Resources available now on CAO website

With only a few weeks to go until the scheduled implementation date of the first round of amendments to the Act, I thought that I would spend this week reviewing some of the material available on the websites for the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO). One of the goals of Bill 106 was to ensure owners have more information about condominium living. A large part of this will be handled by the condominium with extra certificates and notices to owners, but the CAO will also play a part by providing resources for owners. Most of the resources will be available online on the CAO's website. Condo Buyer's Guide A Condo Buyer's Guide is now available on the website. Although it only contains basic information at this point, the hope is that it would be expanded to include details about other key parts of the condo industry. How to Guides & Templates The CAO will also provide helpful guides for owners to assist them with common condo issues (i.e. record requests, rule violations). So far, there are guides and letters for speaking with neighbours, requesting records, and writing to the board of directors. There is also a section on the ten most common issues (i.e. noise, pets, odours, records, meetings) with some suggestions for possible solutions. Director Training Another important section of the website is the director training section.  Currently, there are four modules for director training:

1. The Fundamentals of Condominium Living
2. The Legal Framework Governing Condominiums
3. The Role of Directors and their Key Responsibilities
4. Effective Leadership: Creating Strong Condominium Communities.

Each module is less than 20 minutes long and includes a summary at the end. There are also "knowledge checks" throughout to help participants gauge their level of knowledge. The modules are a great way to introduce certain topics and ensure the directors have basic knowledge about condominiums. I encourage every director (and owner) to review them (even the directors who may be exempt from the training requirement). Lastly, I just wanted to remind everyone that fees to the CAO are due by December 31, 2017. Many of my clients have reported receiving their letters from the CAO. If you are an owner and you receive a letter from the CAO about registering the condominium or arranging for payments, do not reply. Instead, the letter should be immediately forwarded to the manager or a member of the board so that it can be completed in a timely manner. I suspect there will be plenty more information posted in the coming weeks so you might want to check the CAO's website regularly to look for updates. For more information, visit www.condoauthorityontario.ca.