SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 10
Download to read offline
COVER STORY




MANAGING
 Success Stories
TO COINCIDE with ACMO’s newly launched
public awareness campaign, we asked for success
stories from ACMO 2000 companies. The fol-
lowing stories represent a cross-section of the sig-
nificant projects and huge undertakings that RCMs
and management companies take on as everyday
responsibilities.
   With a broad skill set that includes successful
completion of ACMO’s courses in finance, ad-
ministration, human resources, law, and physical
building management for RCMs, and a rigourous
compliance audit for ACMO 2000 companies,
directors and owners can expect managers to be
reliable advisors in these and myriad other areas.
   As you can see from these tales, managers and
management companies are a very caring group.

Let’s make 2013 – The Year of the RCM.




                                                                                                                     Photo: Katrin Ray




■   1 0   ■ C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2 
t	A Balcony View to an
  End Result
   Wilson-Blanchard started man-
agement of Halton Condominium
                     Corporation
                     No. 70 in 2008.
                     When we first
                     took over as
                     managers, the
                     corporation
                     had four active
                     legal situations   Balcony and balustrade repair – Owners have seen a dramatic increase
and deteriorating front entrance bal-   above the regular market increase in recent sale prices of units.
conies that had been patched and
ignored for years.                      tion had a negative impact on curb                    proximately $600,000 for restoration
   HCC No. 70 is a 50-unit town-        appeal.                                               but not until 2016. With the ten-
house complex on Lake Ontario              With the help of the manager, the                  dering project complete, the board
waterfront in the Bronte area of        board reviewed proposals and then                     awarded the 3-year phased restora-
Oakville. It is a wonderful location    engaged Edison Engineers Inc. to                      tion project to Bowie Contracting
in a beautiful area with rising real    complete a conditions survey. The                     from Gormley, Ontario. The board
estate values.                          results were staggering, although not                 approved a special assessment of
   We quickly assisted in getting le-   overly surprising. Although several                   $16,000 per unit payable over the
gal advice and resolving the legal      repair options were considered, the                   three years of work.
issues while also creating new op-      best long-term option was to com-                        The board and manager met with
erating and standard unit bylaws,       pletely restore the concrete balconies                the contractor and engineer regular-
which had not been changed since        and replace the brick balustrades.                    ly throughout the three-year project
registration in 1977. However, the      Under the engineer’s direction, a                     to maintain schedules, budgets and
elephant in the room over the past      trial project was completed at four                   to deal with any unplanned circum-
12–15 years was the major balcony       units, which helped to confirm the                    stances. With excellent work com-
repairs that were required. Not only    scope of work and finishes for plan-                  pleted by Bowie under the diligent
were the balconies a structural con-    ning the rest of the project.                         management of Edison Engineers,
cern, their condition was also creat-      The budget for complete restora-                   the third and final phase of the proj-
ing leaks and maintenance issues        tion was approximately $1 million.                    ect was completed in August 2012,
within the units. Being the front       The corporation’s previous reserve                    on time and slightly under budget.
entrances of the units, the condi-      fund study had set a budget of ap-                       While all owners had to endure




         Heavy Duty Cleaning is our specialty!

 Your Condominium & Commercial Cleaning Specialist                                     Call   905-850-8009
 • Janitorial & Office Cleaning • Power Washing Parkades                               or 877-776-2423 for more information
 • Construction Cleaning        • Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning                          E. michaelg@pcchome.com
 • Parking Garages – High Dusting                                                       W. pcchome.com
                                        C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2    ■   1 1   ■
three full summers of living in a
                                                                                                       construction zone and deal with the
                                                                                                       financial impact of a large special as-
                                                                                                       sessment, since the completion of the
                                                                                                       project there have been many positive
                                                                 EST. 1972
                                                                                                       comments from owners, visitors and
                                                                                                       real estate professionals alike. Own-
                       CANADA HYDRANT SERVICE INC.                                                     ers have seen a dramatic increase
                                                                                                       above the regular market increase in
                                                                                                       recent sale prices of units compared
                                  Bill Clouston                                                        to before the project started.
           117 CORSTATE AVE. # 2, Concord, Ont. L4K 4Y2                                                   No matter how large the prob-
                                                                                                       lems may appear, managers can help
    Bus: (905) 669-2950	                                      Fax: (905) 738-6818                      board’s make good decisions by tak-
                                                                                                       ing professional advice and a will-
                                                                                                       ingness to press on to achieve an end
                                                                                                       result. ■

        Make the dream                                                                                 Brad Wells, RCM, Wilson-Blanchard
        of condo living                                                                                Management Inc.

        come true.

                                                                                                       t	A Small But Significant
                                                                                                         Success
                                                                                                          On being assigned to a 35-year-old
                                                                                                       residential highrise condominium
                                                                                                       last year, one of the first problems
                                                                                                       I was advised of was that the two
                                                                                                                            elevators were
                                                                                                                            constantly run-
                                                                                                                            ning together
                                                                                                                            – If anyone
        Get Pro-House to look after the reality.                                                                            called the el-
                                                                                                                            evator from
                                                                                                                            any floor in the
                                                                                                                            building, both
                                                                                                       cars arrived together. This problem
                                                                                                       had been reported to the elevator
                                                                                                       contractor many times, and had not
                                                                                                       been resolved. The board decided
                                                                                                       to ask the contractor to attend a
                                                                                                       meeting with them to review this
        Finance, regulations, maintenance and the unexpected...                                        and other issues. At the meeting, we
        we care about the details so you can live worry-free                                           were told that our elevators needed
        while the value of your real estate increases.                                                 to be modernized and also that the
                                                                                                       contractor did not have technicians
        Caring for buildings continuously for over 30 years.                                           on staff who were really trained
        Our record is proven.
                                                                                                       or knowledgeable on older eleva-
                                                                                                       tors (which are basically mechanical
        BRIAN MANN - Vice President                                                                    and don’t run on computer chips!).
        416.783.7676 x226                                                                              However, we were assured that ev-
        bmann@pro - house.ca                                                                           ery effort would be made to bring
        pro - house.ca
                                                                                                       in the one or two people who knew
                                                     PRO HOUSE                                         older elevators, and the problem
                                                                                                       would be solved. The problem con-
                                                     Managing condominiums with care
                                                                                                       tinued and complaints were coming
                                                                                                       in. This is why we have property
■   1 2   ■ C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2 
managers (!) because I knew who
could fix this problem in a jiffy, an
elevator contractor who resolved
many problems for me over the years
in older buildings – I called him in,
and within 2 hours got a call back
that the problem was fixed. It has
never arisen again and apparently
was a simple adjustment.
   It is a shame that most elevator
contractors today insist on expensive
modernizations of equipment, which
many buildings are not prepared to
do owing to the cost, and that they
are not willing to work with what we
have. Many boards in older build-
ings feel that they are being more or   Building envelope – Original single pane slider window system and dated
less pushed into spending big money     red brick replaced with energy efficient windows and enhanced exterior.
in order to accommodate the con-        uisition meeting caused by the levy                 are promoted as vertical villages
tractor. ■                              of a special assessment, a genuine                  with a variety of amenities, smaller
                                        commitment to restore one’s home,                   suite sizes and exorbitant mainte-
Lena Valdes, RCM, Wilson-Blanchard      perseverance from the board of di-                  nance fees often attract more buyers
Management Inc.                         rectors along with the efforts of a ca-             while the older, modest condos with
                                        pable project management team, has                  much larger suite sizes and cheaper
                                        successfully turned the tides around                maintenance fees fail to get the buy-
                                        for this corporation.                               ers’ attention. ■
                                           The original single pane (curtain
t	Dilemma of a New                      wall like) slider window system with                Venu Kalidoss, RCM, DEL Property
  Manager in an Old                     a dated red brick façade is now re-                 Management Inc.
  Building                              placed with new energy efficient,
   The key to profitability of any      argon filled, awning windows and
property is a well maintained and       an enhanced two-tone exterior insu-
managed building. As a condomin-        lating finishing system (EIFS). These
ium manager for a 37-year-old resi-     improvements in addition to the bal-
                     dential highrise   cony restoration have significantly                 t	Condominium
                     for over two       improved the overall appearance of                    Landscaping: Making an
                     years, I have      the building. A water saturated front                 Asset out of a Liability
                     experienced        elevation is now an energy efficient                  Or How to Turn a Sow’s
                     a sequence of      façade, which is both functional and                  Ear into a Silk Purse!	
                     events that        aesthetically pleasing. Significant                    Our large four-tower complex is
                     have made me       reductions are being recorded in                    typical of many downtown condo-
                     a proponent of     consumption of utilities while the                  miniums: we are bounded by roads,
                     this industry.     prices of the suites are appreciating               there are few parks nearby and our
My architectural background along       with improved marketability.                                             own landscap-
with the practical knowledge gained        In the past 10 years, numerous                                        ing opportuni-
from attending ACMO courses has         projects including boiler and chiller                                    ties are very
enabled me to become an integral        retrofits, mould abatement, corridors                                    limited.
part of a project management team       and common area renovations led                                             Suffice to
comprised of engineers, building en-    to the depletion of the reserve fund.                                    say, there is lit-
velope consultants, contractors and     Therefore, it is critical to understand                                  tle greenery in
specialty trades who have helped        and incorporate the recommenda-                                          our lives or, as
transform this mundane 70s style        tions underlined in the reserve fund                one Director put it: we’re suffering
building into a modern enclave with     study, especially in an older building              from a nature deficit disorder!
refined look.                           dealing with multiple priorities.                      We later discovered that our
   This transformation involving           My mentor, also my district man-                 problems could be traced back to
a series of projects when initially     ager, always quotes “a known devil                  two very basic deficiencies: the soil
proposed created quite a stir in the    is better than the unknown.” Which                  in our beds was poor and the choice
community. However, after several       brings me to a dilemma: why do                      of plants was not appropriate for the
meetings of the owners and a req-       abundant new condominiums that                      location.

