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Election Signs on condo balconies

If the Board of Directors are not running the Corporation by following the Condominium Act and not acting in the best interests of the Corporation you can exercise your democratic right as an owner to either bounce them out or force them to follow the Act. Get a group of concerned owners together, decide how you want to proceed then start knocking at doors and getting the names & signatures of other dissatisfied owners to Requisition a Meeting. You MUST state the nature of business for formally requesting the meeting so you must decide beforehand what that will be. When you've met your quota (see the link below) make copies of the Requisition then either hand deliver (with a witness) the original to one of the Board members and a copy to the Property Manager/Administrator or send them by registered mail. Then you've got a meeting and you can address the problems that your having with them or vote them out but be prepared to fill the vacancies at the same meeting should you choose to go down that road.

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_98c19_e.htm#BK57
 
gristle said:
Just because you believe that a balcony is not a common area does not make it so. Balconies are typically common elements for exclusive use and thus fall within the provisions cited in law. There is nothing restricting you from putting a poster on a wall inside your suite. Most condos have rules regarding window coverings, so even hanging a poster on a window will possibly get you into trouble.
Click to expand...

Well, we already have precedent that balconies are considered private. A lady successfully argued that her balcony was private after she was charged with exposing her breasts on her balcony. I understand that condos are allowed to have their own rules, but they still don't circumvent electoral law.

He has a legitimate argument to make, is all I'm saying.
 
What case involved a woman showing her breasts on a balcony? Cause in Ontario a woman can go topless in public.
 
dt_toronto_geek said:
If the Board of Directors are not running the Corporation by following the Condominium Act and not acting in the best interests of the Corporation you can exercise your democratic right as an owner to either bounce them out or force them to follow the Act. Get a group of concerned owners together, decide how you want to proceed then start knocking at doors and getting the names & signatures of other dissatisfied owners to Requisition a Meeting. You MUST state the nature of business for formally requesting the meeting so you must decide beforehand what that will be. When you've met your quota (see the link below) make copies of the Requisition then either hand deliver (with a witness) the original to one of the Board members and a copy to the Property Manager/Administrator or send them by registered mail. Then you've got a meeting and you can address the problems that your having with them or vote them out but be prepared to fill the vacancies at the same meeting should you choose to go down that road.

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_98c19_e.htm#BK57
Click to expand...

Sometimes, that doesn't work. Not even getting court orders will work, unless you want to shell out more money to persue for contempt of court. Especially if your condo is under control of the local mafia.
 
Mafia types sit on condo boards? Good grief!
 
archanfel said:
I am sorry, but wasn't your condo board elected by the residents? If you don't like the way they operate, just don't vote for them. Better yet, get elected yourself. I don't see how you have to live with it unless the majority of the residents like "idiots".
Click to expand...

Here's the thing...when I first moved in there was a guy in the building who was running for the Board...apparently he tries all the time...I went to the meeting...I didn't know anyone at that time...had no clue about anything relating to the building nor the board (except for the off-handed negative comment by my real estate agent)...I was approached by the property manager (at the time) and told, "Don't vote for him...he's a trouble maker"...so I didn't as the person who told me that seemed nice and reasonable and I had shared a few conversations with him in the lobby, and so I trusted his judgement (naive? Yes, I know... ;))

What I have come to realize is that there are a core group of owners (who've been here forever) who attend all the meetings and rotate Board positions among themselves...I guess most of the other owners - myself included - are just too busy living our lives working, etc. The board members are all older and most look retired as do those few who always show up at the few meetings I've attended.

Of course this is not an excuse...I realize there is no excuse for inaction, but I think most people like myself just go on with our lives and don't bother with these things until they smack us in the face...and that's when get upset. If we get angry enough, then it motivates us to act...but I think most people deal with many of these issues with a degree of 'tolerance' and figure...it's just not worth the time/effort.

And especially now since I've had a few issues with the board - and went and spoke up, I have been blacklisted (like the other guy I spoke of earlier), so I have pretty much zero chance of actually getting voted on the board (like I said, MOST owners never show up...just those 'core' few).

Of course I know there may be legal avenues I can pursue, and I'd love to take duper's great advice and fight, but at the end of the day I just don't have the time/energy/money to pursue this...that's why I said what I said in my earlier post, "I'll either stay and deal with the b.s. or buy a house (one day). I would love to buy a house, but I'm not moving to the burbs, so until I can save more money I'll just have to grin and bear it I guess."

And in a way, I did pursue it 'to some degree' by researching here and online what my rights were...now that I've seen the actual law and how it's written and realize that it'll take a legal battle to pursue this further, I've decided it's not worth it. And besides, I am also volunteering for this particular candidate so I am actively involved in our ways, which I hope will advance my views in other areas of urban life as well...I hope he wins... :)
 
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