Ontario condo owners furious after being hit with $20,000 special assessment
Country Lane Estates in Aurora, Ont. is a community of about 200 townhouse condominium units. Recently, the board of directors sent a notice to owners that $3.5 million is needed for renovations and individual unit owners will have to pay their share.
“I just want answers and they won't give us answers to anything," said Lori West-Ritza, a unit owner who has lived in the development for the past three years.
West-Ritza told CTV News Toronto she has concerns about the repairs because her balcony was removed from her unit 10 months ago and a fence has been put up around her property.
She pays $740 a month in maintenance fees and she has been told she must pay a special assessment of $19,687 by next month.
“That is a lot of money to hand over and we are being told there won’t be any work done for a year. We are also not being told what work is being done with this money,” West-Ritza said.
The townhouse complex also has an in-ground swimming pool, but despite the hot, humid summer, it is not open and residents said it was not opened at all this year.
Other residents at the complex also contacted CTV News with concerns about the special assessment but did not wish to be identified for the story.
In the letter to owners, it says the board of directors approved a special assessment of $3.5 million which will allow for the completion of approved projects including balcony, window, carport and door replacements, as well the continuation of roof repairs and repairs to reopen the pool.
CTV News called and emailed the property manager of the development several times and did not get a response.
The Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO) is a group that tries to help condo owners, buyers, managers and directors deal with problems facing developments such as special assessments and the underfunding of reserve funds.
“These are concerning situations and we certainly empathize with the owners facing a special assessment," said CEO of CAO Robin Dafoe.
Dafoe added, “We hear from boards all the time that are trying to manage and balance the interests of the owner’s budgets and preserving the value of the condominium."
The Condo Owners Association (COA) is a group that also tries to advise condo owners on financial matters and said they are hearing more complaints about special assessments and escalating maintenance fees that are not topping up reserve funds.
Linda Pinizzotto, the founder and president of the COA, said anyone asked to pay a special assessment should be able to get clear answers as to exactly what the money is being used for.
“If the board is not calling a special meeting to discuss these kinds of expenses, especially large expenditures, chances are you already have a problem," Pinizzotto.
West-Ritza said she has been given until Sept. 5 to pay the special assessment of almost $20,000.
“I mean they threatened a lien on our property if it doesn't get paid," said West-Ritza.
The CAO added that inflation is also making everything more expensive including the cost to maintain and repair condo buildings.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
For the first time in report's history, Canada's air quality worse than U.S.
Air quality in Canada is now worse than in the U.S., according to the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report. Of the 15 most polluted cities in the two countries, 14 were in Canada.
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
WATCH LIVE As former prime minister Mulroney lies in state, public tributes in Ottawa begin
Members of the public who wish to pay tribute to Brian Mulroney can visit his casket in Ottawa starting this afternoon.
BREAKING Roy McMurtry, former Ontario attorney general, dies at 91
CTV News has confirmed that former Ontario attorney general Roy McMurtry has died.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
DEVELOPING Canada's annual inflation rate ticked down to 2.8 per cent in February, defying expectations
Statistics Canada says the annual inflation rate edged down to 2.8 per cent in February.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.