords has launched a contest called "Histoires d'horreur du 1er juillet" to highlight the filthy apartments they're sometimes left with when tenants move out on July 1.

The contest encourages landlords to send photos of dirty or ruined apartments on the traditional moving day for people in Quebec.

I can't wait to see the three winners.
http://bit.ly/1JjaJcv

Deputies: Woman set up elaborate system to bother neighbor with music
Who would ever think someone would go to this much trouble to aggravate her neighbours. Reminds me of a scene in Clockwork Orange.
http://bit.ly/1M3KxaF

Downtown Edmonton condo owners on the hook for $2.3M repair
People living in a downtown condo building have been hit with a massive repair bill. Each of the condo owners is expected to pay an average of $45,000 for repairs on the Oliver Gardens building, located at 101 Avenue and 117 Street.

Owners were given two options: pay the full amount by Sept. 1 or partake in a loan acquired by the condo corporation.

“I did the math on the loan. If I pay that extra $397 every month for 20 years, it actually turns out to be closer to $95,000,” said Lane.

Another lesson demonstrating that years of low monthly maintenance fees are no bargain for the owners who get stick with the bills.
http://bit.ly/1gAuIfC

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Condo News
14 July 2015

Navigating the proposed changes to Ontario's Condo Act
Here is a much needed blog describing how to read Bill 106 by the lawyers at Clifton Kok LLP.

This is a very good place to start for anyone who wants to read Bill 106 and understand what it is saying. These three posts make a very good road map as they make very clear, this is going to be a very complicated Act.
http://www.cklegal.ca/1/post/2015/07/blog-entry-2.html
http://www.cklegal.ca/1/post/2015/07/blog-entry-3.html
http://www.cklegal.ca/1/post/2015/07/blog-entry-4.html

The alternative mortgage market
High risk borrowers are paying 10-12% interest to get a mortgage? Oh my gosh. This is so risky.

"Anthony Croll, vice president of Individual Investment Corporation, a Montreal-based private lender that has been in business since 1958, said he’s seen a rise in the number of small private lenders over the last few years competing with the 10 per cent to 12 per cent interest his company would charge.

He also thinks inexperienced lenders may be underestimating the risks associated with non-payment of a loan."

Risks? Sure there are risks.

I have personal knowledge of a man who was on disability benefits who bought a new bachelor condo with no money down. He lived in the unit and used his "rent" money that he was paying the small-time developer to come up with the minimum down payment. The developer also arranged for him to get a first and second mortgage.

The owner paid his condo fees and both mortgages for a year or so and then got tired of having no money so he stopped paying his condo fees and the mortgages. It took the the first mortgagee months to get the owner out as the owner fought his eviction in the courts (self-represented) with enough gall, skill and luck to take his case to appeals court.

The owner of the first mortgage lost his shirt and almost his sanity as he had to pay the condo fees, months of missing mortgage payments, had to pay his lawyer thousands in fees and then had to pay two men to clean and paint the empty apartment. It took them two weeks to get it fit for viewings.

Then the unit sat empty for a few months until it sold.
http://bit.ly/1LUSPBV

Toronto Condo Rentals: Temporary Wallpaper Adds Wow-Factor
Check out some of these designs. Wallpaper has come a long way.
http://bit.ly/1L0rVcu

Condo developments surrounded by empty retail space in some Calgary neighbourhoods
High rents unaffordable for 'mom and pop' businesses, city growth expert says.

No kidding. I am seeing the same issue of empty retail spaces in many Toronto condos. A model that works well on Yonge Street Rent struggles in North York and  in Etobicoke. Few pedestrians and little visible parking means few customers.
http://bit.ly/1Hs5pSH

Million dollar condo fire under investigation in Morinville Alberta

But at least three of the six condo units in the east block were lost to the fire, with the early damage estimate pegged at around $1 million.

“It’s under investigation, but preliminary investigation indicates the fire started in the balcony area on the exterior of the structure and worked its way into the structures.”