                                        C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2    ■   1 3   ■
costs and curb appeal! We achieved
                                                                                                       attractiveness by selecting a mix of
                                                                                                       plant materials that offer interesting
                                                                                                       features year ‘round. Maintenance
                                                                                                       costs were addressed by limiting the
                                                                                                       use of annuals to entry way contain-
                                                                                                       ers plantings, selecting perennials,
                                                                                                       trees and shrubs that can cope with
                                                                                                       our conditions and planting them all
                                                                                                       in a proper growing medium.
                                                                                                          As for curb appeal, our newly
Roof Garden Before and After.                                                                          planted beds along Yonge Street are
                                                                                                       a head-turning improvement. Our
   Our solution: a long range land-                themes that serve to unify the prop-
                                                                                                       new plan of adding spring bulbs in
scape rejuvenation plan prepared                   erty and give us a much stronger
                                                                                                       fall each year has started this year
by a downtown-based landscape                      visual identity.
                                                                                                       and we expect a spring bloom and
company that specializes in condo-                    The plan was also long term. The
                                                                                                       showy display in the years to come.
minium properties.                                 designers identified our priorities
                                                                                                          The result is an affordable land-
   The plan addressed every aspect                 and phased them in over three years.
                                                                                                       scape that residents can be proud
of our landscape from containers at                This not only met our budgetary
                                                                                                       of. And while we would all love
the main entrances to planting beds                requirements, it gave us an opportu-
                                                                                                       even more green space, at least the
at grade and above ground. This                    nity to make changes based on plant
                                                                                                       green we do have is a pleasure to
comprehensive approach allowed us                  performance over several growing
                                                                                                       behold. ■
to develop a set of common design                  seasons.
                                                      Perhaps the greatest benefit of
                                                                                                       Grace Wang, RCM, Del Property
                                                   the long term planning approach,
                                                                                                       Management Inc., Pinnacle Centre.
                                                   and one we had not anticipated,
                                                   was the opportunity for resident
                                                   involvement. Urban Garden spent
                                                   time canvassing the preferences of
                                                   both board members and residents.
                                                   It presented its concepts at open                   t	From Operations to
                                                   meetings and invited input. While                     Reserve Fund
                                                   this may have taken longer than the                    One of the most important areas
                                                   typical non-consultative approach,                  in property management is working
                                                   the result was a plan that most had a               hand-in-hand with the board of di-
                                                   say in and could buy into.                          rectors to manage common element
                                                      The plan focused on three objec-                 fee increases. An inflationary increase
Decorative Planters – the only                     tives: attractiveness in all seasons,               is acceptable to most owners as it is
annuals on the property.                           manageable ongoing maintenance                      expected, however larger increases


   CATCH BASINS, AREA DRAINS, SUMP PIT CLEANING

                                                        Sanico Pumping & Flushing Inc.
                                                        “Specializing” in Catch Basin Cleaning
                                                        •	Cleaning Area Drains 	
                                                        •	High-Pressure Washing 	
                                                        •	Sewer Pumping & Flushing 	
          24-hour Emergency Service                     •	Pit Pumping & Flushing 	
                365 days/year
         Photo ID Service Technicians
                                                        •	Video Drain Inspection
            Experience Bonded Staff                     	 MOE Approved Hauler, #A-841669


                                                              1-866-575-2355 • 905-731-2066
■   1 4   ■ C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2 
can result in political problems and/
or frustrated owners. Controlling
                       these increases
                       is not an easy
                       task with ever
                       increasing util-
                       ity costs and
                       reserve fund
                       contributions,
                       the two com-
ponents of any condominium bud-
get that ultimately drive increases in
common element fees.
   Initiating measures to maximize
operating efficiencies and minimize
energy consumption can go a long
way for the financial health of the
corporation. For example some
forecasts predict water and sewage
rates to increase more than double
over the next decade. Similar pro-
                                          Energy savings – Management and board completed various ‘green’
jections have been made for hydro.
                                          projects saving close to $100k in utility costs over two years.
What can we do? As we tell our di-
rectors – doing nothing is no longer      these funds from the operating side         If you can answer NO to any of them,
an option. There are many prod-           of the budget to the reserve the cor-       then changes need to be made to the
ucts and companies that can help to       poration was successful in offsetting       corporation’s financial processes to
reduce consumption and therefore          future reserve fund demands provid-         be in compliance with the Condo-
costs of these utilities with the pay-    ing an immediate benefit with future        minium Act, 1998 and GAAP.
back in some cases being less than a      dividends. ■                                    MRCM was called by a consultant
year and most typically being 2 to 5                                                  to quote on the management services
years. Some solutions are better than     Craig McMillan, RCM District of such a corporation – a corporation
others and managers should advise         Manager, Maple Ridge Community that had a qualified audit and a des-
exploring the options and finding         Management                                  perate financial statement, which was
the best ones that fit your particular                                                only the beginning. MRCM took to
condominium.                                                                          the challenge to help chart the course
   In keeping with MRCM’s corpo-                                                      to recovery once we were certain the
rate desire to be supportive of our                                                   board desired resolution and were
green responsibilities, at YCC 242                                                    committed to seeing it through. It has
– 4001 Don Mills Road, we worked          t Charting a Corporation’s been a long journey and not always a
with the board of directors to com-       Financial Process                           unanimous one, but one that MRCM
plete a number of projects. We re-           Is your corporation on target fi- and the board of directors are ex-
placed our old atmosphere boiler          nancially? Do you have sufficient tremely proud of.
with a high efficiency boiler. The        monies in the corporation’s operating           During this recovery process
following year we completed a wa-         account to cover the day-to-day op- MRCM worked with the board to
ter conservation project, a light-                                erations? Does develop a solid plan that included
ing retrofit project and installed CO                             y o u r c o r p o - a monetary recovery as part of the
monitors to reduce the ventilation                                ration have a annual budget. Expenditures were
fan running costs. We are currently                               balance in the monitored, but not at the expense of
installing LED bulbs in the build-                                reserve fund ac- operational maintenance or major
ing to reduce hydro usages even                                   count? Are you repair and replacements. We also
further. These efforts saved the con-                             using reserve worked together with the corpora-
dominium approximately $100,000                                   fund monies for tion’s sister shared facilities to en-
in utility costs per year over the last   operating expenses (not yet transferred sure each was paying and billing for
2 years. The board then elected to        to reserve)? Do you have one month’s all required charges. 
transfer these energy savings directly    common element fees as a surplus in             After 27 months, the operating
into the reserve fund account to off-     the operating account? Most of all, is account is no longer in a deficit posi-
set any future increases in the reserve   the corporation’s auditor able to pro- tion. The reserve fund account is in
fund contributions and therefore          vide your condominium corporation receipt of all its required transfers
controlling future increases in the       with a clean audit?  If the answer to all from the operating account. The
common element fees. By liberating        of these questions is YES, that is great!  cash flow is adequate in both ac-
                                          C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2    ■   1 5   ■
counts to continue to pay for ex-                  a GOOD working board of directors                   prominent condominium law firm
penses as they occur and we are                    who are fiscally responsible making                 informing us that they had put our
working together to undertake res-                 prudent but decent decisions. ■                     name forward to a new condomini-
toration projects for this location                                                                    um board that were looking to make
due to its age.                                    Carrie Cowton, RCM , Property                       a change in management. We had a
   It was unfortunate that this finan-             Manager, Maple Ridge Community                      great working relationship with the
cial strife happened but this scenario             Management                                          law firm!
may sound all too familiar.  Fortu-                                                                       After interviewing with the board,
nately, the board was open to direc-                                                                   we were awarded the management
tion and the corporation has a great                                                                   contract for their 180-unit town-
auditor who worked with manage-                                                                        home project and the developer’s
ment and the board to develop a                                                                        in-house company was immediately
repayment strategy over a couple of                t Success In Building                               relieved of their responsibilities.
years rather than special assessing                  Relationships                                        What we were left with was the
each homeowner for the financial                      For those who recently attended                  security staff walking off the site (as
shortfall.                                         the 16th Annual ACMO/CCI-T con-                     they had a relationship with the pre-
   We know the journey is not over                 ference you will recall the theme                   vious management company) and
and we are now focusing on building                for the weekend was “building re-                   a Performance Audit that had not
a surplus in the operating account                                     lationships.”                   yet been undertaken! No problem,
for those rainy day funds. We are                                      It need not be                  except the first-year anniversary was
also working collectively with the                                     just a theme                    just six weeks away and the board
engineers to plan the future expen-                                    for a confer-                   hadn’t even interviewed any engi-
ditures for repair and replacement                                     ence but a                      neering firms!
of the building’s major components.                                    very important                     We quickly hired a new security
   No success story happens with-                                      component of                    company who we had been build-
out a good team: the management                                        everyday life                   ing relationships with over the past
company including the property                     for all condominium managers.                       year or so and who were looking to
manager and property accountant,                      Several years ago our company                    “break into” the residential condo-
auditor, engineer(s) and most of all               received a telephone call from a                    minium market. (They are still on




