Making our Condominium a better place for living should be in the interest of every resident. This will not only enhance the "joie de vivre" but will also boost the value of your investments into your place.
Not everyone wants to get involved in the same way. On this page we might present different options to encourage others to get involved in doing some voluntary work for our Condo. For example:
Volunteer Your Time
We would like to increase the number of Board Members by 1 or 2 residents. Please, contact us (see contact page) if you are interested and willing to join the Board
Participate in our Condo Life:
Tell us your e-mail address and we will provide you with updates on our Website.
Please, send your e-mail address together with your Unit Number to our Condo e-mail at
Common Sense Helps Ease Cost
Balancing act needed for condo fees
Bernie Winter, ACCI, FCCI
Calgary Herald September 13, 2003
Condominium fees have increased in leaps and bounds during the past two years in Alberta. Many owners and members of condominium boards are asking why, feeling the frustration and impact of unpredictable cost increases. This is not over: ATCO has just announced more natural gas price hikes. What is a board or an owner to do? Let’s begin by taking a look at what condominium fees are. According to the Condominium Property Act of Alberta, condominium fees are the ‘contributions’ an owner makes to the corporation for maintenance of the property, and provision of the services the owners desire.
Typically, this contribution is made by the owner in proportion to their ‘percentage of ownership share of the common property – the Unit Factor on their certificate of title. In short, the condominium fee is an owner’s contribution towards maintenance of their investment.
The elected board of owners has the responsibility of operating the condominium corporation in a positive cash flow position. Under Alberta’s Condominium Property Act, a board cannot borrow money from the reserve account to cover shortfalls in the operating budget. This means when there are increases in cost for things such and insurance, gas and electricity, the board has only two options. One is to increase the monthly fees, the other is to do a special assessment (in other words a cash call from the owners) to adjust for the shortfall.
Owners can make a difference to the bottom line by assisting with services themselves. For example, when a piece of paper is littering the hallway or landscaped area, pick it up instead of increasing the number of site visits your maintenance people need to make. Assist the board with things like watering lawns; this can be a major cost savings. Remember, when an owner calls their board complaining about service shortfalls, such as snow removal from the parking lot, it could result in cost hikes. Many people buy into a condominium and expect to never pull a weed or use a snow shovel again. Let’s imagine you find yourself cursing under your breath as you dig your car out of a drift so you can get to work at a decent hour – thinking the whole time about why you’re paying condominium fees. Once you arrive at the office, your first call is to the property manager or a board member to express your frustration. Let’s say 60 per cent of the owners do the same thing: calling to express their views on what they are paying for.
Now, it’s budget review time. Your board is looking at the contracts in place and the services provided and consulting about what services the majority of owners want. One is obviously plowing of the parking lot, after so many calls. But the cost of such a service isn’t small, and it’s even greater if snow needs to be trucked off the property. It could result in an increase of thousands of dollars for only one item. Add to this the increases that the board can do nothing about – such as insurance premiums, utility increases, and rising labour costs of tradespeople – and condominium owners could end up with fees three and four times what they were. Owners can underestimate the impact a phone call can make to the financial bottom line. It is something to think about next time your desire to have a maintenance-free lifestyle hits the pocketbook.
On the other side of that coin, when a problem exists and owners do not inform the board, greater damage can result, and ultimately more costs are incurred. When living in a condominium, remember, it is your property - all of it. Owners have an undivided interest share of ownership in the common property. It means every blade of grass, every roof shingle and every fence board is owned by each owner undividedly. When you see an eavestrough that is plugged, or a tripping hazard on a walkway, let your board know. Don’t be of the mindset that the property manager or board members should be walking the site to watch for these things. The manager’s contract price is based on the services provided. Site walks are necessary, but not required on a daily basis. Use common sense.
Remember, this is your property and your home. Take pride in its
operation and support your board of directors realistically. The end
result will not only be a welcoming community that enhances resale
value, but also smaller condominium fees.
from: driveit.clickspace.com/linkTo/1224295/1000414
Avoiding Conflicts
Simple steps can help boost condo owner participation
Calgary Herald, Saturday, November 12, 2005
Bernie Winter, ACCI, FCCI
From the American Heritage Dictionary: Apathy – (ap’e-the), noun, 1. Lack of interest or concern, especially in important matters. 2. Lack of emotion; impassiveness.
Over the past few months, I have received several calls from unit owners on the board of directors of condominiums.
They were concerned about the apathy of owners and of fellow board
members, and how it results in one or two board members controlling the
meetings.
Apathy in a condominium, whether at the board level or as owners overall, happens for a number of reasons.
But it always ends with the same results – a few people dictating or controlling the decision-making process.
Just as condo ownership has become a popular choice among home-buyers,
it has also attracted new people who are choosing to get involved in
how their condominiums are being run.
