Ontario Government’s new survey asks condo owners about their board, rights, and decision-making processes
July 29, 2010
By Steven Chester
Just launched this week, the Ontario government’s condo owners survey asks owners about their knowledge and experiences in dealing with condo corporations, boards of directors, repairs and maintenance, reserve funds and dispute resolution.
Questions include:
- Do you have a clear understanding of how your board makes decisions? If not, what would help?
- Do you feel that you have input into decisions made by your condominium board? What has your experience been?
- If you have taken a concern to your board, what was it and how did the board respond?
- What has your experience been with repairs and maintenance?
- Do you have enough information about your condominium’s reserve fund? Are you satisfied with your condominium’s reserve fund planning?
- Have you had problems with your condominium board? What were the challenges?
- Have you pursued mediation or arbitration to resolve a dispute with your board? If so, what was your experience?
- What would improve your ability to resolve disputes with your board?
Adjacent to the 13 questions, spanning six pages, is a ‘Did you know?’ section, informing condo owners of their rights. Examples include letting owners know they can vote at general meetings, review corporation records, get a court order to make the corporation carry out a duty required under the Condominium Act, or remove a director from the board with a majority of votes.
“There are many people buying condos for the first time, either as new home owners moving from rental accommodation, or as people moving from a house to a condo. In either case they’re moving into an environment where the rights and responsibilities differ from what they’ve known previously,” says Douglas Tindal, Senior Communications Advisor at the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services. “We want to know more about their experience in a variety of areas. We hope to help educate condo owners, managers, and boards more fully about their rights and responsibilities.”
Sales of condominiums in the GTA hit a record in the first quarter of 2010. Developers sold 5,414 new condos in the first three months of this year, up 491 per cent from the same time in 2009.
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