WHAT'S NEW

"Terasen Gas Bills & the Provincial Sales Tax"
VISOA recently became aware that there have been a few cases in BC where a strata corporation or an owner has been charged PST incorrectly by Terasen Gas and, in some cases, for many years. The problem seems to be affecting mixed-use stratas that include commercial as well as residential units. (Natural gas consumption in commercial units is subject to PST while for residential units it is not subject to PST.) The problem may have been caused by a change in property use not reported to Terasen Gas, such as turnover of a Terasen account by the developer to the strata. Strata corporations and owners are encouraged to review their Terasen Gas bills to ensure they are not being charged incorrectly for the PST. If billing errors have occurred it may be possible to obtain a refund for the past 4 years. Strata owners are encouraged to contact Terasen Gas Customer Service with any concerns they may have about gas billings that include the PST
 

"Updated Guides to the Strata Property Act"
The guides to the Strata Property Act have been reviwed and revised by the Ministry of Housing and Social development as a result of the recent changes to the Act and regulations. The updated guides may be found here.

"Victoria Seminar, Strata Management 101"
The presentation on Self Management is here, the presentation on the Pros and Cons of a Strata Manager is here. The answers to the questions that were left unanswered are here.

"Confused about impact of HST on Strata Fees"
On April 14 in Question Period  the Official Opposition challenged the government about the impact of HST on strata fees. You can follow the exchange here.

"Homeowners Protection Act"
As of April 1, 2010 some responsibilities of the Homeowners Protection Act have been transferred to BC Housing and others to the Ministry of Finance. For more information click here.

"Revised Strata Property Act and Regulations"
We have recently revamped our legislation page. Please take a look and let us know what you think.
We have also posted an annotated version of the Strata Property and Regulations which has been marked up to show where the changes are. We will continue to keep you up to date on any future changes.

  "Changes to the Strata Property Act"
Changes to the Strata Property Act and Regulations means that some portions of the Instruction Guides will no longer be accurate or complete.
The Ministry of Housing and Social Development has posted two bulletins, one a disclaimer and the other concerns rental disclosure statements.
We strongly advise you to read these bulletins when consulting the Instruction Guides.
Your Association will keep you up to date on any further changes and bulletins.
You can find more information at the web site or contact the Ministry of Housing and Social Development, PO Box 9844 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria BC, V8W 9T2 or phone 250 356-2688.

"Parts of  Bill 8 Now in Effect"
On December 10, 2009 the BC Government passed Order in Council No. 707 bringing into effect selected sections of Bill 8 - The Strata Property Amendment Act, 2009 and also amending the Strata Property Regulation. The Order in Council can be viewed here. The complete Bill 8 can be viewed here. The Order in Council has brought into effect many of the provisions of Bill 8 but has not implemented provisions for:
- access to the Provincial Court for strata disputes,
- requirement for a depreciation report,
- requirement for a financial audit, and
- new parameters for mediation and arbitration.
The Bill 8 provisions not implemented at this time require the development of extensive regulations. The BC government has not announced any public consultation or time line for the development of these regulations.
The latest Clark Wilson LLP news letter STRATAgies has a useful review of the new act and a cautionary note on Form G, the certificate of lien.

 "Before You Buy A Condo"
Wouldn't it have been great to get some unbiased advice from existing condo owners before you purchased your first condo. Your Board has collaborated with Brian Smith of Nanaimo to create a website to provide this advice. It's called BeforeYouBuyACondo.com.