This is a good thing that’s well overdue. But it is often met with
resistance by existing owners and board members, deterring people from
contributing their time and talents.
In many condominiums, the “old school” owners are not open to new, relatively inexperienced owners taking on their duties.
There is a philosophy that in the name of continuity, the old board
members are best at continuing the directorship of he corporation.
A good procedures and policies manual could solve this one.
Also at play are belief systems and cultural factors. If you take a
look at any cosmopolitan city across North America, you will find
cultural differences within it, such as the Italians, Germans or
Chinese.
With similar attitudes about things like family values, people within
these cultural communities share similar beliefs of how to make
decisions and solve problems.
But when a person buys into a condominium, their “community” is made of people with different values and beliefs.
This can result in one owner butting heads with another – and before
you know it, owners are staying behind closed doors wanting to avoid
the whole situation.
It is a rare individual who can walk into a lion’s den and take charge.
During the past 30 years, I have observed how such factors affect how condos function.
I have concluded that the only sensible and affordable solution to
merging all these differences is tolerance, acceptance of difference,
and willingness to find a common solution that involves all owners
equally.
Having said this, I do realize how difficult it can be for people to
accept differences in others. I recognize that this can be a tall
order.
I would not be making such a statement if I did not know that this
works, every time, when the group as a whole is determined and willing
to participate in the process.
I am often asked what to do when a board that is working towards this
style of community involvement invites owners to participate – and no
one shows any interest.
Although this can be discouraging, things do progress over time. The
key is to keep inviting owners to participate, and then be patient:
Make the request interesting and important to each owner.
Social invitations are often the least attended because people living
in condominiums often have busy lifestyles, and they often don’t have
the time or desire to socialize with their condo neighbours.
Requesting input through questionnaires may be more effective for some condominiums.
Remember to be respectful of each other’s time and only send
questionnaires when there is real business involved. For example, a
condo board could be considering increasing the number of times the
common hallways and lobbies are vacuumed, potentially resulting in
increased condo fees.
The questionnaire could ask the owners if they prefer to pay extra,
keep the situation as it is, of if someone wants to vacuum the hall
between the regular contracted times.
In other words, the trick is to involve them in helping find solutions,
instead of simply giving them a notice that they must now pay extra for
cleaning the corridors more frequently.
State in the questionnaire what the board will do if no input is received.
Of course, the board must realize that it must respect the input of people who do respond, even if it is only one person.
Once the owners get used to being heard when they make suggestions,
they will be more willing to get involved – and before you know it, the
apathy will be gone.
In condominiums where apathy is the overriding problem – whether it be
the owners in general or the board itself – the only solution is to
create opportunities for everyone to feel welcome, valued and important
to the functioning of the property as a whole.
In cases where a board member or two are controlling the meeting, the
other members need to speak up and vote on decisions according to what
they think, instead of letting one or two take over.
For those board members who are being silent and not willing to speak
up when they need to, he best solution is for them to resign.
They are not representing what is best for the condominium as a whole,
which is the main responsibility and expectation of a board member.
Owners who do not get involved should understand that they are required
to live by the decisions made by the board, whether they agree with
them or not.
How is this possible in a real-life condominium?
Start by holding a meeting of the owners and invite them to get involved in the idea of planning the upcoming year.
Involve everyone who wants to be involved.
Be sure to leave personalities out of the formula and design a framework for involvement that works for your style and type of condominium.
This could be a series of committees from landscaping to social
activities, special projects, communication, security and policies.
Or it could be an operations and procedures manual that clearly
outlines the process for questions to be answered, information o be
shared, and access o the decision-making process.
This is an opportunity to get creative and pull together as a goup with one main objective: a well operated condominium home.
It is a good Idea to hire a facilitator who is not related to any owners to run the meeting.
Companies such as High Clouds Inc. (telephone 1-877-206-1999) provide
community planning education and facilitation, specializing in applying
this to condominiums.
Apathy is the result of the majority of owners not feeling included, needed or valued in the operation of the condominium.
I can’t think of anyone who would be enthusiastic about attending a meeting just to be told what is going to be imposed on them.
This is how it feels to owners who are asked to attend an information
meeting or general meeting where a board tells them what is going to
happen, instead of inviting owners to provide input and contribute.
It is a simple matter of presentation and willingness to hear what the
owners as a majority prefer, instead of having a few owners dictating
to the others.
Ultimately, the board of directors is responsible for the condominium’s
operation and business decisions – and when seeking consensus is
properly done, everyone feels included.
The condominium community becomes strong and harmonious. In the end,
owners are able to sell their units with ease because of this type of
condominium is attractive to people looking to buy into the condo
lifestyle.
from: driveit.clickspace.com/linkTo/1224868/1000414
tatanga2@lycos.com