Our first collection of microblog entries for 2011 has plenty of great stuff to peruse leisurely while waiting for the snow to melt.
Those of you following along on Twitter might like to start watching for and using the following hashtags recently devised by some of the North American condo and HOA legal tweeters to help earmark pieces of special interest:
#condoHOAlaw for condo and HOA legal tidbits
#condoHOAmgt for condo and HOA management items
#condoHOA for general condo and HOA pieces
Hat tip (“H/T”) to Donna Berger (@CondoandHOALaw) for spearheading the search for the perfect hashtags!
Court/Tribunal Cases
BCCA: Condo owners can use Roberts Rules where legislation and bylaws do not provide general meeting procedures. http://ow.ly/3sfLB (RT @VPFranco)
ONSC remains reluctant to intervene in internal affairs of non-profit organizations http://bit.ly/gN42pI. Good to see.
ONSC denies leave to appeal OMB decision allowing condo development that will forever change view of Ont. legislature: http://bit.ly/gkeo62
ONSC upholds condo lien for repair costs, orders removal of door locks, eviction of non-related tenants, costs of $41K: http://bit.ly/hZ5e89
Another condo asleep at the switch when Ont. Human Rights Tribunal comes knocking: Wake up, Simcoe Std Condo Corp 338: http://bit.ly/hyyOc4
HRTO decision: Condo board didn’t abide by settlement and provide human rights training. $1000 damages. http://bit.ly/eABTjk
ONSC: Property manager liable for breach of trust and theft of condo corporation’s money. Claim vs. bank dismissed. http://bit.ly/fzsAbn
Legal Commentary
RT @MortonsMusings: A property is sold and then a property tax refund is made — who gets the refund? The vendor. http://bit.ly/hPkHop
RT @mondocondo: Purchasing a Condominium – The Importance of a Status Certificate http://lnkd.in/WY9QDi
RT @FLCondoHOALaw: Covenant Enforcement: Do Rules and Regulations Mean Anything Anymore? http://bit.ly/gIzStS
From MEEB: Social Networking Can Improve Communications But Watch out for the Liability Risks http://bit.ly/dFXW9s
Cool Stuff
RT @CondoandHOALaw: My "Condo and HOA Law" blog has a new home on the web at its own dedicated URL: http://www.CondoandHOALawBlog.com
RT @BuzzBuzzHome: How much should you tip your condo concierge?? This conversation is getting a lot of lurky-loos! http://ow.ly/3swZy
Welcome to Twitter, @ACMOnews! Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario (ACMO) launches president’s blog: http://bit.ly/f6FmY4
RT @habitatmag: Co-op / Condo Boards: What’s the good word? Find out with our inaugural "Top 10 Co-op / Condo Quotes of 2010"! http://tinyurl.com/2byunh3
#Clawbies2010 feature new and expanded categories. Great picks. Cheers to all winners, runners-up & nominees! http://bit.ly/e0ntij
RT @canetwork: 2010′s Top Condo & HOA News Stories http://bit.ly/dJlJSo
2011 New Year’s Resolutions for Community Associations via Northwest Condo & HOA Law Blog http://bit.ly/gxzVp7
RT @CCIGHC: Condominium 2011 Conference and Tradeshow "All Under One Roof" April 9, 2011 visit www.ghccci.org for more details.
Misc Articles
This "dinosaur" is on the right track! >> Technology Isn’t Everything: A Curmudgeon’s Perspective: http://bit.ly/fORjWI (@attnyatwork)
Basics of a good condo board meeting: tips for members and concerned observers. http://bit.ly/eyQrOi (@condoca)
RT @DavidPylyp: Reputation Management for Condos #Toronto http://bit.ly/hnFyv9 How is your condo board defending and supporting your equity?
RT @condobusiness: 2010 had some interesting issues raised in court. Can you think of any more that should have made this list? http://fb.me/RLIzBbv3
Condo directors’ ignorance is inexcusable, easily fixed.http://bit.ly/hbyiwg (@LFPress)
Getting best results from a forensic accountant. How to get best value from fraud investigation. http://bit.ly/fgxYZa (CBA Practicelink)
Joining your condo board: The pros – http://bit.ly/fgF2Cm and the cons – http://bit.ly/eKKwh9 (via @UrbanTurf_DC)
Some people should just live in secluded caves! >> The next-door neighbour from hell: http://bit.ly/eN9ydv (Macleans.ca)
Simple: No pay, no plug. @TorontoStar: Condo residents warned against purchasing electric cars – http://bit.ly/eqM8O9
Ontario News
2010 was the year of the #condo in the Greater Toronto Area.http://bit.ly/dG9T5r (@metrotoronto)
Hopefully not the "ka-boom" kind — A condo explosion is on the horizon for Yorkville. http://bit.ly/hO976j (@BlogTO)
RT @BuzzBuzzHome: The average price per square foot for condos in the greater Toronto area is $532, and $814 in Toronto’s core….
