On June 27, 2019 Alberta’s Provincial Government issued a surprise announcement that they are delaying the second phase of planned amendments to the Condominium Property Act (“the Act”) and Regulations. The delay, which will be in effect for six months, is to provide the government with the opportunity to further review the legislation. What this means is that the changes we expected for July 1, 2019 did not come into effect.

Progression of changes so far

Changes to the Act started in December 2014, when the Government of Alberta passed legislation requiring condominium managers to obtain licenses. The original plan was to role out the changes over three phases, beginning in 2018. The first stage dealt with disclosure and trust money safeguards, which were aimed at providing protection for purchasers of newly built or converted condominiums. The second and third phases contained changes to how condo boards govern themselves as well as the establishment of a condominium dispute tribunal.

A response to red tape

In a statement issued by the Government of Alberta, Minister of Service Alberta, Nate Glubish said the delay comes as a result of consultations. He said,

“Since becoming minister, I have been approached by stakeholders who felt overlooked by the previous government around their concerns that the proposed changes would add administrative burdens on boards and managers. We take these concerns seriously and we are not afraid to take bold and decisive action in the interests of Albertans.”

The delay was welcomed by the Canadian Condominium Institute – North Alberta, who’s president, Anand Sharma said,

“This is really great news. We have been concerned about the unintended consequences of these regulations for some time. CCI North Alberta have been educating condominium owners, managers and boards about the planned regulations over the past six months, and we’ve found that many people are still unaware and unprepared for the proposed changes. We are happy to support the government’s pause on this.”

Additional changes could still come

Although the delay has paused any changes for now, it should be noted that revisions to the next two stages could come out of the review process.

At HMC Lawyers, we recognize that the condominium industry is booming in Canada, with an increased number of Canadians choosing to live in them. Even businesses, including retail and hotels, have started to use the condo model. Of course, with an increase in condos comes an increase in legal issues and disputes which could arise at any stage of condo development or construction. At HMC Lawyers our Advocacy Team knows the ins-and-outs of the condominium industry, from development, to construction, and day-to-day operations. We have more than 130 years of cumulative litigation experience and our lawyers have worked to successfully resolve complex, multi-party matters involving condominiums.

Condominium disputes require legal advice from knowledgeable counsel with experience addressing such matters and who understands the complex condo industry. Contact HMC Lawyers to speak with a member of our Advocacy Team and get strategic and trustworthy advice. Call 1-800-480-3534 or contact us online. We represent clients in Calgary, the province of Alberta, and across Western Canada.