Bill 106 is an act to amend the Condominium Act of Ontario, 1998, to enact other Acts with respect to Condominiums (i.e. New Home Warranties Plan Act) and the Condominium Management Services Act, 2015. Along with Bill 106, the Ontario Government created two new administrative authorities called the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) and the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario (CMRAO).

Some of the amendments have already come into force with many changes still to be phased in throughout 2018. In Part I of this blog series, we will talk about the creation of the Condominium Authority of Ontario.

 

Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO)

A not-for-profit corporation, funded through Ontario condominiums, to provide resources for owners regarding their rights and responsibilities, required training for Directors and offer an online dispute resolution service, the Condominium Authority Tribunal.  Under the umbrella of the CAO, there are several new requirements imposed upon condominium corporations in Ontario. The CAO will have the authority to issue compliance orders and fines.

  • Registration and Fees
    • The CAO is funded through mandatory fees charged to each Ontario condominium corporation. Currently, the fees are charged at the equivalent of $1 per unit, per month. The fees are to become part of each corporation’s general budget and are paid by owners according to the proportionate share set out in the declaration of each condominium. Corporations must register with the CAO and pay the initial assessment by February 28, 2018. You can register and receive information about the CAO here.
  • Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT)
    • This is a newly created online tribunal that helps to settle and decide condominium related disputes in a fast, efficient and cost effective way. Currently, the CAT is restricted to handling only disputes related to the corporation’s records. In future, this is intended to be expanded. More information on the Condominium Authority Tribunal, including fees, can be found here.
  • Director Training
    • All condo Directors elected, re-elected or appointed after November 1, 2017 are required to complete mandatory basic training.
    • Free, online, training can be found on the CAO website. The training, valid for seven years, will take approximately 3 ½ hours and is offered in twenty-one short modules. This training is mandatory. If you do not complete the training within six months of being elected, re-elected or appointed to the Board, you will be disqualified as a Director. Training information can be found here.

 

If you have any questions about the above changes, please don’t hesitate to contact RLB’s Condominium Team at 519-822-9933.