Showing Articles from the category 'Your Condo'
Common Expenses
Recent Cases
Your Condo || Denise Lash
Common expenses are a lifeline for condominiums. In order for a condominium to be properly operated and maintained, it needs the funds generated by the common expenses to be paid on a timely basis by all owners in accordance with their share of common expenses as set out in the declaration. The following cases dealt with situations where this did not happen.
Where Are
My Keys?
Your Condo || David McPake
After 40 years in the security industry, I have seen a lot of changes. In our early years, I don’t think we had a single solution for our clients that involved electrons or IP addresses. You’re probably not surprised to hear that.
Best Practices
for Reserve Fund Studies
Your Condo || Martin Gerskup, Mitchell Gerskup
By law, condominium corporations in Ontario must obtain a comprehensive reserve fund study report, which is updated every three years. The updated studies alternate between non-site-based updates, and site-based updates where the engineer will re-visit the site to perform a visual inspection of the development.
Employee
Engagement
Your Condo || Jessica Gunawardana
I am a firm believer in the saying “a chain is as strong as its weakest link,” which in essence defines that the success of an entire group depends on the success of each member of the group. As property managers carrying out our daily juggling acts, we understand the importance of a strong team that helps to ease some of the burden, and pave the way toward our success.
The Alternative
to Repiping
Your Condo || Alyscia Sutch
For years, property managers, municipalities and even homeowners have resorted to traditional pipe replacement methods to fix their cracking, leaking and root-intruded pipes.
Defamation:
What a Manager Should Know, Do and Avoid
Your Condo || Timothy Duggan
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” People reading this article may be familiar with this expression from childhood. It stands for the idea that a verbal attack cannot injure its target in the same manner as a physical attack might. As any child who has been called names in the schoolyard could tell you, however, words can hurt even if no bones are broken.
New Rules
Regarding Access to Records
Your Condo || Joel Berkovitz
The ability of unit owners to access records may be the area most affected by the legislative changes. Up until now, the process by which owners requested and obtained (or were denied!) access to records has been unregulated. The legislative changes introduce new procedures, terms and forms. The following is a high level overview of these changes, but rest assured we could fill five articles with discussion just about records!
Seven HVAC
Best Practices
Your Condo || Linda Duttmann
Over the past twenty-five years in the industry, working with both highrise condominium managers and boards, and the commercial building sector, I can say that the HVAC in a building is often overlooked in terms of ensuring that the equipment runs efficiently with as little owner/tenant downtime as possible.
My Experience
as a Condo Board President
Your Condo || Tom Howard
I moved into my first and only condominium approximately five years ago. It is an eleven-storey building located on the edge of the core downtown area. My wife and I were part of the first wave of residents moving into the 114 units. For many, this was their first time owning a condominium. It seemed a good number had owned and lived in condominiums previously.
Do the Right
Thing!
Your Condo || Faisal Hussain
People want to do the right thing; we as managers just need to make it easier for them. Small changes in the environment and systems can often have significant effect on peoples’ behaviour.
Condos as Workplaces
Protecting Property Managers
Your Condo || Joy Mathews
This is the first case of its kind to confirm that condo boards now have the tools to protect property managers from workplace harassment. (Finally! Good news for proper ty manager s ! ) . Although the condo brought an application to restrain an owner’s disruptive behaviour, more immediate action was required. The owner in York Condominium Corporation No. 288 v Rabie and Weinroth was harassing, threatening, and even assaulted the property pending the hearing of the application on its merits.
Owner Balcony Upgrades
Three Things That Should Be Keeping You Awake At Night
Your Condo || Frederick Hann
It starts innocently enough: An owner in your building breezes in with the news that she’s planning to put some decking and lighting on the balcony. “No problem, right?” she says.
Building Durable Driveways
The Romans Did It, So Can You!
Your Condo || Jeff Truman
Money spent on the best landscape design and best stones will be wasted if the brand-new driveway shows wear after just a few years. Especially if it needs to be re-done again within the owners’ memory! Good engineering design saves you money.
Use Human Behaviour in Finance
to Manage the Decision-Making Process
Your Condo || Matthew Solda
Every individual is exactly that… an individual. We all come from varied backgrounds of unique experiences that form who we are, what we value and why we do the things we do. We want to feel included, understood, appreciated and most of all heard.
To Keep or Remove
Common Area Furniture
Your Condo || Trisha Ashcroft
This question is raised more often these days by building owners and property managers when their building is visited by fire inspectors. Understanding your responsibility for fire safety and taking steps to mitigate risk is important.
