What is involved in serving on a condo board?

All condos have a board of directors that is usually comprised of three or five members. The board is responsible for managing the affairs of the condominium corporation according to Ontario’s Condominium Act. This involves making decisions on behalf of the community about all aspects of how the condominium corporation is run, including the maintenance and repair of the property, and ensuring the condominium corporation’s finances are in good order.

Decisions are made at board meetings where there is a quorum (or a majority of the board) present. Board meetings are held on a regular basis, which may be monthly, quarterly or semi-annually depending upon the number of units in the corporation, urgency of the decisions and number of issues on the agenda, among other factors. The condominium manager is then tasked with carrying out the board’s instructions.

Board members should familiarize themselves with the requirements of the provincial Condominium Act and the governing condominium documents (or the corporation’s declaration, bylaws and rules) in order to properly manage its affairs. Sometimes a situation will arise in which the board may not know what to do. In such cases, the board may consult the condominium manager and/or seek the advice of a professional such as an engineer, public accountant or lawyer, as allowed by the Condominium Act.

Robert Buckler is a condominium consultant at Beredan Management & Consulting Inc. and a realtor at Century 21 Heritage Group. He can be reached at rbuckler@beredan.com. Karen Kisiel is a condominium lawyer in Toronto. She can be reached at karen@kisiel-law.com.