PRACTICE TOOLS FOR CLIENTS

 RESOURCES

BECOMING A CLIENT

Clifton Kok LLP represents condominium developers and several Ontario condominium corporations (either directly or through their property managers).  To start the process of becoming a client, you can fax or email one of the following introduction forms:

For Condominium Corporations/Managers

For Condominium Developers

ARTICLES

by Michael Clifton:

• "Quorum, Parking, Messy Meetings and Reserve Funds," (with Craig Robson) CM Magazine, Spring 2003
• "Rules," Spring 2003 Condo News 
• "What To Do When Damage Occurs," (with Craig Robson) Spring 2004 Condo News  [Read this Article]
• "Changes to Condo Governing Documents," (with Craig Robson) Summer 2005 Condo News  [Read this Article]
• "The Noise Issue," (with Avril Lavallee) Winter 2006 Condo News | Reprint: October 2006, Condo Voice for Northern Saskatchewan (CCI - Northern Saskatchewan Chapter)  [Read this Article]
• "Alleging and Avoiding Fraud: Deceptive Directors, Dishonest Officers and Misleading Managers (Parts 1 and 2)," (with Avril Lavallee), Spring and Summer 2006 Condo News [based on a presentation given by Michael at a CCI Condominium Conference held in Spring 2006 in Hamilton]
• "Landscaping Changes to Units, Common Elements and/or Assets of a Condominium Corporation," (with Avril Lavallee), June 2006, Condo Business  [based on a presentation given by Avril Lavallee at a CCI Condominium Conference held in Spring 2006 in Hamilton] [Read this Article]
• "Good Words - Heeding Professional Advice in Good Faith," Autumn 2006 Condo News | Reprint: Summer 2007 The Condo Voice  (publication of CCI - Toronto) [Read this Article]
• "Section 98 - Consequences of Failing to Comply," (with Avril Lavallee) Autumn 2006 Condo News | Reprint: Fall 2008 The Condo Voice  (publication of CCI - Toronto)
• "Ask the Pros: Provisions for Amalgamation and Non-smoker's Rights," CM Magazine, Fall 2006  [Read this Article]
• "A Comment About Condominiums, Community Planning and Sustainability," Dec. 06/Jan. 07 Forum Magazine [Read the reference to this article in Wikipedia on Condominiums]
• "Voting Rights, Requirements and Proxy Privileges," (with J. Scott Galajda) Spring 2007 Condo News [Read this Article]
• "Explaining and Defining the 'Standard Unit'," 2007/2008-1 Issue, CCI Review, The Newsletter of the Canadian Condominium Institute - London and Area Chapter
• "Is Your Condo Kid-Friendly?," CM Magazine, Fall 2007 [Read this Article] 
• "Making Condo Rules," The Condo Voice  (publication of CCI - Toronto), Fall 2007
• "Insurance and the Condominium Act, 1998," (with Craig Robson) CM Magazine, Winter 2007
• "Revisiting the 'Open Book' - A Response to 'Condominium Records - Still an 'Open Book'?'," The Condo Voice  (publication of CCI - Toronto), Winter 2007 [Read this Article]
• "Getting Started - What the First Owner-Elected Board in a New Condo Needs to Do," (with Craig Robson) CM Magazine, Winter 2007 (Part 1) [Read this Article]  and Spring 2008 (Part 2) 
• "Clothesline Regulation - No Longer 'Not In Your Backyard'," ACMO Tech (2008 Guidelines for Building Management) No. 42, Spring Quarter 2008 [Read this Article]
• "Smart Metering and the Declaration," CM Magazine, Summer 2008 [Read this Article]   
• "What's Wrong with "Group" Section 98 Agreements?" CM Magazine, Winter 2008 [Read this Article]
• "Schlock, Schmooze & Superficiality - Choosing Your Professional Partners Wisely," (with Nelson Amaral) 2008/2009-2 Issue, CCI Review, The Newsletter of the Canadian Condominium Institute - London and Area Chapter [Read this Article]   
• "Losing Quorum," CM Magazine, Spring 2009
• "Obligations & Liabilities of a Condominium Corporation and its Board of Directors," The Condo Voice (publication of CCI - Toronto), Summer 2009 [Read this Article in its original format as an About Condo memorandum]
• "Condominium Liens," 2009/2010-1Issue, CCI Review, The Newsletter of the Canadian Condominium Institute - London and Area Chapter [Read this Article]
• "Coming and Going on the Right of Accessibility," Spring 2010, Condo News

BOOKS

• Essential Issues for Realtors in the Condominium Act, 1998, By Craig Robson, Michael Clifton and Ron Danks, published by CCI-Golden Horseshoe Chapter (2004)
• A Planners' and Municipalities' Guide to the Condominium Act, 1998, By Craig Robson, Michael Clifton, Greg Carpenter, Ron Danks and Avril Lavallee, published by CCI-Golden Horseshoe Chapter (2005)

LINKS

• ACMO - Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario (For information about CM Magazine, click here.)
• CCI - Canadian Condominium Institute (National)
• CCI-GHC - Canadian Condominium Institute - Golden Horseshoe Chapter (For a complete index of CCI-GHC's Condo News articles, click here.)

