Updated: January 15, 2020
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
The ultimate guide to condominium law practices in Ontario. Where to get answers to your questions by legal experts sharing information.
Welcome to the field of Ontario condominium real estate law practices in my condo home library, the Condorary.
Where can I find a condo lawyer?
Which law firms of lawyers shine brilliantly by open engagement in education of condominium property managers and unit owners through organizations such as the Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario – ACMO, the Canadian Condominium Institute – CCI regional chapters in the province and the Canadian Associations Institute – CAI. Perhaps in other ways committed to assisting current and future clients in solving their problems?
Are there other legal stars in the provincial constellation? Just like a shooting star in the night sky, a few will wink in and out of here at hyper-warp speed while countless others remain pinpoints of faint light to find and trust by searching elsewhere. This quarter has added 0 law firms while 0 practices have disappeared from sight.
What information do condominium lawyers provide to the public?
The first quarter consists of 20 posts so far (written & recorded) by 10 law firms alphabetically listed below. Do you have an interest in registering for a live podcast or webinar to ask questions ; listening later for convenience? Visit the websites of the legal professionals who offer them for the date and time of their next scheduled event.
How To Use Access to any law practice is formatted as follows: Click on the title of their lead article to arrive at the latest post in their blog or article collection. A click on the law firm name takes you to their website. Click on an editorial selected article of interest by author for the actual post. In the index, an * in front of the law firm name indicates a recent information update.
Ontario Law Firms Index
- * Davidson Houle Allen LLP – Ottawa, Kingston
- Elia Associates Professional Corporation – Oakville, Barrie, Toronto, Ottawa
- Fogler, Rubinoff LLP – Toronto
- Gardiner Miller Arnold LLP – Toronto
- * Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP – Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa
- * Horlick Levitt Di Lella LLP – North York
- * Lash Condo Law – Toronto
- * Miller Thomson LLP – London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto, Vaughan, Markham
- * Robson Carpenter LLP – Ayr, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto
- Shibley Righton LLP – Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto
- Webinar Events
- Helpful Links
* Davidson Houle Allen LLP – Ottawa, Kingston
Government Holds Consultations on Legislative Changes Enabling Virtual Processes Under the Condominium Act The Government of Ontario is currently holding written public consultations about making legislative changes to authorize virtual and digital processes under the Condominium Act, 1998. As our readers may recall, last summer, the government enacted the COVID-19 Response and Reforms to Modernize Ontario Act, 2020 in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Schedule 5 of the Act amends the Condominium Act, 1998, among other things, to defer meetings and AGMs and to allow meetings to be hosted virtually because of the pandemic. These temporary amendments to the Act were later extended by way of regulations to allow condominiums to hold meetings virtually or by telephone until May 31, 2021 (subject to certain conditions).
Source: Mohiminol Khandaker, © 2021 Davidson Houle Allen LLP
Law firm’s quarter article count – 9, podcast – 1 :
By DHA Team
What does the shutdown mean for permitted work in condominiums? – January 14
Province announces second emergency: How will this impact condominiums? – January 13
Lawyers, guns and money – January 21, 2021 – January 07
Government announces province-wide shutdown and additional restrictions – December 21
25% reduction in CAO fees to continue into 2021-22 – December 15
Lawyers, guns and money – with DHA’s Jim Davidson – November 30
Holiday Q&A with DHA! – November 27
By Melissa Andrews and Mohiminol Khandaker
A duty of honest performance in condominium contracts – January 05
By James Davidson, Partner
Some words about warranties – January 14
The importance of meeting – January 06
A look forward at 2021 – January 01
A look back at 2020 – December 31
Auditor General’s report on the Ontario condominium industry – December 10
How to list candidates in a Notice of Meeting – December 08
Condominium meetings during the pandemic – an update – November 20
Human Rights – sometimes more than one process – November 18
More about chargebacks – November 17
CAO publishes new Condo Guide – November 6
By Nancy Houle, Partner
The silver lining – condominium meetings and accessibility – January 15
By Mohiminol Khandaker, Articling Student
Government holds consultations on legislative changes enabling virtual processes under the Condominium Act – January 08
Join Melinda Andrews at Buildings Week! – December 01
By Nicole Robinson, Articling Student
Tarion and the New Home Construction Regulatory Authority – December 31
By Cheryll Wood and Mohiminol Khandaker
Condos and Gyms… Where Are We Now: Province Introduces New COVID-19 Response Framework and Restrictions – November 4
Podcast
Episode 8 – Decision making by owners – Condopedia
The Davidson Houle Allen Video Library contains podcasts converted to videos.