Not another balcony fire on a wood-frame condo building? Will these fires ever end?—editor
http://bit.ly/1JdGL9w

Music lovers might find a home at Toronto’s iconic CHUM radio site
The old CHUM radio building will become yet another condo building.
http://bit.ly/1LYjPQW

Northern Brewery to be turned into condos
A CBC audio news report about a closed Sudbury brewery being turned into condo lofts. I am sure buyers will be lapping them up while the old timers will be hopping mad and most of my readers will be barley interested.

I'd love to do the advertising campaign. "Good for what ALEs you" is a no-brainer. "Can't fail to organize a successful night in a brewery's party room?"is yet another.

Give me a night with a couple of friends, a 24, some pickelled eggs and sausage and the ideas are sure to flow.
http://bit.ly/1eOGcez

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Condo News
10 July 2015

Fear or intimidation?
I went to a requisition meeting last night where a total of 68 condo owners met in an attempt to remove the board due to perceived mismanagement, poor communications, a complete lack of transparency and huge corporation debts.

To protect themselves from the at times loud but very well behaved owners, the board hired five uniformed security guards that were wearing bullet resistant vests and were armed with semi-automatic hand guns.

About half of the owners were women. During the meeting I heard no swearing, no threats, no course language, saw no threatening gestures; just extremely well thought out and well presented questions to the Chair, the auditor and to the directors. If the armed guards were hired to intimidate the owners, it didn't work.

That the owners have reason to be upset with their directors, there is no doubt but having three heavily armed guards standing behind them for the duration of the meeting, and two more guards at the back of the room, made me think that the directors looked more silly than cautious. (Wouldn't a couple of regular security guards been sufficient?)

One of the guards asked us what this meeting was all about because they normally guard jewelry stores.

The board can't find the money to pay for a missing lock and handle for one of the building's Exit doors, which is a constant security risk for everyone that lives in that building, but they had no problem squandering hundreds of dollars adding a sense of theatre to an important but rather normal owners' meeting.

Navigating the New Bill  (Part 1 of 3)
Here is a much needed blog describing Bill 106 by the lawyers at Clifton Kok LLP. Here is how it starts:

Reading a bill like this one, that amends and creates several distinct pieces of legislation, can be like traipsing through a muddy stream on a rainy day. So, in this three-part blog entry, we provide our guide to reading Bill 106.

In this Part 1, we discuss the outline and organization of the Bill. Part 2 will explain its formatting and how that affects its reading. Part 3 will talk about some of its other complexities, such as how it sometimes amends not only other legislation but even itself.
http://bit.ly/1Sa0FY3

‘Buyer beware': Large dog owner frustrated by condo’s sudden enforcement of pet bylaws
Other condo owners at Rutherford Village had big dogs. The president of the condo board had a Boxer. And over the last three years, Kaiser never received any complaints about Leonidas, who grew to 120 lbs.

But then a notice came to his door two months ago, saying he had 90 days to either move out of his south Edmonton condo or get rid of the dog, whose size violates the condo’s bylaws

Kaiser said he’s frustrated by a lack of communication from his property manager and by rules that, he said, haven’t been enforced until recently, after the condo board president’s Boxer died.
http://bit.ly/1LOLe7F
He has an on-line petition
http://chn.ge/1M960gk

Condo common areas off limits to police snooping, top court rules
A defence attorney said he anticipates police will now attempt to seek more of those blanket approvals from condominium boards to gain access to common areas without a warrant.

Will your board cooperate? That may depend on what problems the condo has been having.
http://bit.ly/1goNred

Mall war: How redevelopment of the former Hazelton Lanes sparked a poisonous feud in wealthy Yorkville
“They despise First Capital,” says Marilyn Snead, president of the condo board. “They’re boycotting the mall.”

With the renovations nowhere near complete, the fight looks set to drag on for years, roiling up tempers in a tony Toronto enclave and highlighting the problems that can come when residential and commercial real estate intertwine.

Another fight over a weekend power outage devolved into a tit-for-tat court battle over compensation for residents who planned to move out for the weekend.

According to a binding arbitration decision released in May, the condo corporation’s lawyer first asked for $2,500 for each resident to cover two nights in a hotel. When First Capital’s lawyer countered with an offer of $350 a night, which he submitted would cover a deluxe king room at Yorkville’s five-star Hazelton Hotel, the condo’s corporation’s lawyer reacted with outrage.