                                                            Building Envelope Specialists
                                                            •	 Wall	system	solutions	from	repairs		     •	 Authors	of	over	6,000		
                                                               to	innovative	re-design	using	state		       Prioritized	Building	Envelope		
                                                               of	the	art	materials.                       Action	Plan	Studies.
                                                            •	 Water	leakage	analysis,	solution		       •	 Building	Science	Experts
                                                               &	action	plan	development	and	           •	 30-years	serving	the	condominium	
                                                               project	management.                         sector	throughout	Ontario.
                                                aftEr
                                                            •	 Roofing	surveys	&	cost-effective	        •	 Window	replacement	phasing		
                                                               long-term	re-design	for	both		              programs	with	energy	saving		
                                                               townhouse	and	high	rise.                    retrofit	techniques.



                                                             TORONTO
                                                             greg ross
                                                             416-252-7259 Ext. 104
                                                             greg@enerplan.net
                                               BEforE
                                                             HAMILTON
                                                             Keith Bryant
                                                             905-318-5988 Ext. 103
                                                             keith@enerplan.net



    DESign • EnginEEring • BuilDing SciEncE • ProjEct ManagEMEnt

■   1 6   ■ C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2 
site, six years later!)                    dent of Times Property Manage-                      and it is believed that the water is
    We arranged with the board to          ment Inc. as well as the president of               healthier for the swimmers!
meet with three engineering compa-         the National Association of Condo-                     Upon careful planning and consid-
nies and within a couple of days the       minium Managers and is a former                     eration of finances, the mortgages for
engineer was selected and the Audit        member of the Board of Directors of                 guest suites and superintendent suites
began. The Audit was completed             ACMO and a past president.                          were discharged and saved the cor-
and filed on time with Tarion.                                                                 porations a large amount in interest
    But of course there were deficien-                                since 1972
                                                                                               payments. The staff employment was
cies most notably water penetration                                                            changed. Live-out superintendent as
through the exterior walls of the                                                              opposed to a live-in was chosen since
underground garage. After several          t Streamlining Shared                               they have a full-time concierge onsite.
meetings with the developer, his en-         Facilities                                        Rent from the superintendent suites
gineer, the board, their engineer and         Malvern Condominium Prop-                        generates revenue to more than offset
management, we were finally suc-           erty Management was awarded the                     the cost difference in the new model.
cessful in having the developer agree      management services for One City                    In addition an application to MPAC
to “open up” several sections of the       Centre. They are a large 700 plus                   considerably reduced the property
wall and concrete pad – at his ex-                              unit condo-                    taxes assessed for the superintendent
pense. The caveat was that if our en-                           minium with                    and guest suites, which resulted in
gineer was wrong in his assessment,                             a huge shared                  further savings.
then the corporation would have to                              facility. We did                  After a careful review of the en-
pay for the work. As it turned out                              what we do                     ergy efficiency of the condominiums
our engineers’ assessment was correct                           best: analyze,                 and always being aware of avail-
and the cause of the water penetra-                             organize and                   able incentives, management and
tion was located and repaired, all at                           “Malvernize”                   the board completed an application
no cost to the corporation!                the community! It took a lot of work                for incentives, and obtained a large
    During this entire process man-        by management and the two boards                    incentive for each of the two corpo-
agement never assumed an adver-            of directors and all components in                  rations just days before the expiry of
sarial position with the developer.        the running and maintenance of the                  a lucrative incentive program.
Everything was always formed in            buildings and shared facility were                     Management also reviewed the
what would be described as being in        scrutinized and addressed.                          telecommunications, and by stream-
the best interest of the corporation          A change was made to the indoor                  lining services and switching provid-
and all owners.                            swimming pool and indoor/outdoor                    ers, another savings was generated
    A year later we received another       whirlpool. The swimming pool was                    for the corporations. Each penny
call from another townhome corpo-          converted from a chlorine chemical-                 adds up to savings that the corpora-
ration, expressing similar difficulties    ly balanced pool, to a salt generated               tions are very proud of. The budget
with the same developer. The devel-        chemically balanced pool. Though                    for 2011–2012 was reduced by 10%
oper’s in-house management compa-          the conversion cost some money, the                 maintaining all services and also
ny was terminated and we were hired.       savings in the everyday running and                 planning for more improvements.
We successfully renegotiated with the      maintenance of the pool were signifi-               How often does an owner receive a
developer on a number of remaining         cantly lowered. Also, every resident                budget that reduces the maintenance
deficiencies and to this day the board     that uses the pool loves the change,                fee without compromising service?
and unit owners remain pleased with
all aspects of their community.
    These two vignettes clearly il-
lustrate the importance of building
strong working relationships. We re-
lied on our working relationships we
had established over the years with
the law firm, the engineer, the securi-
ty company and equally as important
the developer. I am proud to say these
relationships all continue today.
    So how successful were we? Well,
we now provide management service
to all of this developer’s new sites. We
are no longer the replacement; we are
part of the overall process from the
very beginning! ■
                                           Savings were generated for a corporation with a large shared facility and
Harold S. Cipin, RCM is the presi-         two boards of directors.
                                           C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2    ■   1 7   ■
mized the purchasing power of the                   Schedule “C” of the condominium
                                                   fees, and created a better environ-                 corporation Declaration). One of the
                                                   ment. Most of all, we have helped to                                      most important
                                                   create satisfied residents and a sense                                    components of
                                                   of belonging within the community.                                        the building
                                                   Residents are calling the corporations                                    envelope is the
                                                   “HOME” and management is proud                                            roofing system.
                                                   of “a job well done.” ■                                                   Depending on
                                                                                                                             the wording of
                                                   Claudia Moisa, RCM, Senior Prop-                                          any Declara-
                                                   erty Manager, Malvern Condomini-                    tion and description drawings some
                                                   um Property Management                              roof attic repairs are the responsi-
One City Centre
                                                                                                       bility of owners and others of the
   Management also uses monitors                                                                       corporation. Townhouse roofs are
placed throughout the buildings (in                                                                    greatly affected by their close en-
lobbies and elevators) to post daily                                                                   vironment such as wind direction,
communications, such as notices and                                                                    heavy moisture, etc., which all come
building updates as well as newslet-               t Townhouse Roof                                    together in different ways to lend to
ters. This helps management connect                  and Attic Preventive                              the deterioration of the roof system.
with all residents easily and without                Maintenance                                       It is hard to believe that roofing
the use of thousands of printed pages.                Every townhouse site and/or con-                 systems will last the duration of the
What is more important than saving                 dominium corporation is unique.                     warranty period without some form
money in a condominium commu-                      In general, however, the exterior                   of preventive maintenance.
nity? Continuous communication,                    envelope and supporting townhouse                      It is important to note that proper
communication, communication!                      structures are the responsibility of the            attic ventilation is crucial to ensure
   Why are we all proud of these ac-               corporation to repair and/or replace.               that the roof plywood maintains
complishments? We have improved                    Owners are generally responsible for                its structure and is not affected by
the level of service to the residents,             the repair and/or replacement of the                moisture build-up and rot. In the
created healthy reserve funds, maxi-               interior of their unit attic (based on              same way flat roofs must be peri-




               CONDOLAW.TO
                                                                                 2300 Yonge Street, Suite 2900     T   416 489 5677
                                                                                 P.O. Box 2384 Toronto Ontario     F   416 489 7794
                                                                                             Canada M4P 1E4        w   condolaw.to




