Serving Ontario's condominium communities since 2008
To kick off the new year, we’re reviewing the Condo Act in a series we’re calling “Back to Basics”. We’ll cover common topics and issues that often arise in condo living. So, follow along and we hope you’ll gain an appreciation of these foundational concepts.
In Part 1 of this series, we discuss a topic…
Happy New Year to our readers.
We hope 2024 is a year of peace, balance and prosperity. We present our top ten condo law cases of 2023 in our newest issue of Condo Alert!
Here’s hoping the past decisions help us in navigating noise, nuisance vs. maintenance, repair and chargeback disputes and promote our oft…
Our Summer 2023 issue of the Condo Alert! reports on a grab bag of items including upcoming changes to the Condo Act and condo adjacent matters.
Enjoy the rest of the summer,
Andrea
An owner brought a CAT application alleging she was experiencing unreasonable noise from a common element garage grate and unreasonable noise, odour, smoke and vapour from a common element industrial vent. At Stage 3, the condo made a preliminary submission that the CAT did not have jurisdiction to hear the dispute because it was a…
In our Spring 2023 Issue of Condo Alert! we look at the CAT’s recent decisions refusing access to records. The often used “litigation exemption” is examined in the context of a longstanding and far reaching dispute between an owner and condo. We also discuss the occasional “director’s request” for records – where an individual director…
The Condominium Authority Tribunal (“CAT”) and Superior Court operate on virtual platforms, with CAT hearings typically concluding via written argument. These forums have their own rules and directions and, occasionally, comments from adjudicators to guide process. This decision from the Superior Court comments on using written materials efficiently and to win in modern practice.
Gone…
We start the 11th volume of our newsletter, Condo Alert!, Winter 2022, with our annual Top 10 condo cases review.
The CAT expanded its jurisdiction on January 1, 2022 to include noise and nuisance cases, and with that 2022 saw an influx on CAT decisions on wide ranging matters, from pets to nuisance to…
The lien regime to collect arrears against a defaulting unit owner is straightforward and codified in the Condo Act and common law – there’s a default in common expense payment, a lien arises automatically, a certificate of lien is registered against title to the defaulting unit and then enforcement may take place in the same manner as a mortgage. That culminates in selling the unit via notice of sale if collection is otherwise unsuccessful. This process works because there are avenues to collect and enforce even if the owner flat out ignores the condo’s efforts. So long as the proper notices are given, the condo can proceed absent an owner.
But what can condos do when other condos are in arrears of shared costs and ignore communication and collection?
In the 2022 Condo Conference Issue of our newsletter, we hash out our office debate on whether Stan, the Akita, should stay or go and recap some best practices in leasing common elements. Thanks to the CAT for this issue’s content!
We are proud to sponsor and present at this year’s Condo Conference, taking…
In November 2017, the Condominium Authority Tribunal (“CAT”) was born as Ontario’s first fully online tribunal. “How would we manage this weird new thing?” we thought.
What started as a records dispute venue has now evolved into a place for pets, vehicles and storage and, most recently, unreasonable nuisances, annoyances or disruptions.
With the growth of the subject matter, we also see a slow but promising trend in cost recovery. For a few years no costs were ordered for defending or bringing applications except in very, VERY rare circumstances.
The CAT can award costs up to $25,000.
Continue Reading CAT – a study of growth in a consent order (and costs against an owner)