RT @OREAGR: New video of @MacleodLisa introducing Bill 139, the Clandestine Drug Op Prevention Act http://ow.ly/3Ab7y Bill 139 will protect homebuyers!
Handy stress relief or serious rule infraction? RT @canetwork: Toronto: Massage parlours in private condos a problem. http://bit.ly/egJdK4
Mortgagee circling the bowl b/c of bad mgmt or worse? RT @globeinvestor: Xceed posts loss, won’t accept new mortgages: http://tgam.ca/BZTF
Will proposed Ontario Clean Energy Benefit benefit unit condo unit owners or leave them in the cold? Gov’t is unclear. http://bit.ly/hSa0c4
RT @acoyne: Oh for the love of God: THEY’RE CATS. Until I got to Toronto I’d never heard of an "indoor cat". Now they’re mandatory. http://bit.ly/i4AlSk
"No bubble here, folks!" City of mass construction: Toronto’s unstoppable condos show no signs of slowing down. http://bit.ly/gAKwwy
RT @colmbrannigan: Mental illness, dementia and hoarding will be an even greater problem for condo owners, boards and managers in the future. http://lnkd.in/v_YWYD
RT @RivaFinkelstein: One of Canada’s 1st geothermal condos starts digging this spring – a huge leap towards zero energy footprint in Ontario. http://bit.ly/gfcRH6
Ont. Law Society refuses man’s bar admission over dirty tricks while president of his condo board http://bit.ly/dSYJ1X (@CanLawMag)
Canada News
RT @StrataLawyer: The grinch who stole the condo’s Christmas tree http://goo.gl/fNkfc
Bid-rigging charges laid over inflated HVAC contract prices at MTL residential highrises. http://bit.ly/ebXx7l (@RCD_Canada)
Involving the city in condo maint/repair issues can backfire, give rise to serious unintended consequences. http://ow.ly/3CEHv H/T: @VPFranco
Good for buyers, bad for my condo lien enforcement practice! >> New financing rules would hit condo buyers. http://bit.ly/hKOFHL
Feds miss opportunity to factor in full cost of condo ownership. http://bit.ly/hbKLbx (@CalgaryHerald)
RT @StrataLawyer: Not everyone is happy about the pending amendments to the BC Strata Property Act http://goo.gl/392da
International News
"F**k the condo people" song enough to get bar’s liquor license revoked? http://bit.ly/hM90Cv (H/T @canetwork) Precedent factum provided!
Connecticut Fire Marshal Accused by Condo Group of Extortion. http://bit.ly/ex2XmY
"This is what we fought in the war for?" Old Men Win Right to Hang in Condo Lobby (3 Hours A Week). http://bit.ly/i2qsVk (@Gothamist)
The Condo Republic – Condo owners rise up against undemocratic homeowners board regimes. http://bit.ly/hNvoX8 (Salt Lake @CityWeekly)
RT @legalpost: Bank tosses cremated remains during foreclosure
No tagging before towing? Residents of tow-crazy Baltimore condo angry over towed cars. http://bit.ly/fsQa4h
Man shot and killed in towing dispute at Georgia HOA. http://bit.ly/grMgmV (h/t: @CAnetwork)
NY Plaza Hotel condo pays its developer $3.1M for Superintendent’s unit. http://bit.ly/h18z0L #mindboggling
RT @canetwork: NV: Wealthy few call Vegas Strip home after condo bust. http://bit.ly/gr3MOz
RT @MEKowalski: Chicago high-rise invokes no-smoking edict – chicagotribune.com. shar.es/XOfkl
Legal profession takes a pounding for bad apples. RT @Megan_Connolly: Judges Berate Bank Lawyers in Foreclosures – http://nyti.ms/enZL35
RT @PropertyWireCa: Arizona Aggressively Targetting Canadian Homebuyers This Winter. http://ow.ly/3ygNQ
RT @CondoandHOALaw: HOA pays $1,900 at auction for home w/$18K in delinquent assessm’ts, worth $460K at height of bubble. http://ow.ly/3DcPx
I’ve got a sinking feeling about this condo houseboat…. Cruising condominiums? Whatever floats your boat. http://bit.ly/gpP9Sz
Get a password! Florida lawyer’s condo raided by feds after his wireless router is hijacked for child porn: http://bit.ly/h5hNsj
GMA in the News
Quoted in FP @LegalPost by @MEKowalski on smoke-free condos in #Ontario. http://bit.ly/e3MVnz #condoHOAlaw