Condominium Manager Magazine

Which came first; good governance or the legal battle? Answer – most likely the legal battle since good governance will typically minimize or eliminate the legal action altogether.

In a recent decision, the Superior Court of Justice examined the serious repercussions that condominium corporations may face if they fail to respond and adequately address common element deficiency and noise-related complaints from unit owners in a timely manner which, in this case, went on for between 10 and 11 years.

Contacting a solicitor is necessary, but when? When is the right time for the property manager to recommend to condominium directors that they seek their solicitor’s opinion? There are no absolutes when it comes to this answer. However, this article will outline practical circumstances when the manager should be advising the directors to seek legal advice.

The Board of Directors has decided to attempt to enact a Standard Unit By-law for your condominium corporation based on the advice of your corporation’s legal counsel, insurance broker, and property manager. The by-law has been written, approved in a lawfully held board meeting, and is now up for a vote among the owners. After receiving the package in the mail, an owner asks the manager in a perplexed tone: “What does all this mean?”

When asked to describe what a property manager actually does on a day-to-day basis, it’s hard to explain the myriad of roles and versatility required. The reality is that the job may require a chameleon-like approach to challenges.

Many condominium communities have had to grapple – or are currently grappling - with residents with hoarding disorder. This has proved to be challenging in most cases, given the safety risks hoarding can pose to the community. And predictably, incidents of dangerous hoarding have only increased during the pandemic, as people with hoarding disorder have become more anxious and mental health supports have become less easy to access.

The last few years have been extremely challenging in many ways, especially as we have learned to adapt to a world turned upside down by Covid and how it has drastically changed our daily lives. Hopefully, one lesson we can take away from this is the importance of work/life balance.

I have been in the property management industry for 20 years, and I am an RCM and OLCM. I live with Complex PTSD, and this is my story.

Property Management can be a challenging job at the best of times, but with the pandemic and the associated increased stress of the past two years, the job often has been difficult for many managers. With an increasing number of young people and older retired people living in condominiums, there are two very different mental health issues staff and managers may find some of their residents trying to maneuver.

The increase in disputes and issues arising from, or exacerbated by, mental health issues has had – and continues to have – a powerful and negative impact on property managers, who are the direct interface between owners/occupants and boards of directors.

Condominium living can be a haven for seniors needing to down-size but are still active in their community, travelling or just enjoying all life offers. Although the owners and residents of condominiums vary, it is critical to identify all the needs of your community as a condominium manager. 

As managers, one of our primary functions is to identify and seek to resolve issues within the corporations and communities we are assigned to manage. Just as you would recognize a potential building condition that could lead to structural concerns, a manager must sometimes identify a burgeoning mental health crisis within their community. 

Condominium managers and their teams, including contractors, are often not thought of when “Essential Service Providers” are discussed. As such, they have felt excluded from pandemic recognition of essential workers. However, we know that the work of managing and caring for condominiums and their residents has not gone away. In fact, it has been complicated with supply-chain constraints, lack of resources, and navigating Public Health Guidelines, leaving condominium managers and their teams unable to meet the expectations of our important clients.

We all feel angry sometimes. Most of the time, we can deal with feelings of anger or irritability quickly. We may resolve the situation or look at the problem from a different perspective. However, anger can cause problems in our lives and the lives of those around us.

We all talk about stress, but we’re not always clear about what it is. Stress comes from both the good and the bad things that happen to us. If we didn’t feel any stress, we wouldn’t be alive! Stress may feel overwhelming at times, but there are many strategies to help you take control.