■   1 8   ■ C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2 
odically checked for ridging and         come worse if there is a long period                will be reduced by tens of thousands
cracking, and shingle roofs must be      of unceasing rain and roofing com-                  of dollars (this depends on the num-
replaced in areas that wear away         panies cannot attend the site because               ber of units). Moreover, it saves the
faster than the normal wear and tear     of these unsuitable conditions.                     hassle of disrupted enjoyment of
trajectory.                                  After investigation, it was discov-             one’s home.
   One property I have managed           ered that some leaks were resultant                    I am very proud to work with
since I started as a young property      from rotting plywood caused by                      a board that took proactive action
manager was a group of townhouse         condensation due to poor attic ven-                 even though the property is rela-
corporations very close to the lake      tilation and not adequate insulation.               tively young (about 10 years old).
that must deal with constant high        While this is not necessarily a com-                Management and board informed
moisture, which seems to add higher      mon issue, it could be true for some                unit owners about the work immedi-
than average ice and snow in the         units in a corporation and may be                   ately. Subsequently detailed owners’
winter and much more rain in the         especially true for older corpora-                  information meetings (that included
spring and fall than properties in-      tions built when ventilation technol-               Power Point presentations and pro-
land. After assessing a few leaks in     ogy was less advanced.                              fessionals) took place to ensure that
some units it was noted that one unit        In this instance management and                 everyone had a good understanding
alone affected by a small roof leak      the board worked with reputable                     of the issues and to support the fund-
could lead to thousands of dollars       envelope specialists and roofing                    ing plan for such unplanned project.
spent in trying to repair the leak and   companies to put together a preven-                    Preventive maintenance projects
bringing the unit back to its original   tive maintenance plan to repair any                 can save tens of thousands of dollars
condition.                               problem areas in all attics. All the                per unit in repairs and/or mould re-
   Water penetration is very difficult   units’ roof attics are at the pres-                 mediation years down the road with
to trace as water moves along the        ent time inspected and adequate                     only a couple of thousand of dollars
path of least resistance and a failing   ventilation and insulation is pro-                  per unit investment. ■
point on one side of the unit’s roof     vided to eliminate the possibility
could lead to a leak point inside the    of moisture build-up that can lead                  Andreea Dolnicianu is vice-presi-
unit at the other end. This would        to expensive repairs and/or mould                   dent of business development and
mean added costs for calling back        remediations. In a year the budgeted                client retention at Comfort Property
the roofing company. Damages be-         amount allocated for such repairs                   Management Inc.




                                                   MEMBER




                                         C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2    ■   1 9   ■

More Related Content

What's hot

Swofford Construction Brochure Schools Churches
Swofford Construction Brochure Schools ChurchesSwofford Construction Brochure Schools Churches
Swofford Construction Brochure Schools Churches
kellyjohnson
 
dave resume sept 2015
dave resume sept 2015dave resume sept 2015
dave resume sept 2015
Dave Hoover
 
2012 04 GDBA Town Hall
2012 04 GDBA Town Hall2012 04 GDBA Town Hall
2012 04 GDBA Town Hall
Gamma Deuteron
 
J hay resume final com pm 2016 v dp
J hay resume final com pm 2016 v dpJ hay resume final com pm 2016 v dp
J hay resume final com pm 2016 v dp
Jonathan Hay
 
R Johnson Resume 11 2012
R Johnson Resume 11 2012R Johnson Resume 11 2012
R Johnson Resume 11 2012
Robert Johnson
 

What's hot (18)

Swofford Construction Brochure Schools Churches
Swofford Construction Brochure Schools ChurchesSwofford Construction Brochure Schools Churches
Swofford Construction Brochure Schools Churches
 
dave resume sept 2015
dave resume sept 2015dave resume sept 2015
dave resume sept 2015
 
Project Experience
Project ExperienceProject Experience
Project Experience
 
Portfolio
PortfolioPortfolio
Portfolio
 
Sparks engineering, PLLC
Sparks engineering, PLLCSparks engineering, PLLC
Sparks engineering, PLLC
 
J hay resume final com pm 2016 v dp
J hay resume final com pm 2016 v dpJ hay resume final com pm 2016 v dp
J hay resume final com pm 2016 v dp
 
City of Tampa's Utility CIP Projects
City of Tampa's Utility CIP ProjectsCity of Tampa's Utility CIP Projects
City of Tampa's Utility CIP Projects
 
Port Coogee House and Land Packages Design Guidelines
Port Coogee House and Land Packages Design GuidelinesPort Coogee House and Land Packages Design Guidelines
Port Coogee House and Land Packages Design Guidelines
 
2012 04 GDBA Town Hall
2012 04 GDBA Town Hall2012 04 GDBA Town Hall
2012 04 GDBA Town Hall
 
MRA Portfolio
MRA PortfolioMRA Portfolio
MRA Portfolio
 
J hay resume final com pm 2016 v dp
J hay resume final com pm 2016 v dpJ hay resume final com pm 2016 v dp
J hay resume final com pm 2016 v dp
 
R Johnson Resume 11 2012
R Johnson Resume 11 2012R Johnson Resume 11 2012
R Johnson Resume 11 2012
 
Bokath Resume
Bokath ResumeBokath Resume
Bokath Resume
 
Leed Forum 2009
Leed Forum 2009Leed Forum 2009
Leed Forum 2009
 
RO Martinez Architects Portfolio
RO Martinez Architects PortfolioRO Martinez Architects Portfolio
RO Martinez Architects Portfolio
 
013112 mds resume9
013112 mds resume9013112 mds resume9
013112 mds resume9
 
Final Design Report
Final Design ReportFinal Design Report
Final Design Report
 
Case Study Harris Bank Elmhurst
Case Study Harris Bank ElmhurstCase Study Harris Bank Elmhurst
Case Study Harris Bank Elmhurst
 

Viewers also liked

Manual museografia
Manual museografia Manual museografia
Manual museografia
Ixcmu
 
2014 Investor 30 ranking
2014 Investor 30 ranking2014 Investor 30 ranking
2014 Investor 30 ranking
Erik Kolb
 

Viewers also liked (16)

Consumer Content Conference
Consumer Content ConferenceConsumer Content Conference
Consumer Content Conference
 
Brewster Home Fashions brochure
Brewster Home Fashions brochureBrewster Home Fashions brochure
Brewster Home Fashions brochure
 
Manual artes visuales_mincultura_curaduria
Manual artes visuales_mincultura_curaduriaManual artes visuales_mincultura_curaduria
Manual artes visuales_mincultura_curaduria
 
Manual curaduría
Manual curaduríaManual curaduría
Manual curaduría
 
Ux museos
Ux museosUx museos
Ux museos
 
Managing Abu Dhabi's $627 Billion Sovereign Wealth Fund (ADIA), Presentation ...
Managing Abu Dhabi's $627 Billion Sovereign Wealth Fund (ADIA), Presentation ...Managing Abu Dhabi's $627 Billion Sovereign Wealth Fund (ADIA), Presentation ...
Managing Abu Dhabi's $627 Billion Sovereign Wealth Fund (ADIA), Presentation ...
 
Conceptos claves museologia
Conceptos claves museologiaConceptos claves museologia
Conceptos claves museologia
 
MYOB Productivity Seminar - How to improve productivity by using MYOB Account...
MYOB Productivity Seminar - How to improve productivity by using MYOB Account...MYOB Productivity Seminar - How to improve productivity by using MYOB Account...
MYOB Productivity Seminar - How to improve productivity by using MYOB Account...
 
Manual museografia
Manual museografia Manual museografia
Manual museografia
 
PROGRAMA DE ARQUITECTURA DE UN MUSEO
PROGRAMA DE ARQUITECTURA DE UN MUSEOPROGRAMA DE ARQUITECTURA DE UN MUSEO
PROGRAMA DE ARQUITECTURA DE UN MUSEO
 
Museologia y museografia
Museologia y museografiaMuseologia y museografia
Museologia y museografia
 
2014 Investor 30 ranking
2014 Investor 30 ranking2014 Investor 30 ranking
2014 Investor 30 ranking
 
Difusión de contenidos de museos de Castilla y León en redes sociales
Difusión de contenidos de museos de Castilla y León en redes sociales Difusión de contenidos de museos de Castilla y León en redes sociales
Difusión de contenidos de museos de Castilla y León en redes sociales
 
Las Tipologías Museísticas
Las Tipologías MuseísticasLas Tipologías Museísticas
Las Tipologías Museísticas
 
UPE divulga segunda lista de convocado do Sisu
UPE divulga segunda lista de convocado do SisuUPE divulga segunda lista de convocado do Sisu
UPE divulga segunda lista de convocado do Sisu
 
B. El GuióN MuseolóGico
B. El GuióN MuseolóGicoB. El GuióN MuseolóGico
B. El GuióN MuseolóGico
 

Similar to Managing Success Stories

2012 Annual Report
2012 Annual Report2012 Annual Report
2012 Annual Report
Sonja Morgan
 
resume for john rhynold 2015 #2
resume for john rhynold 2015 #2resume for john rhynold 2015 #2
resume for john rhynold 2015 #2
john rhynold
 
Construction Monthly Progress Report - June 2011
Construction Monthly Progress Report - June 2011Construction Monthly Progress Report - June 2011
Construction Monthly Progress Report - June 2011
Jamal Nelson, CCM
 
