Legislation update and invitation to participate in a survey about condominium governance
Post date: Oct 25, 2017 10:2:50 PM
The Board has received the following email from the Government of Alberta. As Owners of Mosaic of Elgin Hill, the new regulations and possible legislation implementation by the government may have significant impact to all of us. There were numerous open houses held over the Summer month and the Board had attended it. This is the follow-up to the open house in the form of a survey.
We encourage all Owners to fill out the survey to have their voices heard as the results of the survey will ultimately guide the legislation and regulation changes. Thank you.
From: SA.CondoReview <CondoReview@gov.ab.ca>
Date: 25 October 2017 at 11:36
Subject: Legislation update and invitation to participate in a survey about condominium governance
To: "SA.CondoReview" <CondoReview@gov.ab.ca>
Dear Condominium Stakeholder:
Our government recognizes that more and more Albertans are choosing to buy and live in condominiums. We believe strongly in protecting our consumers as they make important life decisions and purchases, and no purchase is more important than buying a home. With that in mind, we have made some changes to our laws to better protect people buying condos. We are pleased to report that the first set of changes will come into effect in early 2018.
We consulted with condo owners, boards, developers, and other members of the condominium sector to come up with changes that provide increased protection for buyers and owners of condominiums. The changes include:
Requiring developers to give a final move-in date, and if they cannot deliver on time, buyers have the option to renegotiate or cancel their contract and get their deposit back.
Preventing “fee shock” by requiring developers to give a realistic proposed budget to estimate the condo fees a buyer can expect to pay when they move in.
Requiring developers to include more information in the contract, such as floor plans and finishes, to help buyers make a confident decision.
Creating new rules so developers must hold buyers’ deposits in trust with a lawyer while their condos are being built.
Requiring developers to provide more information to the first elected condo board, to create a smoother transition for owners.
Increasing the government’s ability to investigate breaches of the act, and issue fines to developers where necessary.
The changes will be implemented between January 1 and April 1, 2018. For more information, including when each one will come into effect, please visit http://www.servicealberta.ca/Consumer-condominiums.cfm.
Launch of new survey
Modernizing Alberta’s condo laws is only possible with the thoughtful input and participation of condominium owners, boards, managers and other interested stakeholders. We would like your input as we work towards developing the next set of changes.
We have launched an online survey to help us determine the appropriate options to further update Alberta’s condominium legislation.
The online survey is based on feedback we received during five open houses held across the province this summer. It covers a number of condominium governance issues, including:
how meetings are run and how votes take place
rules on rental deposits for condos
who should repair units and pay for insurance deductibles
how reserve fund studies are managed
what kind of say owners get in the rules the board makes
how to make sure condo boards have the support they need to fulfil their roles
establishment of a condo tribunal to more easily resolve disputes as an alternative to the courts
To participate, please visit condo.alberta.ca and follow the survey link. The survey will be available until November 10, 2017. You can stay updated on the process by visiting that same web address.
Please share this invitation with anyone who may be interested in completing the survey, whether as an owner, board member, manager, or another condominium role. To help spread the word, we have attached a flyer to this email that can be distributed to owners or displayed in high traffic areas in your complex(es).
Thank you for your participation. If you have any questions about the survey, or if you are unable to access it online, please contact us by email at service.alberta@gov.ab.ca or by telephone at 1-877-427-4088.
Yours truly,
Honourable Stephanie McLean
Minister of Service Alberta and Status of Women
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