Condo owners want better laws, transparency and accountability
* Leaks, Rot, Mould and Fraud *
STRATA OWNERSHIP NEEDS BETTER LEGISLATION
April 2, 2008
According to strata owners on Vancouver Island there are major deficiencies in BC’s strata legislation. Over 458,000 condominiums and other strata properties, or one in four taxable properties in BC are affected by strata legislation. 67,000 of these properties are located on Vancouver Island.
A series of public meetings hosted by the Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association (VISOA) was completed on March 30. At these meetings, participants reacted to a discussion paper based on numerous complaints VISOA had received about inadequate legal protection for strata owners. Based on the public meetings, written submissions from owners and consultation with homeowner associations on the mainland, VISOA is now developing a report on issues and alternatives for improving BC’s strata legislation. The report will be available later this spring.
Most concerns expressed by strata owners focused on transparency and accountability deficiencies, including:
- Lack of an accessible and authoritative source of legislation interpretation to support the operation of strata corporations according to law,
- Lack of a requirement for a depreciation report or reserve fund study to inform owners and purchasers of the financial implications of the condition of common property,
- Lack of a requirement for an audit of strata finances even where the strata corporation has hundreds of thousands of dollars in a reserve fund, and
- Lack of prosecution of developers operating contrary to strata legislation.
“Furthermore, VISOA research has found that BC lags behind other jurisdictions in requiring transparency and accountability for key areas of strata or condominium operations”, said Felicia Oliver, VISOA President.
VISOA is a non-profit organization that has provided information and education services to strata owners and strata councils on Vancouver Island since 1973.
BC’s strata legislation includes the Strata Property Act, the Real Estate Development Marketing Act and the Real Estate Services Act.
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Media Enquiries: Deryk Norton
VISOA Board Member – Government Relations
Tel. (250) 743-8724
E-mail: dgnorton@telusplanet.net
Media Alert: CTV's W-FIVE investigates leaky condos and other shoddy new homes
Media Alert November 1, 2007
“Leaky rotten condos and other defective residential construction issues continue to plague homeowners in British Columbia”, says James Balderson, spokesman for COLCO: The Coalition of Leaky Condo Owners.
An investigation of BC’s leaky condo problem and other shoddy work by developers across Canada is scheduled for the CTV W-FIVE programme on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at 7pm with a repeat broadcast on Sunday, November 4, at 5pm. (Check local listings.)
“The boom in condo development and real-estate prices has not solved the Olympic-sized multi-billion dollar leaky condo problem in BC. A $100,000 increase in the market value of a condo means the owner who sells after paying $100,000 for repairs actually loses money. Meanwhile, government coffers spill over with taxes. We can’t pay escalating leaky condo repair bills with propaganda from careless politicians, careless developers, careless architects, careless professional engineers, careless contractors and careless realtors. We need real money, lots of it, just like the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.” said Balderson.
Balderson led the W-FIVE investigators to one of BC’s worst leaky condo disasters: Vancouver, Pendrell Place, VR 1008, 1819 Pendrell Street
For more information visit:
http://www.ctv.ca/wfive CTV Broadband Network
Watch complete episodes of W-FIVE on the CTV Broadband Network 
www.myleakycondo.com myleakycondo.com's Blog
Contact: JamesBalderson@myleakycondo.com
Leaky condo developer Audain to receive Order of BC
Leaky condo developer,
Michael Audain,
to receive Order of BC
The Government of British Columbia has announced that Michael Audain, one of BC's most notorious leaky condo developers, will receive BC's highest honour for outstanding achievement.
Polygon, Michael Audain's company, developed, built and sold thousands of leaky rotten condos.
Owning a leaky rotten Polygon home caused significant financial and emotional stress for thousands of British Columbians.
The government has medals of honour for leaky condo developers but continues to refuse to provide financial relief to leaky condo owners.
Leaky condo owners are invited to protest the awarding of the Order of BC Medal to Michael Audain at Government House in Victoria on June 14, 2007.
VISITOR INFORMATION |  |
How to find us...
Government House is located at 1401 Rockland Avenue and can be reached within a two block walking distance by city buses #11 and #14 leaving downtown Victoria. If you are arriving or departing via Swartz Bay aboard BC Ferries, you can access downtown directly via Blanshard Street.
Grounds:
With occasional exceptions, the gardens are open to the public daily from dawn till dusk, with no charge for admittance.
Garden tours are available. See the Garden Tours page.
Here's what the government of BC says about Michael Audain regarding the award of the Order of BC Medal:
Michael Audain – West Vancouver
Mr. Michael Audain is a philanthropist and businessman who is a generous supporter of
visual arts and culture in British Columbia and throughout Canada.
Mr. Audain is past-president of the Vancouver Art Gallery, and chair of the Vancouver
Art Gallery Foundation, through which he has provided financial assistance to aid in the
promotion of art in BC. His dedicated efforts and commitment to the arts has helped to
ensure the success of numerous major exhibitions and programs at art galleries in
Vancouver and Victoria.
An avid art collector, Mr. Audain has assisted many local artists by purchasing and
promoting their work. He is dedicated to raising awareness of Canada’s artists, and his
efforts to promote and sustain the cultural heritage of BC artists is well-known. Mr.
Audain is a benefactor to the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, the Evergreen
Cultural Centre, and the Belkin Art Gallery. He also supports the Artists for Kids Trust,
which provides art enrichment to thousands of children annually in the Vancouver School
District.
Mr. Audain is a Governor of the Business Council of BC, and past-president of the Urban
Development Institute.
Why is it that the government of BC omits Michael Audain's leading role in providing leaky rotten condos to British Columbians?
Here are some contributions from Polygon to the Liberal party of BC led by Premier Gordon Campbell:
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| View images of scanned financial reports | Search S-A1-A |
| Contributions Search Results (S-A1) |
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| Contributor Name | Date From | Date To | Filer Name | Filer Type | Affiliation | Electoral District |
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| polygon | (ALL) | (ALL) | (ALL) | (ALL) | ||
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| Total Contribution For This Search: $42,490.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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And here is the result of another search:
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| View images of scanned financial reports | Search S-A1-A |
| Contributions Search Results (S-A1) |
| S-A1 - Your Search Criteria | ||||||
| Contributor Name | Date From | Date To | Filer Name | Filer Type | Affiliation | Electoral District |
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| audain | (ALL) | (ALL) | (ALL) | (ALL) | ||
| S-A1 - Your Search Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Contribution For This Search: $121,020.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Judge reserves decision regarding certification of latest proposed leaky condo class action lawsuit
Leaky condo owners will have to wait as long as two months before the B.C. Supreme Court rules on whether to certify as a class action a lawsuit stemming from the billion-dollar construction crisis. details
Fixing high-rise leaky rotten condos following building envelope failure
Thursday, April 5, 2007, 11:30
The Canadian Society for Senior Engineers /
The Canadian Society for Engineering Management
presents
High-Rise Building Envelope Remediation
by
Mark Emanuel, P.Eng.
(Spratt Emanuel Engineering Ltd.)
Sutton Place, Vancouver, BC.
EIC/APEGBC Members $35.00;
Non-members $40.00
RESERVATIONS: Lunch & Seminar
604-324-2441
cgordon_lindsay@telus.net
To be in attendance:
James Balderson & Rudy Eylmann
COLCO: The Coalition of Leaky Condo Owners
www.myleakycondo.com