Elia Associates Professional Corporation – Oakville, Barrie, Toronto, Ottawa
COVID-19 Bulletin No. 33: Back to the Future – Ontario Returns to Province Lockdown Effective 12:01am Saturday, December 26th 2020, Ontario entered a province-wide lockdown to minimise the transmission of COVID-19 and to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. All Public Health Regions were moved into the “Grey Zone” of the five-zone system put in place by the Ontario Government.
Source: © Elia Associates Professional Corporation
Real estate counsel’s quarter presentation count – 0, videos 0 :
By Elia Associates
COVID-19 Bulletin No. 33: Back to the future – Ontario returns to province lockdown – December 29
COVID-19 Bulletin No. 32: Ontario enforces tougher restrictions on regions – December 15
COVID-19 Bulletin No. 31: Should visitors be restricted? – December 01
COVID-19 Bulletin No. 30: Toronto and Peel region returning to lockdown – November 27
COVID-19 Bulletin No. 29: COVID-19 Restrictions in Ontario – November 23
By Victor Yee
With all due respect to the Auditor General … Democracy is messy, managers should be paid more, levelling the playing field means awarding costs to either side, and the silent majority of condos are doing OK – December 10
Video and Webinar
For webinar enthusiasts, check out the Condowise series of videos. In addition, check out the virtual calendar of events in the province the firm is participating in along with the Canadian Condominium Institute – CCI.
Fogler, Rubinoff LLP – Toronto
Condominium Law Update: New SCC Decision Confirms the Duty to Act Honestly in Contracts In C.M. Callow Inc. v Zollinger, 2020 SCC 45, a decision released on December 18, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed that parties to a contract must act in good faith and have a duty to act honestly, even when exercising a right of termination in a contract. Misleading a party with whom a party is in a contract with, even if the party is abiding by the strict terms of the contract, can constitute dishonesty and will attract damages for the other party.
Source: © Emily Duncan and Rachel Fielding, Fogler, Rubinoff LLP
Real estate lawyer’s quarter post count – 0:
By Emily Duncan and Rachel Fielding, Associates
Condominium law update: New SCC decision confirms the duty to act honestly in contracts – December 22
The Fogler, Rubinoff Video Library contains 1 video presently. Help yourself to their feature information.
Gardiner Miller Arnold LLP – Toronto
No Oppression Claim Against Directors Personally Unless a Director Instigates the Conduct There are limited circumstances where directors of condominium corporations can be personally liable for oppressive conduct under Condominium Act, 1998. In a recent Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision, the declarant (also a unit owner at a vacant land condominium corporation) sued the condominium corporation and the individual directors.
Source: An Nguyen, © 2020, Gardiner Miller Arnold LLP
Condominium law practice quarter writings count – 0 :
By Tony Bui, Associate
CAT issues first order under Rule 4.5 – Applicant must obtain permission before continuing any proceedings – December 21
By Andrea Lusk
Top 10 condo cases 0f 2020 – December 30
By An Nguyen, Associate
No oppression claim against directors personally unless a director instigates the conduct – December 01
By An Nguyen and Tony Bui, Associates
Electronic meeting recordings and best practices – November 12
By Alex Young, Associate
Key take-aways from the CAT record request decisions – Part 2 – December 15
Newsletter
Feature Newsletter – Condo Alert! Winter 2020 – PDF
Feature Newsletter – Condo Alert! Autumn 2020 – PDF
* Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP – Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa
Should Electronic Voting and Virtual AGMs Stay? Ontario Wants Your Opinion! The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services seeks your opinion on whether to make permanent the changes Ontario has implemented to enable digital and virtual processes under the Condo Act.
Source: Rodrigue Escayola, © 2020 Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
Real estate expert’s quarter feature count – 3, Videos -0 :
By Rodrigue Escayola, Partner
Ontario declares second state of emergency: What it means for condos – January 12
Should Electronic Voting and Virtual AGMs Stay? Ontario Wants Your Opinion! – January 08
Next webinar: Can condos require proof of vaccination? (Wed. Jan. 13 at 5pm) – January 06
Provincewide COVID shutdown and impact on condos – December 21
A condo Christmas carol – December 16
Big changes to “slip and Fall” claims against condos – December 10
Auditor General’s scathing report on the condo industry in Ontario – December 08
Condo knowledge opportunities in December – November 30
What “lockdown” means for Peel and Toronto condos – November 23
Toronto & Peel condos moved to lockdown restrictions – November 20
Holiday webinar: a year in review and condo jeopardy competition! (Dec. 2 at 5pm) –
November 20
Confused by colour zones and restrictions? Try our COVID tool – November 17
Condo Gyms & Pools Under Ontario’s New COVID-19 Colour-Coded Restrictions – November 13
Condos under Ontario’s new colour-coded COVID framework – November 9
Video and Webinar
Visit the Gowling WLG Video Library of international content which also contains information about other aspects of law.
