Welcome to the website dedicated to serving the interests of BC’s strata or condominium homeowners. 

BC strata legislation is supposed to protect the rights of strata property owners.  Major problems have emerged with it since it was last seriously reviewed in 1998. While the Alberta and Ontario governments were adding significant protection for condo owners in their legislation, BC strata owners received only a 2003 government promise to “review” their legislation, a review that never happened. Instead, 5 years later the BC government undertook private and “confidential” communication with developers, property managers, their lawyers and others making a living from strata owners and concocted a Bill to amend the Strata Property Act. Prior to passing the Bill the government said it “should go out and invite feedback” from  “condo owners” and “anybody with regard to what's in the bill”. This never happened. The official opposition made a motion to delay the Bill for 6 months to allow for consultation with strata owners but government MLAs voted down the motion. On October 6, 2009 the government passed Bill 8* without allowing for public consultation or amendments. 

The government claims its 2008 private and “confidential” communication with a select few constitutes public consultation even though strata owners were shut out of it. The government issued no invitation for public input, no discussion paper was circulated for public feedback and no public meetings were held with strata owners. It was as if strata owners are mere “subjects” and only their “overlords” are worthy of government attention. Predictably, the effect of all of this can be found in the Bill’s total silence on the crying need to hold strata developers, strata property management companies and others accountable for their abuse of strata owners’ rights

The goal of this website is to ensure that the voices of BC strata owners are heard and acted on in the BC legislature.  To this end, it provides background on some of the needed changes, an opportunity to voice your concerns and the tools to communicate with the media and those people in the legislature who are supposed to represent you.  An initial step by a government interested in listening to the people would be to announce a public, open and comprehensive review of the legislation with the objective of producing legislation that better reflects the concerns and property rights of strata owners.  Unfortunately, there is no evidence of government interest in listening to strata owners. Government appears to be dismissing strata owners as mere “subjects”.

Strata owners must continue to make the case to government that they are not mere “subjects” but property owners and real people who must be heard. With over 600,000 voters living in condos and other properties, strata owners can collectively decide who forms the government in this province. 

We invite you to use the resources on this website and contribute your ideas, suggestions and comments. You are encouraged to refer this website to other strata owners.
 

*    Note: The full text of Bill 8 can be viewed at:

http://www.leg.bc.ca/39th1st/3rd_read/gov08-3.htm