Master_Resume__Ron_White_9
Master_Resume__Ron_White_9Master_Resume__Ron_White_9
Master_Resume__Ron_White_9
Ron White
 
US Builders Review Winter 2015
US Builders Review Winter 2015US Builders Review Winter 2015
US Builders Review Winter 2015
Matthew Johndrow
 
Construction Project Management Class Project Presentation
Construction Project Management Class Project PresentationConstruction Project Management Class Project Presentation
Construction Project Management Class Project Presentation
Wayne Holley
 
Sample OMA RFQ Submission
Sample OMA RFQ SubmissionSample OMA RFQ Submission
Sample OMA RFQ Submission
Joseph Migani
 
Michael Polito Resume Revised 7.17.16
Michael Polito Resume Revised 7.17.16Michael Polito Resume Revised 7.17.16
Michael Polito Resume Revised 7.17.16
tyeeseeker
 
Gagnon Patrice new CV3 light
Gagnon Patrice new CV3 lightGagnon Patrice new CV3 light
Gagnon Patrice new CV3 light
Patrice Gagnon
 

Similar to Managing Success Stories (20)

2012 Annual Report
2012 Annual Report2012 Annual Report
2012 Annual Report
 
resume for john rhynold 2015 #2
resume for john rhynold 2015 #2resume for john rhynold 2015 #2
resume for john rhynold 2015 #2
 
Construction Monthly Progress Report - June 2011
Construction Monthly Progress Report - June 2011Construction Monthly Progress Report - June 2011
Construction Monthly Progress Report - June 2011
 
Sj Hauck Construction Presentation
Sj Hauck Construction PresentationSj Hauck Construction Presentation
Sj Hauck Construction Presentation
 
Sj Hauck Construction - Learn More
Sj Hauck Construction - Learn MoreSj Hauck Construction - Learn More
Sj Hauck Construction - Learn More
 
Master_Resume__Ron_White_9
Master_Resume__Ron_White_9Master_Resume__Ron_White_9
Master_Resume__Ron_White_9
 
J hay resume final res 2014 v dp
J hay resume final res 2014 v dpJ hay resume final res 2014 v dp
J hay resume final res 2014 v dp
 
project management UOC-1
project management UOC-1project management UOC-1
project management UOC-1
 
US Builders Review Winter 2015
US Builders Review Winter 2015US Builders Review Winter 2015
US Builders Review Winter 2015
 
Multifunctional Stormwater Projects - An Innovative Technical Design and Part...
Multifunctional Stormwater Projects - An Innovative Technical Design and Part...Multifunctional Stormwater Projects - An Innovative Technical Design and Part...
Multifunctional Stormwater Projects - An Innovative Technical Design and Part...
 
Construction Project Management Class Project Presentation
Construction Project Management Class Project PresentationConstruction Project Management Class Project Presentation
Construction Project Management Class Project Presentation
 
Resume ofwaynecohen vp-cellular_03.07.2016
Resume ofwaynecohen vp-cellular_03.07.2016Resume ofwaynecohen vp-cellular_03.07.2016
Resume ofwaynecohen vp-cellular_03.07.2016
 
Sample OMA RFQ Submission
Sample OMA RFQ SubmissionSample OMA RFQ Submission
Sample OMA RFQ Submission
 
Nuprecon - Presentation I gave at Camp Dresser McKee
Nuprecon - Presentation I gave at Camp Dresser McKeeNuprecon - Presentation I gave at Camp Dresser McKee
Nuprecon - Presentation I gave at Camp Dresser McKee
 
Barrier Electric Commercial Solar
Barrier Electric Commercial SolarBarrier Electric Commercial Solar
Barrier Electric Commercial Solar
 
Michael Polito Resume Revised 7.17.16
Michael Polito Resume Revised 7.17.16Michael Polito Resume Revised 7.17.16
Michael Polito Resume Revised 7.17.16
 
Item #12 ppt Judson Nature Trail Building
Item #12   ppt Judson Nature Trail BuildingItem #12   ppt Judson Nature Trail Building
Item #12 ppt Judson Nature Trail Building
 
Construction Estimate, Finding natives
Construction Estimate, Finding nativesConstruction Estimate, Finding natives
Construction Estimate, Finding natives
 
DOW Public Meeting Slides 2.5.20
DOW Public Meeting Slides 2.5.20DOW Public Meeting Slides 2.5.20
DOW Public Meeting Slides 2.5.20
 
Gagnon Patrice new CV3 light
Gagnon Patrice new CV3 lightGagnon Patrice new CV3 light
Gagnon Patrice new CV3 light
 

Recently uploaded

Insurers' journeys to build a mastery in the IoT usage
Insurers' journeys to build a mastery in the IoT usageInsurers' journeys to build a mastery in the IoT usage
Insurers' journeys to build a mastery in the IoT usage
Matteo Carbone
 
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
amitlee9823
 
Call Girls In Noida 959961⊹3876 Independent Escort Service Noida
Call Girls In Noida 959961⊹3876 Independent Escort Service NoidaCall Girls In Noida 959961⊹3876 Independent Escort Service Noida
Call Girls In Noida 959961⊹3876 Independent Escort Service Noida
dlhescort
 
Call Girls in Delhi, Escort Service Available 24x7 in Delhi 959961-/-3876
Call Girls in Delhi, Escort Service Available 24x7 in Delhi 959961-/-3876Call Girls in Delhi, Escort Service Available 24x7 in Delhi 959961-/-3876
Call Girls in Delhi, Escort Service Available 24x7 in Delhi 959961-/-3876
dlhescort
 
Call Girls In DLf Gurgaon ➥99902@11544 ( Best price)100% Genuine Escort In 24...
Call Girls In DLf Gurgaon ➥99902@11544 ( Best price)100% Genuine Escort In 24...Call Girls In DLf Gurgaon ➥99902@11544 ( Best price)100% Genuine Escort In 24...
Call Girls In DLf Gurgaon ➥99902@11544 ( Best price)100% Genuine Escort In 24...
lizamodels9
 
Nelamangala Call Girls: 🍓 7737669865 🍓 High Profile Model Escorts | Bangalore...
Nelamangala Call Girls: 🍓 7737669865 🍓 High Profile Model Escorts | Bangalore...Nelamangala Call Girls: 🍓 7737669865 🍓 High Profile Model Escorts | Bangalore...
Nelamangala Call Girls: 🍓 7737669865 🍓 High Profile Model Escorts | Bangalore...
amitlee9823
 
Call Now ☎️🔝 9332606886🔝 Call Girls ❤ Service In Bhilwara Female Escorts Serv...
Call Now ☎️🔝 9332606886🔝 Call Girls ❤ Service In Bhilwara Female Escorts Serv...Call Now ☎️🔝 9332606886🔝 Call Girls ❤ Service In Bhilwara Female Escorts Serv...
Call Now ☎️🔝 9332606886🔝 Call Girls ❤ Service In Bhilwara Female Escorts Serv...
Anamikakaur10
 
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
dollysharma2066
 

Recently uploaded (20)

How to Get Started in Social Media for Art League City
How to Get Started in Social Media for Art League CityHow to Get Started in Social Media for Art League City
How to Get Started in Social Media for Art League City
 
Cracking the Cultural Competence Code.pptx
Cracking the Cultural Competence Code.pptxCracking the Cultural Competence Code.pptx
Cracking the Cultural Competence Code.pptx
 
Insurers' journeys to build a mastery in the IoT usage
Insurers' journeys to build a mastery in the IoT usageInsurers' journeys to build a mastery in the IoT usage
Insurers' journeys to build a mastery in the IoT usage
 
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
 
It will be International Nurses' Day on 12 May
It will be International Nurses' Day on 12 MayIt will be International Nurses' Day on 12 May
It will be International Nurses' Day on 12 May
 
VVVIP Call Girls In Greater Kailash ➡️ Delhi ➡️ 9999965857 🚀 No Advance 24HRS...
VVVIP Call Girls In Greater Kailash ➡️ Delhi ➡️ 9999965857 🚀 No Advance 24HRS...VVVIP Call Girls In Greater Kailash ➡️ Delhi ➡️ 9999965857 🚀 No Advance 24HRS...
VVVIP Call Girls In Greater Kailash ➡️ Delhi ➡️ 9999965857 🚀 No Advance 24HRS...
 
