TORONTO – Rosario Marchese, MPP for Trinity Spadina, welcomed the McGuinty government’s announcement that they are launching a survey to learn more about the experience of buying and owning a condo in Ontario.
“We have been working on this issue for three years and tried to amend the Condominium Act twice, so it’s great to see the McGuinty government finally being willing to listen to what people have to say about the difficulties of owning a condo,” Marchese said.
On September 23, the Ontario Legislature will debate Marchese’s Bill 79, The Condominium Owners’ Protection Act, 2010. Bill 79 is the result of three years of joint efforts between Marchese and various condo owners’ organizations that are calling for a more transparent system when it comes to dealing with corporations and condo boards. This is the Trinity-Spadina MPP’s third attempt at such a bill; his most recent attempt at reform died when the McGuinty Liberals prorogued the Legislature in March 2010.
“The bill tackles many of the issues the McGuinty survey will find are a source of concern for condo owners,” Marchese said. “There are already one million people living in condos in this province, but the protection they have in place leaves them vulnerable.”
“What we need to find out now is how fast they will take to implement changes. Condo owners can’t afford to wait one more year so that their well-being can become a political issue. We need action now. If McGuinty’s government wants to truly help, then they can support Bill 79 or they can present their own bill. But they need to do it now, not during the election,” Marchese said.
Marchese added that, in order to truly improve the situation of condo owners, the government must:
1. Establish a Condominium Review Board to advise, inform and help settle disputes between corporations and condo owners.
2. Standardize declarations so that owners are not confused by legalese or buried in fine print.
3. Include conversion condos under TARION to protect owners through New Home regulations and standards.
