Posted on August 29, 2011 by Chris Jaglowitz

On lawyers and law blogging

The Canadian Bar Association’s National magazine recently ran a short article on the benefits to lawyers of publishing a law blog. Our blog and its editor (yours truly) were featured and quoted.

The focus of the piece was using social media to improve lawyers’ bottom lines but one important aspect of running a law blog was missed.

In addition to being an effective marketing tool, a fun creative outlet and a great way of connecting with clients and prospective clients, blogging allows lawyers to provide a free but valuable information resource to people needing current, specialized information to make their lives easier. It also provides a proverbial soap box for demanding necessary changes. Providing these kinds of resources serves a purpose greater than simple law firm marketing. It helps lawyers fulfil their obligation to serve the public by promoting awareness of relevant legal news and issues, distributing useful, practical information, advocating sensible legislative change and enhancing access to justice.

At the Canadian Bar Association annual conference earlier this month in Halifax, Governor General David Johnston, a lawyer himself, reminded us that the legal profession has a “social contract” with society. In return for self-regulation and a monopoly over the practice of law, he said, “We are duty bound” to improve justice and serve the public good.

We completely agree.

After nearly three years of running this blog and hosting tens of thousands of unique visitors, it remains our great pleasure to publish content that we hope you think is informative, entertaining and educational. We will also continue to use this blog as a platform for positive change that benefits the condominium community. While we might periodically ruffle some feathers along the way, being clear and bold is often required to effectively make an important point and we will not shy away from calling things as we see them.

Of course, this work is made much more enjoyable and personally satisfying from the interaction with the people who read this blog. Sincere thanks to our readers, both regular and occasional, to people who share our work with friends or colleagues, and to all of you that submit comments, ideas and other feedback.
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Posted on May 13, 2010 by Chris Jaglowitz

Recap of 2010 PM Expo Springfest presentation

Like most people attending PM Expo Springfest at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on April 28, I was a little surprised by the strong police presence both outside and inside the facility. It turns out that the extra security was for the Barrick Gold shareholders’ meeting taking place that morning in the conference hall next to ours.

Anyhow, there was an excellent turnout of over 1,500 property managers and condo directors, all of whom probably felt much safer knowing that this huge police detachment could probably protect us from any unhappy condo unit owners ready to riot over the carpet pattern chosen for the corridor refurbishment project in their buildings.

I was lucky to sit on an all-star panel sponsored by CCI-Toronto to talk about “What’s Right and What Needs Improvement in the World of Condos” from the perspectives of four different segments of the condo industry. Here’s a recap of some key takeaway points from the speakers:

 The property manager: Dean McCabe, Regional Manager at Brookfield Residential

  • Social media can enhance communication and transparency at your condo
  • Condo concierges must now comply with security guard regulations
  • Revision to Toronto waste levy may allow for better price comparison with private providers 
  • Hiring staff vs. contractors: pros and cons to each

The lawyer: Chris Jaglowitz, Lawyer at Gardiner Miller Arnold

  • Proposed changes to Tarion claim process includes new time limits and monetary caps
  • Workplace violence and harassment law comes into force June 15, 2010. Get ready!

The engineer: Sally Thompson, Group Leader at Halsall Associates

  • The real impact of HST: Average 5% increase for reserve fund, about 5-7% for operating
  • Consider including copper pipes as a deficiency item in condo performance audits

The insurance broker: Mark Shedden, VP at Atrens-Counsel Insurance Brokers:

  • Past year was bad for claims and capacity - Premiums/deductibles are on the rise
  • $2,500 is now standard deductible for most claims. $5K on the horizon
  • $75,000 deductible for water claims in large buildings now coming to the scene
  • Look into “condo providers liability insurance” as a low cost way to cover off potential risks from social events or activities

A PDF copy of our entire PowerPoint presentation is available for download here.

Cheers to Pam Boyce at Brookfield for moderating this panel and thanks to everyone who came to our presentation.   If you weren't able to join us, make it a point to attend PM Expo on December 1-3, 2010 and plan to visit Springfest next year!
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Posted on January 24, 2009 by Chris Jaglowitz

Enhance communication at your condo with Web 2.0

One of the most prevalent but entirely avoidable sources of friction in any condominium community is poor communication between condominium corporations and their unit owners.

While many corporations have taken positive steps to open the channels of communication by posting paper notices on bulletin boards or circulating a newsletter, few are taking advantage of recent communication trends and the latest technology and tools. Those that are using websites and online tools, however, might find that the results are not as stellar as they had hoped.

Why is this?

Technology itself is not a magical answer. A website, for instance, is not necessarily a more effective tool unless it is specifically designed to improve communication and interactivity amongst its users, and unless people can find a productive use for it. Finding the right type of solution may not be as easy as it sounds.

To develop a plan to maximize the usefulness and effectiveness of your condominium corporation's online communication efforts, take a crash course in social networking, which plays a big part in the relatively recent concept of "Web 2.0" (which is described at Wikipedia, here). Once you've got a grip on the rudimentary concepts, you can begin to brainstorm about how online social networking can be effectively harnessed at your particular community.

There is certainly no shortage of helpful sites on the topic social networking, including this one at Wikipedia. One example of a handy one-stop overview of the most popular concepts and sites is "A Trial Lawyer's Guide to Social Networking Sites," presented by the Deliberations blog. While this entry was written to give trial lawyers insight into the minds of tech-savvy jurors and is somewhat dated by now, anyone can appreciate the clarity, brevity and organization of the piece and the breadth of the concepts and sites that are discussed.

Investing a few moments to learn about these developments will be worthwhile. If recent trends are any indication, there is no question that social networking concepts and sites will become increasingly popular among condominium residents as a medium through which to:

  • share news, documents and ideas;
  • organize activities and events;
  • enhance owner participation, communication and feedback;
  • gauge the pulse and public opinion of the community;
  • improve delivery of services; and
  • strengthen the bonds of their communities.

If your condominium is experiencing the usual sorts of friction that arise from poor communication, strike a committee to discover, recommend and then implement some of the increasingly popular social networking concepts and tools.

Share your comments and ideas about what works and what doesn't.

Does your condo have a website? A blog? A Facebook group?
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