Professional help

Fighting against a corporation is a complicated affair and it is outside the most peoples' experience. So, at some point you are going to need some professional advice and assistance.



A lawyer
When you have got a group together, you will need to see an experienced condominium lawyer to get some legal advice. Later on, you may retain this lawyer to represent you at the AGM, give advice on small claim procedures and to take the corporation to court.

You may come to an agreement with the lawyer that if you win control of the board, you wish to retain he or she as the corporate lawyer. In return, the lawyer may give you a reduced hourly fees.

This can work out as the existing corporation lawyer has probably sided with the board to such a degree that his neutrality is more than suspect and your reform board would not want to work with him.

I must point out that in many cases the distrust and bad feelings against the corporation's lawyer is not deserved. His job is to represent the corporation and the corporation is the majority on the board. So try not to make it personal.

A property manager
An experienced property manager can give a group of owners a lot of excellent  ideas on how to win elections and toss out a bad board.

Of course, it is understood, either openly or otherwise, that the property management company that is helping your group will be given the management contract when you gain control of the board.

Just be very sure that this company would be a good fit for your condo corporation.

Be careful
You may be approached by a property manager who has heard that you are attempting to replace your board and is willing to help.

I would be cautious about accepting assistance from a property management company that shows up unannounced. They too are interested in securing a contract with your corporation if you are successful.

However, it is possible that the manager works for a small company who is trying to raid a competitor's building. Not all of these people are especially scrupulous.

It seems that there are a handful of property management companies that make it a standard business practice, when they get a new contract, to drain the reserve funds by awarding a flurry of contracts to favoured contractors. They drive the corporation into debt and then propose loans to replenish the depleted reserves.

If you commit to giving someone, who is basically a stranger, the management contract without carefully checking the reputation of the company you might be making a very expensive mistake.

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