OTHER MATERIALS

(including "Condo Cards" and slide presentations from various seminars)

• Condo Cards:  One-page summaries of some key aspects in condominium law prepared as resources for condominium directors and managers.  Click here for a file containing printable versions of all of our 8 current Condo Cards. 
• Full length Article on Condo Board's Responsibility to Provide Records on Request; response to article in Condo Voice, Fall 2007; handed out at CCI Level 200 Course in October 2007.  Reduced version published in Condo Voice.
• Article in Canadian Lawyer, November/December 2007, by Kevin Marrow, interviewing Michael Clifton and other lawyers regarding conflicts in condominiums.
• Letter to the Editor in the Waterloo Region Record, August 12, 2009, by Michael Clifton, regarding common expenses for social events.
• Presentation on Good Faith prepared for the ACMO/CCI Conference, October 31, 2008. Accompanying text to be provided here shortly.
• Presentation materials for section on Maintenance and Repair Obligations, Standard Units and Changes to Common Elements prepared for Day 2 of the CCI Level 200 Course, held October 25, 2008.
• Presentation materials for section on Condominium Liens prepared for Day 1 of the CCI Level 200 Course, held October 18, 2008.
• Presentation materials [1]  [2]  for seminars on Condominium Law held at Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board, September & November 2007.
• Handout on Hints for Agreement of Purchase and Sale for New Condominiums, prepared for Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Board, September 2007.  [Hints]
• Presentation on relative roles of condominium owners, boards and managers, for CCI Seminar held in Simcoe, Ontario, April 4, 2009.

"ABOUT CONDO"

From time to time we produce memoranda titled "About Condo" that provide general information for condominium boards, managers and/or developers, on various matters pertaining to the Ontario Condominium Act, 1998.  These memoranda do not constitute legal advice.  If specific legal advice is required, please contact us or other qualified legal counsel directly. 

The topics of these memoranda include information of interest to condominium corporation boards, managers, unit owners, realtors and developers. 

Select the following link to access copies of all our currently available memoranda:  INDEX

«Join our mailing list:  If you would like to receive copies of About Condo by email as they are produced (current typical maximum is two mailings monthly), please send your request to us at info@cklegal.ca.     

CONDOMINIUM LIENS

·         About Condo:

Click on this link to view our memorandum regarding Condominium Liens.  (This memorandum does not constitute legal advice.  You should consult with legal counsel before proceeding with Condominium Lien action.)

·         Lien Instruction Form

If you are already a client of our firm, you can provide us with instructions for work relating to Condominium Liens under the Ontario Condominium Act, 1998.  Click on the following link, then complete and submit the form to us by email or fax along with complete contact information. 

Please note that no lien work will be processed until we have confirmed that the instructions come from a legitimate source.  If you currently are not a client of our firm but would like to retain our services, please contact us directly (or use the introduction form above) before submitting lien instructions. 

«Please note that lien instructions should be given to our office by no later than the end of the first week of the month in which the lien is proposed to be registered.

Obtain Lien Instruction Form   

SECTION 98 AGREEMENTS

·         About Condo:

Click on this link to view our memorandum regarding Section 98 Agreements.  (This memorandum does not constitute legal advice.  You should consult with legal counsel before entering into a Section 98 Agreement.)

·         Unit Owner Information Form for "Group" Agreements

In order to properly prepare an agreement under section 98 of the Condominium Act, 1998 (sometimes called an "indemnity agreement") certain detailed information about the unit owner is required along with a current title search (or, in some cases, copy of the registered transfer/deed for the unit).  Where the agreement is being prepared for a number of units within the same condominium (a "group indemnity agreement") the collection of such information is facilitated by completion of a Unit Owner Information Form.  If we are working on such an agreement for your condominium corporation, you can click on the following link, then complete, print and submit the form to us by fax or mail along with any other information we have indicated is required.  This form will not be accepted by email. 

Please note the Privacy Information statement on this form.  By signing and submitting the form, the Unit Owner by or for whom the Form is completed consents to the collection and use by us of the personal information necessary and sufficient to complete the form and to enable us to include the Unit under the Group Indemnity Agreement. 

Obtain Unit Owner Information Form