Business Model Canvas (BMC)- A new venture concept
Business Model Canvas (BMC)-  A new venture conceptBusiness Model Canvas (BMC)-  A new venture concept
Business Model Canvas (BMC)- A new venture concept
 
Call Girls In Noida 959961⊹3876 Independent Escort Service Noida
Call Girls In Noida 959961⊹3876 Independent Escort Service NoidaCall Girls In Noida 959961⊹3876 Independent Escort Service Noida
Call Girls In Noida 959961⊹3876 Independent Escort Service Noida
 
Call Girls In Panjim North Goa 9971646499 Genuine Service
Call Girls In Panjim North Goa 9971646499 Genuine ServiceCall Girls In Panjim North Goa 9971646499 Genuine Service
Call Girls In Panjim North Goa 9971646499 Genuine Service
 
Phases of Negotiation .pptx
 Phases of Negotiation .pptx Phases of Negotiation .pptx
Phases of Negotiation .pptx
 
Call Girls in Delhi, Escort Service Available 24x7 in Delhi 959961-/-3876
Call Girls in Delhi, Escort Service Available 24x7 in Delhi 959961-/-3876Call Girls in Delhi, Escort Service Available 24x7 in Delhi 959961-/-3876
Call Girls in Delhi, Escort Service Available 24x7 in Delhi 959961-/-3876
 
Organizational Transformation Lead with Culture
Organizational Transformation Lead with CultureOrganizational Transformation Lead with Culture
Organizational Transformation Lead with Culture
 
The Path to Product Excellence: Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Enhancing Commun...
The Path to Product Excellence: Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Enhancing Commun...The Path to Product Excellence: Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Enhancing Commun...
The Path to Product Excellence: Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Enhancing Commun...
 
Call Girls In DLf Gurgaon ➥99902@11544 ( Best price)100% Genuine Escort In 24...
Call Girls In DLf Gurgaon ➥99902@11544 ( Best price)100% Genuine Escort In 24...Call Girls In DLf Gurgaon ➥99902@11544 ( Best price)100% Genuine Escort In 24...
Call Girls In DLf Gurgaon ➥99902@11544 ( Best price)100% Genuine Escort In 24...
 
Falcon Invoice Discounting: The best investment platform in india for investors
Falcon Invoice Discounting: The best investment platform in india for investorsFalcon Invoice Discounting: The best investment platform in india for investors
Falcon Invoice Discounting: The best investment platform in india for investors
 
Nelamangala Call Girls: 🍓 7737669865 🍓 High Profile Model Escorts | Bangalore...
Nelamangala Call Girls: 🍓 7737669865 🍓 High Profile Model Escorts | Bangalore...Nelamangala Call Girls: 🍓 7737669865 🍓 High Profile Model Escorts | Bangalore...
Nelamangala Call Girls: 🍓 7737669865 🍓 High Profile Model Escorts | Bangalore...
 
Uneak White's Personal Brand Exploration Presentation
Uneak White's Personal Brand Exploration PresentationUneak White's Personal Brand Exploration Presentation
Uneak White's Personal Brand Exploration Presentation
 
Monthly Social Media Update April 2024 pptx.pptx
Monthly Social Media Update April 2024 pptx.pptxMonthly Social Media Update April 2024 pptx.pptx
Monthly Social Media Update April 2024 pptx.pptx
 
Call Now ☎️🔝 9332606886🔝 Call Girls ❤ Service In Bhilwara Female Escorts Serv...
Call Now ☎️🔝 9332606886🔝 Call Girls ❤ Service In Bhilwara Female Escorts Serv...Call Now ☎️🔝 9332606886🔝 Call Girls ❤ Service In Bhilwara Female Escorts Serv...
Call Now ☎️🔝 9332606886🔝 Call Girls ❤ Service In Bhilwara Female Escorts Serv...
 
