Ontario's New Democrats are urging the province to update laws protecting condominium owners, saying they need stronger legal protection from developers
NDP MPP Rosario Marchese (Trinity-Spadina) has introduced Property Owners' Proctection Act at Queen's Park Thursday afternoon.
"We feel it is time to make changes to the Condominium Act as a way of giving owners better consumer protection and stronger legal recourse," Marchese told a press conference on Thursday.
Marchese said one million Ontarians own condos in the province, primarily in Toronto.
He said the industry's recent growth has lured companies and developers that are "not as good as they should be" and can, at times, leave owners struggling with a variety of legal issues.
Marchese said the only current recourse for owners is to take disputes to the overburdened and expensive court system.
"When [condo owners] have a problem, particularly with a condo developer, they have nowhere to turn to except the court system," Marchese said.
"The courts are incredibly expensive. No condo owner can afford to take on a developer. The few that take them on lose at their own expense."
The proposed bill would amend the Condominium Act to create a condo review board that would address disputes between owners, condo boards, developers and property managers.
The bill would also license property managers and force developers to use "good faith language" when dealing with condo owners.
