When I posted Part One of this series, I didn’t expect the response it received. Many readers reached out to share their own “condo nightmares” – the Friday afternoon crises, the quirky AGM stories, and the all-too-familiar headaches that keep condo directors, managers, and yes, lawyers, awake at night.
But condo law isn’t only about the dramatic or the urgent. A great deal of what shapes the life of a condo community happens quietly, in the background. These behind-the-scenes moments rarely make headlines or AGM minutes, but they are often the reason issues don’t spiral out of control.
The Early Morning, Late Night Reality
If you think condo corporations keep office hours, think again. My inbox tells a different story. At 6:00 a.m., a director emails about a chronic noise complaint. At 11:45 p.m., a manager forwards an “urgent” note from an owner threatening litigation over a parking space.
These matters don’t always make it to court, but they’re the kinds of issues that shape the day-to-day life of a condo. Handling them quickly and carefully is often what prevents a small spark from becoming a full fledged fire.
Translating Two Languages at Once
I sometimes joke that I speak two dialects: “legal” and “condo.” On one side, I translate the provisions in the Condominium Act and case law decisions into plain language so directors and owners can understand what the law requires. On the other, I translate the politics of a board into advice that will keep conflict from spiralling.
In condo law, what you don’t say is often as important as what you do say. Choosing the right words is a skill that can keep people talking rather than suing.
The Quiet Resolutions
When the media covers condos, it’s usually because a dispute has landed in court or before the Condominium Authority Tribunal. What rarely gets mentioned are the countless situations resolved behind closed doors – through mediation, a zoom meeting, or sometimes just a carefully worded letter.
Success in condo law isn’t always about the big wins in court. More often, it’s about preventing disputes from reaching that stage at all. Some of the best outcomes are the ones no one ever hears about.
Balancing Law and People
Condo law, at its heart, is about people living together in a shared space. That means it’s never only about the Condominium Act or the condo documents. It’s about how the legislation and the condominium documentation affect real lives. Sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small ones.
Behind every client file is a balancing act: the law, the community, and human nature. It’s not always easy to reconcile those three forces, but that’s what makes this area of law both challenging and rewarding.