“The people who live in 77 Avenue Rd., perhaps the most exclusive downtown neighbourhood in Toronto, are not homeless refugees or cattle to be herded en masse into ‘group rate’ hotel rooms,” he wrote, according to the arbitration ruling — again, referring to a deluxe king room at a hotel described as “the ultimate luxury” in Toronto. “This suggestion is disrespectful and offensive.”
natpo.st/1JK1h4s

This is not the first time MTCC No. 985 has been in the news. Last year they lost an expensive and long-drawn out court battle with an owner over second-hand cigar smoke.
http://bit.ly/1nTdmvQ

"I hope you are all happy."
The former manager of a Longboat Key condo association, convicted in 2013 of stealing more than $200,000 of Sand Cay Homeowners Association funds, was ordered Tuesday to begin serving a three-year prison sentence.

She did not take the sentencing well. Sounds like she is not going to enjoy jail as much as she enjoyed riding the Harley Davidson that she bought with the condo's money.
http://bit.ly/1UAvZ6f

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Condo News
06 July 2015

Condo buyer’s dream home turned into nightmare after pipes spoil view
Fariba Hatami was among the first customers to buy a pre-construction, low-rise Mississauga condominium in 2012. For $473,000 she says she was promised an unobstructed view.

Now, Hatami faces a giant jumble of natural gas pipes and valves a few metres from her windows and balcony door.

The school teacher and yoga instructor says she was charged a “premium” by the sales representative for the corner unit, which is just under 1,000 square feet in size.
http://bit.ly/1Ix5E4g

Fraud Investigation In Midland
After a complaint from a local Condo Corporation, investigation has revealed that an Office Manager allegedly made a number of unauthorized purchases using various credit cards belonging to the Corporation.
http://bit.ly/1ggZBps

Sooo…You Want To Sell Your Tenanted Property?
Why aren’t you waiting until the tenant leaves?  You’re really going to list it for sale with the tenant still there?

Are you lazy? Cheap? Uninformed? Or all of the above?

Just listen to my story from this past weekend, and use it as a cautionary tale.  You’ll say “Oh, my tenant isn’t like that,” but do you really ever know for sure?
http://bit.ly/1LFNezZ

MLA claims Human Rights Code overrides strata rules
Specifically, by-law 4.5 says that a unit designated as a one-bedroom cannot have more than two people living in it unless prior written approval is given by the council. Likewise, a two-bedroom unit can’t have more than four residents.

That approval was never sought, an oversight the Taylors, who have owned the unit since 2010, say they unsuccessfully tried to appeal in a subsequent meeting with the strata council.

“We are talking about evicting a young family with a 21-month-old baby,” says Jeremy Taylor. “They don’t take into consideration the human aspect of it.”

Determined to fight the eviction, the Taylors have sought legal advice, including the opinion of David Eby, MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey. In a letter to them, Eby wrote that B.C.’s Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on the basis of family status.

(I would get a legal opinion from an experienced BC condo lawyer rather than from a politician.)
http://bit.ly/1GXbN7v

Is it a condo or a tenement building?

Here is a two-bedroom condo apartment unit being sold on MLS as a three bedroom rooming house. (July 2015)


The same Realtor has a second unit up for sale in the same condo tower. This one is a three-bedroom unit that has four-bedrooms individually rented.

A condo tower with too many overcrowded units place a huge burden upon the resident-owners who, through their monthly fees, are subsidizing private businesses. Every unit pays a share for the higher water and garbage disposal costs and higher building maintenance costs that over-crowded units create.

A second observation is that the demolishing of rooming houses in the traditional lower cost areas of Toronto and replacing them with new condo towers may not push the very low income people out of Toronto. These listings show that the poor have moved into the city's hidden rooming houses—overcrowded condo units

Since some condo boards have been ignoring overcrowding for years, upset owner-residents may try calling Canada Revenue to insure that these "business investors" are paying their proper income taxes and that the condo corporations are collecting HST on these units' common element fees.

