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COA Ontario
To provide a cohesive united voice to represent and protect condominium owners and to be a leader In representing and serving the interests of Condo Owners by supporting the development of its members, fostering a prosperous and sustainable economic environment and contributing to the quality of life in our community.
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Designed by:

     Condo Owners Association 

        SEEKS CHANGES

             Condo Act 1998

 

  

   

CBC Marketplace

Did a shocking and informative piece on why condo laws must change 

 

Click here to watch the video

 

 

BILL 79 - Rosario Marchese 

To be debated by Legislature September 23, 2010

Rosario's Bill 79 will be debated by the Legislature on September 23, 2010.  Please get in touch with your MPPs to urge them to support this piece of legislation, which, among other things, will:

*  Establish a Condominium Review Board to settle disputes between corporations and condo owners.

*.  Standardize declarations so that owners are not confused by legalese or buried in fine print.

*  Include conversion condos under TARION to give buyers more protection.

This the the third attempt to amending the Condominium Act, as the government has killed our previous two attempts. If McGuinty is truly interested in improving regulations for condo owners, they should not only support Bill 79, but also push for improved legislation to protect owners and buyers. (In fact, the true intentions of the government will be revealed by how quickly they move to make changes: Delays in introducing legislation would probably mean they are trying to use the survey as an election promise, rather than a policy change.) 

For now though, do take a minute to celebrate. It has taken three years to get the government to listen to us. And now that they are finally paying attention, do not let up. We fought hard for this chance. So, make sure they know about your experiences as an owner and what you want them to change.

Sincerely,

Rosario Marchese  

 

Bill 186: Condo Owners Protection Act

 

    Rosario Marchese

    MPP Trinity-Spadina

 

  

Dear Neighbour:

Re:  Bill 186:  Condo Owners Protection Act


In 2007, I introduced Bill 185: a Bill to Amend the Condo Act.  It would have given condo owners a much needed voice.  But it fell to the wayside when an early election was called.  Since then, owners have been telling me that more is needed.

 As a result of the feedback I got from condo owners I will be introducing an Omnibus bill to amend the Condominium Act, the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act and the Building Code Act on Thursday June 4th.

If passed, the bill would:

  • Expand new home warranty coverage to include conversion condos (lofts) that are currently excluded from coverage by Tarion.
  • Mandate that Tarion resolve disputes more quickly and that it serves as a consumer protection agency.
  • Create a Condominium Review Board to: advise and provide information to the public about condominium issues and property management; mediate or arbitrate disputes; investigate the misuse of proxies on condo boards by developers; and collect and hold deposits from owners until all deficiencies identified in the performance audit are addressed (this would prevent “build and run schemes”).
  • Remove barriers that restrict a board from using reserve funds for green initiatives like retrofitting and solar water heating.
  • Update sound insulation and noise protection standards to ensure a more peaceful, quieter living environment.
  • Close the loophole that currently allows condo boards to proceed with expensive alterations to common elements (ie: windows, balconies and underground parking) without the approval of condo owners.
    •

I invite you to join me on this much needed bill.  Together we can send a strong message to Premier McGunity.

 

 

LIVE-WORK UNITS - are NOT Commercial Units

Operating in non-compliance of the Declaration and Avoiding Commercial Taxes

 

The majority of Live-work units in Toronto are zoned residential.  In most cases they are main floor condo units having a door with direct street access and a common element door.  The Condo Declarations stipulate that the owners or occupants must live in the unit to work in it.  These properties are zoned "residential" therefore taxes are assesssed on a residential basis.  The City of Toronto has been notified of this problem and Condo Corporations should beware of non-compliance to their declaration.  Owners across the City are operting these live-work units as a full scale commercial business and registering with local BIA groups as a commercial business.  Taxes for commercial properties are substantially higher than residential.  The market value of a commercial unit is also considerably higher than a residential condominium unit.    At the present time, these business are operating under the radar, all condo owners should recognize that this situation is not in the best interest of your corporation. 

HIGHER UTILTY COSTS FOR CONDO OWNERS  These units were not constructed as a commercial unit and the added utility costs of a 9:00 am - 5:00 pm  full scale business could be increasing your common element utility costs.