* Horlick Levitt Di Lella LLP – North York
COVID-19 & Residential Tenancy Law in Toronto COVID-19 has quickly circled the globe and is causing havoc across the planet. The flu spread through China, Europe and now has hit the United States. Here in Canada, the virus has started to spread in several provinces, and non-essential businesses have begun to shut their doors. Employment insurance applications are in the millions, and hundreds of thousands of Canadians are already facing down rent and bills they might not be able to pay.
Source: Horlick Levitt Di Lella LLP
Condominium speaker’s quarter resource count – 0, Video – 1 :
Video and Webinar
The HLD Lawyers Video Library contains case law videos and recorded webinars. Forget Netflix. Participants’ law questions are answered along with other insights.
* Lash Condo Law – Toronto
Say Goodbye to Proxies – Ministry Submissions by Feb. 8th, 2021 Since November 2017, when the Condominium Act was amended to allow telephone and electronic voting, there have been posts and articles written by many naysayers. These critics oppose any change to allow for an unfamiliar voting process and continue to resist any movement away from the use of a proxy form.
Source: Denise Lash, © 2017 Lash Condo Law
Condominium champion’s quarter composition count – 2 :
By Denise Lash
Say goodbye to proxies – Ministry submissions by Feb. 8th, 2021 – January 12
Webinar Jan. 13 at 5pm – Vaccine is here and what should condo corporations do? COVID-19 – January 10
Virtual meetings in 2020 lessons learned – what’s new in 2021? – December 15
Adjourned condo meetings – December 01
Condo Webinars: the new normal/new legal issues – November 27
Virtual meetings – the recording – November 10
By Josh Milgrom
Happy holidays from Lash Condo Law – December 08
Toronto and Peel condos – close your gyms and other lockdown requirements – November 23
By Joseph Salmon
Condo lawsuits – new protocols for snow and ice injuries – December 28
Honesty is the best legal policy- condo court decision – December 22
* Miller Thomson LLP – London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto, Vaughan, Markham
Looking forward – five emerging condo trends for 2021 Good riddance to 2020. It was a challenging year by any stretch, but the industry prevailed with the hard work of many front-line condominium personnel including, but not limited to, cleaners, security staff, superintendents and property managers. While we are not out of the woods quite yet, a big thank you goes out to all of those who kept the industry afloat during 2020.
Source: Jason Rivait, © 2021 Miller Thomson LLP
Real estate lawyer’s quarter post count – 1 :
By Eric Laxton, Associate
Upcoming changes to the sale of pre-construction residential condominium units – December 11
By Jason Riviat, Partner
Looking forward – five emerging condo trends for 2021 – January 07
* Robson Carpenter LLP – Ayr, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto
Can Condo Boards Pass Rules Without a Vote of Owners?Last week we described the process for creating new condo by-laws. One of our astute readers asked: Is the process for passing rules the same as passing by-laws? Today, we tackle that question.
Before we dive into the process for passing rules, we should quickly answer another common question. What can rules be used for? Rules cover a variety of topics in condominiums, including parking on the property, garbage disposal, moving procedure (i.e. booking the elevator), use of the common elements and amenities (i.e. pools, greenspace), and noise, odours, and other nuisances.
Source: Michelle Kelly, © Robson Carpenter LLP
Real estate advocate’s quarter information count – 3:
By Annie Bailey, Associate
10 condo law highlights of 2020 – December 08
By Michelle Kelly, Associate
Can condo boards pass rules without a vote of owners? – January 11
Condo by-laws: What’s the deal with voting? – January 07
Wonderful surprise to end 2020! – January 04
The curse of COVID: Recap of the top 2020 stories – December 17
COVID-19: Five new categories – November 30
Solicitor-Client privilege waived by discussing bills with owners – November 18
Upcoming amendments: January 1, 2021 – November 6
Shibley Righton LLP – Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto
Questions Regarding New November 2020 Lockdowns in Toronto and Peel Region With Toronto and Peel Region going into ‘lockdown’ for a 28 day period, we have begun to receive questions regarding the impacts of these new restrictions on condominium business.
Source: © Shibley Righton LLP
Law practice lawyer’s quarter review count – 0:
By SR Team
Questions regarding new November 2020 lockdowns in Toronto and Peel region – November 24
Toronto and Peel enter lockdown – November 23
Condominium gyms to reopen – November 6
Webinar Events
01/26/2021 – CCI-T Webinar (12:00 – 1:30 PM) – Annual Condo Governance Registration
Helpful Links
Condominium Law Practices Chit-Chat – Qtr4/20
Condominium Real Estate Data – Qtr4/20
Condominium Real Estate Governance – Qtr4/20
Condominium Real Estate Life – Qtr4/20
Home – Ontario Condominium Culture