Judge Fuca, homeowners association resolve differences in shed dispute
What is interesting is how much time and trouble it took a judge to try to get a her homeowner's association rule changed.
http://bit.ly/1FSlAHM

No jail for Severn condo president who stole $70,000
No jail time and she pays back the money at $25 a month. What a joke.

Her lawyer said he has known her for years and told the judge she remains an asset to the community who still is held in high esteem by her neighbors. (From what I read, I am not so sure about that.)

Condo crime sure beats muggings and robbing people. Less chance of getting caught, less chance of getting charged and a good chance of moving on to another condo and doing it all over again.
http://bit.ly/1Jux63V
http://bit.ly/1T1kTp2

To Pee or Not to Pee, That is the Question
Shared facilities agreements are a source of conflict everywhere in this world.
http://bit.ly/1R5CbUr

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Condo News
02 July 2015

Neighbour describes a days-long party that ended in five gunshots, a balcony climb and “the most blood-curdling scream I’ve ever heard.”

For three days, Ellie Bergeron heard loud music coming from the condo next door in her West Queen West building.

The party on the 22nd floor had been going on and on, with “lots of cussing” and people coming and going, making it hard for her to sleep. Early Sunday morning, at about 6:50 a.m., Bergeron was jolted awake by gunfire — about five shots.
http://on.thestar.com/1Kn3gyA

Don't leave CityPlace out of this
There was another shooting, a couple of weeks ago, in the courtyard between two very large CityPlace condos. Same situation; young people partying hard and the situation got out of control.

That shooting didn't make it into the news. Why? The shooter didn't hit anyone and he made a clean get-a-way. The courtyard was too dark and the video footage was too poor to give a good image.

Most likely most of the residents don't even know about it as condos are very good at keeping troubling news a secret.

Congestion and gridlock remain top concern for Toronto residents, according to City of Toronto survey
Getting around the city remains top of mind for the majority of Toronto residents, according to a survey for the City of Toronto.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos-Reid in April, found a significant majority of residents believe the “most important” issues facing Toronto are poor transportation/transit (22 per cent) and traffic congestion/gridlock (20 per cent).

Buying a condo? Maybe you should get the parking spot too
Back in 2007, the average parking spot sold for $27,500 with priciest parking digs at Trump International — The Residences — selling for $35,000 each. Flash forward eight years and the average spot is selling for $51,376 with the priciest spot being the $69,000 paid at Massey Tower on Yonge Street.
http://bit.ly/1BDzlyQ

Everything you don't want to know about swimming pools
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently teamed up with both the Water Quality and Health Council and the National Swimming Pool Foundation to warn the public about health risks associated with summer.
http://bit.ly/1JamwfD

Fire breaks out after Jacuzzi malfunction in NY luxury condominium

A fire broke out on the terrace of a high-rise New York building Saturday afternoon. Firefighters responded to the fire at The Avery, a 32-story condominium in Mahattan's Upper West Side, at around 12.30pm, ABC reports.

A witness told PIX 11 that the flames were sparked by an electrical fire from a Jacuzzi.

The New York City Fire Department said the fire started on the terrace and was contained quickly, NBC reports.
http://dailym.ai/1LxLNmn

Sun City Center takes on contractor fraud
Here is a good idea from Florida. A registry of licensed and insured contractors is available for review at the Community Association office, 1011 Pebble Beach Blvd. N, and there is a book of kudos and complaints filed by residents to help others select a contractor with a good track record. The comments can be viewed online 24/7.

“There is no fee to be on the registry, but the contractor must supply a license from Hillsborough County and proof of $1,000,000 insurance,” said Joe Elam, Consumer Affairs committee member. “If we get two complaints on a contractor, they may be removed from the registry. They can re-apply each year but can be turned down if there are excessive or criminal complaints.”

The good contractors should love this program. The bad ones, not so much—editor
http://bit.ly/1dkO6er

Condo wars: How a water leak turned into a $30 million lawsuit
It started with a leak, just a little water on a hallway floor.