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
 

Managing Success Stories

  • 1. COVER STORY MANAGING Success Stories TO COINCIDE with ACMO’s newly launched public awareness campaign, we asked for success stories from ACMO 2000 companies. The fol- lowing stories represent a cross-section of the sig- nificant projects and huge undertakings that RCMs and management companies take on as everyday responsibilities. With a broad skill set that includes successful completion of ACMO’s courses in finance, ad- ministration, human resources, law, and physical building management for RCMs, and a rigourous compliance audit for ACMO 2000 companies, directors and owners can expect managers to be reliable advisors in these and myriad other areas. As you can see from these tales, managers and management companies are a very caring group. Let’s make 2013 – The Year of the RCM. Photo: Katrin Ray ■   1 0   ■ C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2 
  • 2. t A Balcony View to an End Result Wilson-Blanchard started man- agement of Halton Condominium Corporation No. 70 in 2008. When we first took over as managers, the corporation had four active legal situations Balcony and balustrade repair – Owners have seen a dramatic increase and deteriorating front entrance bal- above the regular market increase in recent sale prices of units. conies that had been patched and ignored for years. tion had a negative impact on curb proximately $600,000 for restoration HCC No. 70 is a 50-unit town- appeal. but not until 2016. With the ten- house complex on Lake Ontario With the help of the manager, the dering project complete, the board waterfront in the Bronte area of board reviewed proposals and then awarded the 3-year phased restora- Oakville. It is a wonderful location engaged Edison Engineers Inc. to tion project to Bowie Contracting in a beautiful area with rising real complete a conditions survey. The from Gormley, Ontario. The board estate values. results were staggering, although not approved a special assessment of We quickly assisted in getting le- overly surprising. Although several $16,000 per unit payable over the gal advice and resolving the legal repair options were considered, the three years of work. issues while also creating new op- best long-term option was to com- The board and manager met with erating and standard unit bylaws, pletely restore the concrete balconies the contractor and engineer regular- which had not been changed since and replace the brick balustrades. ly throughout the three-year project registration in 1977. However, the Under the engineer’s direction, a to maintain schedules, budgets and elephant in the room over the past trial project was completed at four to deal with any unplanned circum- 12–15 years was the major balcony units, which helped to confirm the stances. With excellent work com- repairs that were required. Not only scope of work and finishes for plan- pleted by Bowie under the diligent were the balconies a structural con- ning the rest of the project. management of Edison Engineers, cern, their condition was also creat- The budget for complete restora- the third and final phase of the proj- ing leaks and maintenance issues tion was approximately $1 million. ect was completed in August 2012, within the units. Being the front The corporation’s previous reserve on time and slightly under budget. entrances of the units, the condi- fund study had set a budget of ap- While all owners had to endure Heavy Duty Cleaning is our specialty! Your Condominium & Commercial Cleaning Specialist Call 905-850-8009 • Janitorial & Office Cleaning • Power Washing Parkades or 877-776-2423 for more information • Construction Cleaning • Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning E. michaelg@pcchome.com • Parking Garages – High Dusting W. pcchome.com C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2    ■   1 1   ■
  • 3. three full summers of living in a construction zone and deal with the financial impact of a large special as- sessment, since the completion of the project there have been many positive EST. 1972 comments from owners, visitors and real estate professionals alike. Own- CANADA HYDRANT SERVICE INC. ers have seen a dramatic increase above the regular market increase in recent sale prices of units compared Bill Clouston to before the project started. 117 CORSTATE AVE. # 2, Concord, Ont. L4K 4Y2 No matter how large the prob- lems may appear, managers can help Bus: (905) 669-2950 Fax: (905) 738-6818 board’s make good decisions by tak- ing professional advice and a will- ingness to press on to achieve an end result. ■ Make the dream Brad Wells, RCM, Wilson-Blanchard of condo living Management Inc. come true. t A Small But Significant Success On being assigned to a 35-year-old residential highrise condominium last year, one of the first problems I was advised of was that the two elevators were constantly run- ning together – If anyone Get Pro-House to look after the reality. called the el- evator from any floor in the building, both cars arrived together. This problem had been reported to the elevator contractor many times, and had not been resolved. The board decided to ask the contractor to attend a meeting with them to review this Finance, regulations, maintenance and the unexpected... and other issues. At the meeting, we we care about the details so you can live worry-free were told that our elevators needed while the value of your real estate increases. to be modernized and also that the contractor did not have technicians Caring for buildings continuously for over 30 years. on staff who were really trained Our record is proven. or knowledgeable on older eleva- tors (which are basically mechanical BRIAN MANN - Vice President and don’t run on computer chips!). 416.783.7676 x226 However, we were assured that ev- bmann@pro - house.ca ery effort would be made to bring pro - house.ca in the one or two people who knew PRO HOUSE older elevators, and the problem would be solved. The problem con- Managing condominiums with care tinued and complaints were coming in. This is why we have property ■   1 2   ■ C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2 
  • 4. managers (!) because I knew who could fix this problem in a jiffy, an elevator contractor who resolved many problems for me over the years in older buildings – I called him in, and within 2 hours got a call back that the problem was fixed. It has never arisen again and apparently was a simple adjustment. It is a shame that most elevator contractors today insist on expensive modernizations of equipment, which many buildings are not prepared to do owing to the cost, and that they are not willing to work with what we have. Many boards in older build- ings feel that they are being more or Building envelope – Original single pane slider window system and dated less pushed into spending big money red brick replaced with energy efficient windows and enhanced exterior. in order to accommodate the con- uisition meeting caused by the levy are promoted as vertical villages tractor. ■ of a special assessment, a genuine with a variety of amenities, smaller commitment to restore one’s home, suite sizes and exorbitant mainte- Lena Valdes, RCM, Wilson-Blanchard perseverance from the board of di- nance fees often attract more buyers Management Inc. rectors along with the efforts of a ca- while the older, modest condos with pable project management team, has much larger suite sizes and cheaper successfully turned the tides around maintenance fees fail to get the buy- for this corporation. ers’ attention. ■ The original single pane (curtain t Dilemma of a New wall like) slider window system with Venu Kalidoss, RCM, DEL Property Manager in an Old a dated red brick façade is now re- Management Inc. Building placed with new energy efficient, The key to profitability of any argon filled, awning windows and property is a well maintained and an enhanced two-tone exterior insu- managed building. As a condomin- lating finishing system (EIFS). These ium manager for a 37-year-old resi- improvements in addition to the bal- dential highrise cony restoration have significantly t Condominium for over two improved the overall appearance of Landscaping: Making an years, I have the building. A water saturated front Asset out of a Liability experienced elevation is now an energy efficient Or How to Turn a Sow’s a sequence of façade, which is both functional and Ear into a Silk Purse! events that aesthetically pleasing. Significant Our large four-tower complex is have made me reductions are being recorded in typical of many downtown condo- a proponent of consumption of utilities while the miniums: we are bounded by roads, this industry. prices of the suites are appreciating there are few parks nearby and our My architectural background along with improved marketability. own landscap- with the practical knowledge gained In the past 10 years, numerous ing opportuni- from attending ACMO courses has projects including boiler and chiller ties are very enabled me to become an integral retrofits, mould abatement, corridors limited. part of a project management team and common area renovations led Suffice to comprised of engineers, building en- to the depletion of the reserve fund. say, there is lit- velope consultants, contractors and Therefore, it is critical to understand tle greenery in specialty trades who have helped and incorporate the recommenda- our lives or, as transform this mundane 70s style tions underlined in the reserve fund one Director put it: we’re suffering building into a modern enclave with study, especially in an older building from a nature deficit disorder! refined look. dealing with multiple priorities. We later discovered that our This transformation involving My mentor, also my district man- problems could be traced back to a series of projects when initially ager, always quotes “a known devil two very basic deficiencies: the soil proposed created quite a stir in the is better than the unknown.” Which in our beds was poor and the choice community. However, after several brings me to a dilemma: why do of plants was not appropriate for the meetings of the owners and a req- abundant new condominiums that location. C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2    ■   1 3   ■
  • 5. costs and curb appeal! We achieved attractiveness by selecting a mix of plant materials that offer interesting features year ‘round. Maintenance costs were addressed by limiting the use of annuals to entry way contain- ers plantings, selecting perennials, trees and shrubs that can cope with our conditions and planting them all in a proper growing medium. As for curb appeal, our newly Roof Garden Before and After. planted beds along Yonge Street are a head-turning improvement. Our Our solution: a long range land- themes that serve to unify the prop- new plan of adding spring bulbs in scape rejuvenation plan prepared erty and give us a much stronger fall each year has started this year by a downtown-based landscape visual identity. and we expect a spring bloom and company that specializes in condo- The plan was also long term. The showy display in the years to come. minium properties. designers identified our priorities The result is an affordable land- The plan addressed every aspect and phased them in over three years. scape that residents can be proud of our landscape from containers at This not only met our budgetary of. And while we would all love the main entrances to planting beds requirements, it gave us an opportu- even more green space, at least the at grade and above ground. This nity to make changes based on plant green we do have is a pleasure to comprehensive approach allowed us performance over several growing behold. ■ to develop a set of common design seasons. Perhaps the greatest benefit of Grace Wang, RCM, Del Property the long term planning approach, Management Inc., Pinnacle Centre. and one we had not anticipated, was the opportunity for resident involvement. Urban Garden spent time canvassing the preferences of both board members and residents. It presented its concepts at open t From Operations to meetings and invited input. While Reserve Fund this may have taken longer than the One of the most important areas typical non-consultative approach, in property management is working the result was a plan that most had a hand-in-hand with the board of di- say in and could buy into. rectors to manage common element The plan focused on three objec- fee increases. An inflationary increase Decorative Planters – the only tives: attractiveness in all seasons, is acceptable to most owners as it is annuals on the property. manageable ongoing maintenance expected, however larger increases CATCH BASINS, AREA DRAINS, SUMP PIT CLEANING Sanico Pumping & Flushing Inc. “Specializing” in Catch Basin Cleaning • Cleaning Area Drains • High-Pressure Washing • Sewer Pumping & Flushing 24-hour Emergency Service • Pit Pumping & Flushing 365 days/year Photo ID Service Technicians • Video Drain Inspection Experience Bonded Staff MOE Approved Hauler, #A-841669 1-866-575-2355 • 905-731-2066 ■   1 4   ■ C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2 
  • 6. can result in political problems and/ or frustrated owners. Controlling these increases is not an easy task with ever increasing util- ity costs and reserve fund contributions, the two com- ponents of any condominium bud- get that ultimately drive increases in common element fees. Initiating measures to maximize operating efficiencies and minimize energy consumption can go a long way for the financial health of the corporation. For example some forecasts predict water and sewage rates to increase more than double over the next decade. Similar pro- Energy savings – Management and board completed various ‘green’ jections have been made for hydro. projects saving close to $100k in utility costs over two years. What can we do? As we tell our di- rectors – doing nothing is no longer these funds from the operating side If you can answer NO to any of them, an option. There are many prod- of the budget to the reserve the cor- then changes need to be made to the ucts and companies that can help to poration was successful in offsetting corporation’s financial processes to reduce consumption and therefore future reserve fund demands provid- be in compliance with the Condo- costs of these utilities with the pay- ing an immediate benefit with future minium Act, 1998 and GAAP. back in some cases being less than a dividends. ■ MRCM was called by a consultant year and most typically being 2 to 5 to quote on the management services years. Some solutions are better than Craig McMillan, RCM District of such a corporation – a corporation others and managers should advise Manager, Maple Ridge Community that had a qualified audit and a des- exploring the options and finding Management perate financial statement, which was the best ones that fit your particular only the beginning. MRCM took to condominium. the challenge to help chart the course In keeping with MRCM’s corpo- to recovery once we were certain the rate desire to be supportive of our board desired resolution and were green responsibilities, at YCC 242 committed to seeing it through. It has – 4001 Don Mills Road, we worked t Charting a Corporation’s been a long journey and not always a with the board of directors to com- Financial Process unanimous one, but one that MRCM plete a number of projects. We re- Is your corporation on target fi- and the board of directors are ex- placed our old atmosphere boiler nancially? Do you have sufficient tremely proud of. with a high efficiency boiler. The monies in the corporation’s operating During this recovery process following year we completed a wa- account to cover the day-to-day op- MRCM worked with the board to ter conservation project, a light- erations? Does develop a solid plan that included ing retrofit project and installed CO y o u r c o r p o - a monetary recovery as part of the monitors to reduce the ventilation ration have a annual budget. Expenditures were fan running costs. We are currently balance in the monitored, but not at the expense of installing LED bulbs in the build- reserve fund ac- operational maintenance or major ing to reduce hydro usages even count? Are you repair and replacements. We also further. These efforts saved the con- using reserve worked together with the corpora- dominium approximately $100,000 fund monies for tion’s sister shared facilities to en- in utility costs per year over the last operating expenses (not yet transferred sure each was paying and billing for 2 years. The board then elected to to reserve)? Do you have one month’s all required charges.  transfer these energy savings directly common element fees as a surplus in After 27 months, the operating into the reserve fund account to off- the operating account? Most of all, is account is no longer in a deficit posi- set any future increases in the reserve the corporation’s auditor able to pro- tion. The reserve fund account is in fund contributions and therefore vide your condominium corporation receipt of all its required transfers controlling future increases in the with a clean audit?  If the answer to all from the operating account. The common element fees. By liberating of these questions is YES, that is great!  cash flow is adequate in both ac- C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2    ■   1 5   ■
