Category: News

Dear Strata Councils,

It has been a while since our last update as there have been few policy developments with respect to COVID-19 for a number of months. However, with reopening on the horizon (the Province is set to announce a Reopening Plan today, May 25) we wanted to update you on some of the changes to expect in the weeks and months to come, along with other important recommendations relating to COVID-19.

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Stratawest Management is a proud member of the Strata Property Agents of BC (SPABC) and the Professional Association of Managing Agents (PAMA) with principals of the company sitting on both Boards for nearly 10 years, volunteering time and energy to better our industry and improve the quality of strata management in the Province. From time to time, the Board of SPABC requests our colleagues on the legal side of the strata industry to dive deeper into specific topics and give broader context and opinion to topics such as recent Court decisions, issues in the media and matters addressed by the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT). We are pleased to provide access here to an article from Lisa Mackie of Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP on Shen v. The Owners, Strata Plan EPS3177, 2020 BCCRT 1157 in regards to the use of Restricted Proxies at General Meetings.

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Dear Strata Councils,

As we post our 19^th Covid-19 update there are many reasons for wider optimism regarding the pandemic and we are all thrilled for some better news coming in. That said, there are obviously still reasons to be concerned about the next few months and beyond.  Delays with vaccine delivery, variants and more suggest that we will need to continue to remain vigilant and cautious as we move through 2021. Business as usual, it seems, is still not yet close to reality.

With that in mind, we’d like to update you and provide some suggestions on the following items relating to COVID-19 and it’s impact on our operations and your Strata Corporation:

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Done for another year! The results are in and they are… pretty incredible.

Lots of toys and gift certificates delivered to the North Shore Christmas Bureau last week, a truck load of new bikes picked up by our good buddy James at Obsession Bikes & Bikes for Tykes and, wait for it… $16,250 raised so far on behalf of Harvest Project to give a whole bunch of families a better Christmas and huge hand up this year. Unbelievable!

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Dear Strata Councils,

This week was very challenging for many of you, with rising case numbers of COVID-19, increased isolation and the turning of the weather.  You are no doubt weary of Strata Corporation matters being placed before you.

However, we are compelled to write to you with important information about the anticipated Order from the Provincial Health Officer.  On November 19^th, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix held a press conference and announced a new order mandating that masks be worn by all capable individuals in all indoor public spaces.  A day later, the Province formally confirmed that Strata common areas such as hallways, lobbies and elevators are subject to the Order.  We have drafted the attached generic notices which you may use in your properties to advise Residents of the new Order.  Many of you had already passed Rules which require guests, trades people and others to wear masks- this new mandate applies to everyone.

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Recently, we wrote about the Shen decision which is causing a fair bit of consternation for Owners and Councils at Strata Corporations.  As we indicated in our post, we believe that meetings held in person to comply with the Strata Property Act and encouraging Owners to submit proxies (restricted or otherwise) to reduce the number of attendees as much as possible, were unlikely to be overturned.  Of course, we are not a substitute for legal advice and many lawyers within the Strata community have begun to weigh in on the conversation.

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Dear Strata Councils,

We write to you to provide updates on two of the most pressing, and nearly universal challenges being faced by Strata Corporations in the era of COVID-19.

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We are once again taking the opportunity to republish one of our more popular articles (originally published October 16, 2014) currently with more than 50,000 views.  We refer clients (both Strata Council members and Owners) to this guidance on a regular basis and we feel it important to re-post from time to time as a reminder of the obligations of the Strata Corporation versus those of the effected Owner(s) with respect to repairing and maintaining Strata Lots when there is an insurable loss.

A Chinese language translation of this article can be found here.

Strata Corporations often wrestle with the question of who is responsible for repairing a Strata Lot when there is water damage as a result of a leak, drainage backup or other calamity. Included below for your benefit is advice offered by Clark Wilson LLP on the subject, which we hope will provide some guidance.  Special thanks to them for offering this advice.

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Budget Considerations – Most Strata Corporations have year-ends that occur in the months of November, December and January which is by far the busiest time of year for our firm when it comes to Annual General Meeting and budget preparation.  While we have written a great deal about the COVID-19 related challenges to AGMs themselves, we feel it important to point out some general budget considerations as well.

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In November 2019 we began publishing a series of articles on our blog regarding significant increases in insurance premiums and deductibles for strata corporations across the Lower Mainland.  We wrote several follow-up articles in December 2019 and then again in June 2020.  Since our initial article, the subject has become a continuing conversation in the media, which led to some high profile government legislative changes. In that first article, we asked that you please try not to shoot the messenger and here we are with the same plea amid more unwelcome news.

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