Spoiler: No, they can’t. Not even close.
⚖️ What the Law Actually Says (Condo Act, 1998 -Section 97)
When your Board gets that glint in their eyes and starts fantasizing about “projects,” the law jumps in like a sober friend taking away the car keys.
Here’s the short version of Section 97, also known as The Buzzkill Clause:
- 🔨 Routine Maintenance:
- Fixing the same thing in the same way.
- No drama. No vote. Just do it.
- 🚧 Non-Substantial Changes:
- Small improvements – minor upgrades, light landscaping, a bit of fresh paint.
- Must notify all owners in writing and give you 30 days to say, “Wait a second!”
- Translation: they can’t just sneak it in over lunch.
- đź’¸ Substantial Changes:
- Anything that costs more than 10 % of the annual budget or changes the look or use of common property.
- Must be approved by a majority vote of the owners.
- Translation: if it’s shiny, pricey, or life-altering, they need your permission.
🧮 Let’s Make It Simple
- Replacing a burned-out light bulb? âś… Fine.
- Repainting the lobby mauve because Mildred saw it in Better Condos & Gardens? ⚠️ Notice required.
- Ripping out the parking lot to install an “eco-pond and meditation circle”? 🚫 Needs a vote, a budget, and maybe an exorcism.
🧠Plain English, Please
The board is not a private royal court.
They’re trustees of your property, not contestants on Extreme Makeover: Condo Edition.
They cannot spend, build, demolish, or “improve” at will.
If they do, they’re breaking Section 97 of the Condominium Act, 1998.
🧨 Lie No. 5 – Busted
“We can approve whatever we want!”
– Board, every time they see a new toy on Pinterest.
❌ Wrong.
The law says “Sit down, Mildred.”
They can maintain what exists.
They can notify owners of minor stuff.
But for the big, flashy, expensive stunts –
they need your vote, your consent, and your wallet.