  • 7. counts to continue to pay for ex- a GOOD working board of directors prominent condominium law firm penses as they occur and we are who are fiscally responsible making informing us that they had put our working together to undertake res- prudent but decent decisions. ■ name forward to a new condomini- toration projects for this location um board that were looking to make due to its age. Carrie Cowton, RCM , Property a change in management. We had a It was unfortunate that this finan- Manager, Maple Ridge Community great working relationship with the cial strife happened but this scenario Management law firm! may sound all too familiar.  Fortu- After interviewing with the board, nately, the board was open to direc- we were awarded the management tion and the corporation has a great contract for their 180-unit town- auditor who worked with manage- home project and the developer’s ment and the board to develop a in-house company was immediately repayment strategy over a couple of t Success In Building relieved of their responsibilities. years rather than special assessing Relationships What we were left with was the each homeowner for the financial For those who recently attended security staff walking off the site (as shortfall. the 16th Annual ACMO/CCI-T con- they had a relationship with the pre- We know the journey is not over ference you will recall the theme vious management company) and and we are now focusing on building for the weekend was “building re- a Performance Audit that had not a surplus in the operating account lationships.” yet been undertaken! No problem, for those rainy day funds. We are It need not be except the first-year anniversary was also working collectively with the just a theme just six weeks away and the board engineers to plan the future expen- for a confer- hadn’t even interviewed any engi- ditures for repair and replacement ence but a neering firms! of the building’s major components. very important We quickly hired a new security No success story happens with- component of company who we had been build- out a good team: the management everyday life ing relationships with over the past company including the property for all condominium managers. year or so and who were looking to manager and property accountant, Several years ago our company “break into” the residential condo- auditor, engineer(s) and most of all received a telephone call from a minium market. (They are still on Building Envelope Specialists • Wall system solutions from repairs • Authors of over 6,000 to innovative re-design using state Prioritized Building Envelope of the art materials. Action Plan Studies. • Water leakage analysis, solution • Building Science Experts & action plan development and • 30-years serving the condominium project management. sector throughout Ontario. aftEr • Roofing surveys & cost-effective • Window replacement phasing long-term re-design for both programs with energy saving townhouse and high rise. retrofit techniques. TORONTO greg ross 416-252-7259 Ext. 104 greg@enerplan.net BEforE HAMILTON Keith Bryant 905-318-5988 Ext. 103 keith@enerplan.net DESign • EnginEEring • BuilDing SciEncE • ProjEct ManagEMEnt ■   1 6   ■ C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2 
  • 8. site, six years later!) dent of Times Property Manage- and it is believed that the water is We arranged with the board to ment Inc. as well as the president of healthier for the swimmers! meet with three engineering compa- the National Association of Condo- Upon careful planning and consid- nies and within a couple of days the minium Managers and is a former eration of finances, the mortgages for engineer was selected and the Audit member of the Board of Directors of guest suites and superintendent suites began. The Audit was completed ACMO and a past president. were discharged and saved the cor- and filed on time with Tarion. porations a large amount in interest But of course there were deficien- since 1972 payments. The staff employment was cies most notably water penetration changed. Live-out superintendent as through the exterior walls of the opposed to a live-in was chosen since underground garage. After several t Streamlining Shared they have a full-time concierge onsite. meetings with the developer, his en- Facilities Rent from the superintendent suites gineer, the board, their engineer and Malvern Condominium Prop- generates revenue to more than offset management, we were finally suc- erty Management was awarded the the cost difference in the new model. cessful in having the developer agree management services for One City In addition an application to MPAC to “open up” several sections of the Centre. They are a large 700 plus considerably reduced the property wall and concrete pad – at his ex- unit condo- taxes assessed for the superintendent pense. The caveat was that if our en- minium with and guest suites, which resulted in gineer was wrong in his assessment, a huge shared further savings. then the corporation would have to facility. We did After a careful review of the en- pay for the work. As it turned out what we do ergy efficiency of the condominiums our engineers’ assessment was correct best: analyze, and always being aware of avail- and the cause of the water penetra- organize and able incentives, management and tion was located and repaired, all at “Malvernize” the board completed an application no cost to the corporation! the community! It took a lot of work for incentives, and obtained a large During this entire process man- by management and the two boards incentive for each of the two corpo- agement never assumed an adver- of directors and all components in rations just days before the expiry of sarial position with the developer. the running and maintenance of the a lucrative incentive program. Everything was always formed in buildings and shared facility were Management also reviewed the what would be described as being in scrutinized and addressed. telecommunications, and by stream- the best interest of the corporation A change was made to the indoor lining services and switching provid- and all owners. swimming pool and indoor/outdoor ers, another savings was generated A year later we received another whirlpool. The swimming pool was for the corporations. Each penny call from another townhome corpo- converted from a chlorine chemical- adds up to savings that the corpora- ration, expressing similar difficulties ly balanced pool, to a salt generated tions are very proud of. The budget with the same developer. The devel- chemically balanced pool. Though for 2011–2012 was reduced by 10% oper’s in-house management compa- the conversion cost some money, the maintaining all services and also ny was terminated and we were hired. savings in the everyday running and planning for more improvements. We successfully renegotiated with the maintenance of the pool were signifi- How often does an owner receive a developer on a number of remaining cantly lowered. Also, every resident budget that reduces the maintenance deficiencies and to this day the board that uses the pool loves the change, fee without compromising service? and unit owners remain pleased with all aspects of their community. These two vignettes clearly il- lustrate the importance of building strong working relationships. We re- lied on our working relationships we had established over the years with the law firm, the engineer, the securi- ty company and equally as important the developer. I am proud to say these relationships all continue today. So how successful were we? Well, we now provide management service to all of this developer’s new sites. We are no longer the replacement; we are part of the overall process from the very beginning! ■ Savings were generated for a corporation with a large shared facility and Harold S. Cipin, RCM is the presi- two boards of directors. C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2    ■   1 7   ■
  • 9. mized the purchasing power of the Schedule “C” of the condominium fees, and created a better environ- corporation Declaration). One of the ment. Most of all, we have helped to most important create satisfied residents and a sense components of of belonging within the community. the building Residents are calling the corporations envelope is the “HOME” and management is proud roofing system. of “a job well done.” ■ Depending on the wording of Claudia Moisa, RCM, Senior Prop- any Declara- erty Manager, Malvern Condomini- tion and description drawings some um Property Management roof attic repairs are the responsi- One City Centre bility of owners and others of the Management also uses monitors corporation. Townhouse roofs are placed throughout the buildings (in greatly affected by their close en- lobbies and elevators) to post daily vironment such as wind direction, communications, such as notices and heavy moisture, etc., which all come building updates as well as newslet- t Townhouse Roof together in different ways to lend to ters. This helps management connect and Attic Preventive the deterioration of the roof system. with all residents easily and without Maintenance It is hard to believe that roofing the use of thousands of printed pages. Every townhouse site and/or con- systems will last the duration of the What is more important than saving dominium corporation is unique. warranty period without some form money in a condominium commu- In general, however, the exterior of preventive maintenance. nity? Continuous communication, envelope and supporting townhouse It is important to note that proper communication, communication! structures are the responsibility of the attic ventilation is crucial to ensure Why are we all proud of these ac- corporation to repair and/or replace. that the roof plywood maintains complishments? We have improved Owners are generally responsible for its structure and is not affected by the level of service to the residents, the repair and/or replacement of the moisture build-up and rot. In the created healthy reserve funds, maxi- interior of their unit attic (based on same way flat roofs must be peri- CONDOLAW.TO 2300 Yonge Street, Suite 2900 T 416 489 5677 P.O. Box 2384 Toronto Ontario F 416 489 7794 Canada M4P 1E4 w condolaw.to ■   1 8   ■ C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2 
  • 10. odically checked for ridging and come worse if there is a long period will be reduced by tens of thousands cracking, and shingle roofs must be of unceasing rain and roofing com- of dollars (this depends on the num- replaced in areas that wear away panies cannot attend the site because ber of units). Moreover, it saves the faster than the normal wear and tear of these unsuitable conditions. hassle of disrupted enjoyment of trajectory. After investigation, it was discov- one’s home. One property I have managed ered that some leaks were resultant I am very proud to work with since I started as a young property from rotting plywood caused by a board that took proactive action manager was a group of townhouse condensation due to poor attic ven- even though the property is rela- corporations very close to the lake tilation and not adequate insulation. tively young (about 10 years old). that must deal with constant high While this is not necessarily a com- Management and board informed moisture, which seems to add higher mon issue, it could be true for some unit owners about the work immedi- than average ice and snow in the units in a corporation and may be ately. Subsequently detailed owners’ winter and much more rain in the especially true for older corpora- information meetings (that included spring and fall than properties in- tions built when ventilation technol- Power Point presentations and pro- land. After assessing a few leaks in ogy was less advanced. fessionals) took place to ensure that some units it was noted that one unit In this instance management and everyone had a good understanding alone affected by a small roof leak the board worked with reputable of the issues and to support the fund- could lead to thousands of dollars envelope specialists and roofing ing plan for such unplanned project. spent in trying to repair the leak and companies to put together a preven- Preventive maintenance projects bringing the unit back to its original tive maintenance plan to repair any can save tens of thousands of dollars condition. problem areas in all attics. All the per unit in repairs and/or mould re- Water penetration is very difficult units’ roof attics are at the pres- mediation years down the road with to trace as water moves along the ent time inspected and adequate only a couple of thousand of dollars path of least resistance and a failing ventilation and insulation is pro- per unit investment. ■ point on one side of the unit’s roof vided to eliminate the possibility could lead to a leak point inside the of moisture build-up that can lead Andreea Dolnicianu is vice-presi- unit at the other end. This would to expensive repairs and/or mould dent of business development and mean added costs for calling back remediations. In a year the budgeted client retention at Comfort Property the roofing company. Damages be- amount allocated for such repairs Management Inc. MEMBER C M   C O N D O M I N I U M   M A N A G E R   M A G A Z I N E ,   W I N T E R   2 0 1 2    ■   1 9   ■