Recorded on: April 13, 2021
Length: 60 minutes
Summary
Kate Campbell of the Civil Resolution Tribunal and lawyer Oscar Miklos of Refresh Law answer questions about common legal issues that come up in strata living and what you can do about them.
Highlights
In this webinar, you will learn:
What to consider if you’re thinking about buying a strata property. [5:00]
What the Civil Resolution Tribunal is and how it can help you resolve your strata disputes. [12:00]
The steps you need to take before you file a complaint with the Civil Resolution Tribunal. [16:40]
The five phases of a claim made with the Civil Resolution Tribunal. [17:25]
Whether ongoing complaints made against you can be considered a nuisance. [21:10]
Whether a complaint about a strata council’s failure to enforce a strata bylaw dealing with smoking can be made to the Civil Resolution Tribunal. [26:00]
The types of claims the Civil Resolution Tribunal can decide, and examples of common claims. [26:45]
How to amend a smoking bylaw in a strata, and additional factors to consider. [31:45]
What options are available at the Civil Resolution Tribunal other than a hearing. [38:50]
Whether you need a lawyer to represent you when you make a claim with the Civil Resolution Tribunal. [41:45]
Whether you need a permit to put new flooring into your strata unit. [43:05]
What types of remedies the Civil Resolution Tribunal can order. [47:40]
Whether the Civil Resolution Tribunal can uphold strata bylaws. [50:15]
What a strata resident’s rights are regarding video surveillance. [50:50]
What steps the Civil Resolution Tribunal is taking for people who do not have easy access to computers. [53:25]
The rules around personal information, such as lot numbers, being included in strata meeting minutes. [54:15]
Featuring
Kate Campbell
Kate Campbell is vice chair, strata, societies, and co-operative associations with the Civil Resolution Tribunal. After being called to the British Columbia bar in 2006, she practiced labour law for six years, with a focus on grievance arbitration and collective bargaining. She was appointed as a vice chair of the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal in 2011, and became the first full-time CRT member in 2018. She is a past board member of several non-profit societies, including the BC Council of Administrative Tribunals.
Oscar Miklos
Burnaby lawyer Oscar Miklos is the founder of Refresh Law. He advises strata owners, strata councils, home owners, landlords, and tenants with respect to their housing or property-related disputes and concerns. He was called to the bar in Quebec in 2013 and in British Columbia the following year. After several years at a North Vancouver law firm focusing on housing law, Oscar founded Refresh Law in 2020. He is also the founder and editor of HousingGuide.ca, a free online reference for home owners, strata councils, landlords, and property managers in BC.
Attendee feedback
“Thank you so much for this webinar...very helpful and glad I registered for this!!!
“Excellent topic and very informative.”
“Thanks for holding these webinars, and allow us as citizens to feel more empowered via this knowledge. Living in a strata is very much like living as a renter, hence we need support as there is an imbalance of power between strata council and individual owners.”
“First time I’ve heard of People’s Law School — good work!”
“Kate, Oscar and Paula were all very easy to listen to and to learn from. Many thanks.”
“Keep on the style of using real cases to show people the solution.”
“Thank you so much for having the seminars! I really appreciate your help!”
Additional resources
From People’s Law School:
Step-by-step guidance on bringing (or responding to) a strata complaint
What amounts to an “alteration” and how to get your special project approved
From the Civil Resolution Tribunal:
Civil Resolution Tribunal’s solution explorer for strata issues
Stages in the CRT process, including negotiating and facilitation
From Refresh Law:
Additional resources:
Condominium Home Owners Association of BC, offering education and support for member strata corporations and owners, including a primer on when strata council members can be sued
Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association, providing education and support to strata owners and councils on Vancouver Island (and beyond)
Privacy Guidelines for Strata Corporations and Strata Agents, from the BC privacy commissioner