How the Board Put One Resident’s Interests Above Everyone Else’s
🧩 A Board Divided – But on the Wrong Side
A condominium board is meant to represent all owners equally – acting in the best interests of the corporation, not individual directors.
But in our case, that principle was abandoned.
Instead of protecting the corporation, the board chose sides.
They went to battle on behalf of one resident – their president – and dragged all of us into a costly, unnecessary fight.
💸 The Cost of Fighting Someone Else’s War
This wasn’t about protecting our assets.
It wasn’t about enforcing rules fairly.
It was about personal retaliation.
Here’s what happened:
- The board aligned itself with its president’s personal dispute.
- They authorized corporation-paid lawyers to defend her position.
- They pursued aggressive legal strategies designed to punish, not resolve.
- They refused reasonable accommodations and escalated conflicts instead of managing them.
Result?
- Over $300,000 in legal fees spent – our money, not theirs.
- A divided community, silenced owners, and fractured trust.
⚠️ Why This Matters to Every Owner
This isn’t just about one dispute.
It’s about how your money and governance are being weaponized:
- Our legal budget became a personal slush fund.
- Decisions were made behind closed doors.
- Owners were kept in the dark until the bills arrived.
A board’s role is to act in the best interests of the corporation – and that means all owners, not one director’s ego.
🔄 How His Battle Became Theirs
What started as his personal dispute quickly became the board’s war.
Why?
Because they became too entrenched.
- At first, they defended him to “keep the peace.”
- Then, they doubled down – authorizing lawyers, escalating conflict, and refusing to consider alternatives.
- Eventually, the board tied their own credibility to the outcome of his fight.
By the time facts came out, they couldn’t back down without admitting mistakes – so they didn’t.
They poured more of our money into protecting him, and themselves.
📜 The Fiduciary Duty They Ignored
Under the Condominium Act, 1998 (s. 37):
“Directors and officers shall exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances.”
This means:
- Decisions must be made objectively.
- Personal biases and conflicts of interest must be set aside.
- The corporation’s assets – our money – must be protected.
When a board abandons those duties to fight a director’s personal battle, they breach their legal obligations.
🗝️ Where Do We Go From Here?
This is not about rehashing old fights.
It’s about demanding accountability:
- Transparency in legal spending
- Full disclosure of who authorized these decisions
- Assurance that our fees are used for the corporation’s benefit – not individual vendettas
Owners deserve a board that serves all of us, not a chosen few.
