August 3, 2023 - Blog Post

Condo Chat

Welcome to the first blog of CCI NS.  Why a blog and how did we get here?   We stopped publishing our newsletter, which left us wondering how to replace that medium of written articles about condominium operations.  While we have our seminars that are great, it is not the same as reading text.

You may be asking why we stopped the newsletter.  Good question.   The simple answer is no one wanted to take it on after our former editor finished her term.   I tell you this for a couple of reasons.   One, to keep you informed of Chapter activities and that, while we have stopped publishing the newsletter, we haven’t given up on providing you a variety of informational resources to meet our mission:  

TO CULTIVATE AND SUPPORT A POSITIVE, STRONG AND INFORMED CONDOMINIUM COMMUNITY THROUGH THE DELIVERY OF RESOURCES AND GUIDANCE

We’re just doing it in a different and hopefully more modern way.  We’re still trying to figure it out but hopefully you’ll help us along the way with useful feedback and support.

The second reason I tell you about the newsletter is about a phenomena that has been growing in scope for several years that affects everyone and that has to do with volunteerism. A recent article in CBC talks about a critical lack of volunteers that is putting Canadian non-profit services at risk (read here) and another article from the Philanthropist Journal questions whether volunteerism is at a crisis or crossroads (read here).

Some condo corps are fortunate and have owners willing to give freely of their time, sitting on boards or committees and actively participating in the running of your corporation.  That’s fantastic. I suspect that many of you, including me, are finding it difficult getting owners to run for the Board let alone getting them out to an AGM.  I can’t remember the last time my Condo Corp had an election where there were more people running than positions available.  Even when you have volunteers many often have busy lives that limit their participation and results in a few of the people doing the bulk of the work.

The decline in volunteerism is due to many things; people are fatigued, people are busy with work and family, they don’t want the responsibility that goes with the work, or they don’t believe they have the skills necessary to do the job.   As to skills and guidance, that is where a CCI NS membership comes in.  We offer training, knowledge, and guidance to help anyone contribute to a condominium corporation, whether as a Board Director, property manager, real estate agent, auditor, insurance broker or any other profession involved with condominium operations.: 

Condo Corps are a unique type of organization and greatly depend on volunteers to manage the affairs of our Condo Corporations.   As the Condo Act stipulates:  “The objects of the corporation are to manage the property and any assets of the corporation” and “The affairs of the corporation shall be managed by a board of directors, consisting of three persons or such greater number as the declaration or by-laws may provide, elected by the members of the corporation”.  By the Condo Act, therefore, we must have a board, and Board Directors cannot be renumerated as Directors and Directors must be owners.  Ergo they have to volunteer.  Since all owners make up the corporation every owner has a responsibility towards managing the property and the assets.  Unfortunately, many owners don’t want to be bothered with the running of the corporation unless there is something specific they don’t like or don’t or do want, in which case they can be more of a hinderance than a help. Many others would rather someone else deal with it. In my view every owner should do at least one term as a Director.

Corporations will either be self-managed or engage in a service contract with a property manager.  A property manager can relieve the Board of a lot of the work necessary to run the day-to-day operations of the Corporation, but it does not absolve the Board from oversight and responsibility to the rest of the owners. Some corporations depend a lot on their Property Managers and may even in some cases give them too much autonomy.  It is all about achieving the right balance and oversight.  I sometimes have to remind people that the property manager works for the corporation reporting to the elected Board of Directors (BOD).

Just like any other organization, it is good to have some regular change in Board membership to shake things up, get different perspectives and possibly reenergize the Board. Unfortunately, it is often the case that a select few will continue on the Board for many terms.  While this can create stability, it can also create complacency, sometimes abuse of authority and in some cases meeting the wants of a select group that overrides the wants of others.

Which brings us full circle. How do we get the right people that have the right skillsets or the willingness to learn to commit their time and talent as a volunteer for Boards, committees, work projects etc. especially in the current malaise that is affecting so many?

There is no one answer.  Some suggestions are: to lead by example, not be afraid to specifically ask someone as opposed to sending out a general invite, offer training and assistance, use people’s strengths, make it worth their time, etc.  In future blogs we’ll take a look at each of these and other topics.  We will publish articles from other chapters and other authors. Stay tuned and check back often.  Let us know what you want to hear about and how we’re doing. Again, like other Condo Boards at CCI NS we are all volunteers too.