That led to questions about bathtub installation, then sprinkler issues and finally allegations of improper fireproofing. Now, all the residents of 3303 Water Street have to pack up their multimillion-dollar condominiums this summer and move out for repairs.

The residents expected perfection, or something close to it. They assumed that paying millions for a luxury condo guaranteed a certain immunity from board politics, special assessments and other real estate nightmares. Instead, they spent three years embroiled in an expensive and nasty $30 million lawsuit, and now they have to vacate while construction workers drill holes in their carefully decorated walls. To say that the owners are not pleased would be a clenched-teeth understatement.
http://wapo.st/1eWENmQ

Boyfriend in bed with someone else? Set his condo of fire!
TEMPE, AZ - A 21-year-old woman has been arrested on allegations that she intentionally set a condo on fire Thursday morning in Tempe.

Police say Claudia Drinnan broke into her boyfriend's home around ignited a fire in his bedroom.
http://bit.ly/1HqDSHC

California condo renter can't take a hint
Sounds like the landlord and the condo want him out. Have to wonder why.
http://lat.ms/1CDnWu1

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Condo News
26 June 2015

Opportunities seen in booming condo market as reforms emerge
Bill 106 aims to streamline dispute process, provides lawyers with opportunities.

Armand Conant, head of the condominium law group at Shibley Righton in Toronto, predicts opportunities for condominium lawyers, real estate and developer lawyers, and litigators.
http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/articles/2411

Trump Hotel investors head to court
About a half dozen buyers of pricey condo/hotel rooms in Toronto’s five-star Trump International Hotel & Tower will be in court Thursday, hoping that an Ontario Superior Court justice will agree to fast-track their efforts to renege on real estate deals gone bad.
http://on.thestar.com/1HhghZT

Condo Questions:
Robert Noce, Q.C writes a very good column on condo issues in the Edmonton Journal.
http://bit.ly/1RjReVk

10 Signs of Co-op / Condo Financial Trouble
A useful list for owners to keep tab of their condo investment.
http://bit.ly/1Ruef8a

ACMO 2000 Certification revoked

It was announced in the current CM Magazine that Greater Toronto Property Management Inc. has had its ACMO 2000 certification revoked.

The reasons for this unusual decision were not published but it looks like standards are being taken seriously.

Police search for Hollywood Beach condo manager
Kristin Glansen allegedly embezzled more than $200,000 from condo.

Hollywood police have put out a grand theft warrant for the arrest of the 35-year-old condo manager, who allegedly embezzled more than $225,000 from The Waterway condominium on Hollywood Beach over a two year period.

The Readers' Comments under the article are a must read.
http://bit.ly/1HdaHG3

Blossom Park condo complex continues to sit in ruins
A Florida condo hits bottom. The county has not said whether it will force residents out of the dilapidated properties.
http://bit.ly/1CrcTEl

Australian strata manager failed to inform owners about safety defects
Connie Zhang was forced to jump to her death from the building on West Terrace Bankstown when the fire in her unit became so ferocious it melted the aluminum window frames.

"Do you agree that it would have been important for the owners' corporation and the executive committee to know the terms of the order suggesting defects in fire safety?" counsel assisting the inquest, Stephen Rushton SC, said.

"Yes," Mr Poulos replied.

Under strata law, a manager must inform the owners' corporation of all matters of substance relating to the building.

Mr Poulos said that while he had not provided the written orders to all owners, he had verbally informed their executive committee about the issues and was "trying to get them fixed".
http://bit.ly/1H8Gl7F

Should Poor Doors Be Banned? Aqualina Bayside Stirs the Waters.
The difficulties may come in the future when the shared common elements like the roof and the building envelope needs expensive repairs. Will the city be willing to cough up the money?
http://bit.ly/1dbeaZv


Poor doors for the middle class?
Sure thing if the condo, like this one in San Francisco is built for the rich.
http://bit.ly/1dbdAuB

Reader's comments
I just wanted to know that I load up your condo news page every morning, and find myself sending articles to my fellow Board members every week or two.  I’ve forwarded it on to my property manager, and invited him to send it to his co-workers.

Thanks for being an excellent resource.
—Justin


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