Strata levies for condo owners are a regular part of life, but paying them off can be hard in an era where mass layoffs are becoming increasingly common.
Marty Marquette was recently told to not come to his new job as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. His wife got the same news.
However, about $5,000 in levies for balcony replacements are due on May 1, and Marquette, who lives at the Diamond Head Place condos, said he may have to live off that money if he can't find a job.
"I just think it's sort of the wrong timing to do this now, because I know there's a lot of people who are going to be unemployed," said Marquette.
He was hoping that either the strata could use a contingency fund to do the most vital repairs, and leave the rest until after the pandemic.
Either that, or he wondered if the strata could hold an online meeting and vote to delay the deadline.
However, Michael Roblin of Dynamic Property Management, said that there isn't enough money in the contingency fund because strata fees in that complex are too low.
On the other hand, delaying the deadline would run the risk of also putting off the repairs, which, in at least some cases, present life-safety issues.
"There's a balcony that collapsed a month ago, and had someone been on their balcony below barbecuing or something, they could've had serious bodily injury, which makes the strata corporation more and more liable for failing to repair and maintain common property," said Roblin.
Furthermore, this would expose the strata to risk of losing its insurance coverage, as having the property well-maintained is generally a condition for insurers, he said.
Finally, he pointed out owners knew this levy was coming since September 2019. Many had been paying it out in installments so they wouldn't get hit with a big bill at the end, he said
Delaying the deadline is not fair to those owners who planned out their finances properly, Roblin said.
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