The potential issues that condominium corporations have to deal with appear to be limitless and there is no predicting what kinds of situations and controversies the Board will need to grapple with.
I recently spent a week’s vacation at a Florida condominium. Here are some issues that condominium has faced:
1. While I was there, someone in the elevator announced that she had just attended a meeting at which the entire meeting dwelt upon whether the nativity scene in the building lobby could remain there. Apparently, there was a complaint by one or more residents about this. (There was also a Christmas tree and menorah in the lobby). If the person in the elevator was a Board member, it looks like she was not concerned about confidentiality of matters discussed at Board meetings. In any event, the nativity scene was still there at the end of the week.
2. One of the residents wore a thong at the swimming pool. Apparently, there had been considerable controversy about whether this was acceptable poolside attire. I was told that the condominium association’s president had previously taken rear photos of the woman in the thong so that she could display them to the Board members and owners to substantiate her position that such attire was offensive and not appropriate in an environment where children were permitted. The thong wearer had retained a lawyer and continues to wear the thong at the swimming pool. Once again, individual freedoms need to be weighed against what is best for the condominium community as a whole.
3. At some point (fortunately not during my visit), someone defecated in the swimming pool. There was considerable speculation as to whether the culprit was a baby or one of the adults. This is similar to the issues that we previously bloggedabout regarding the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal decision, Pantoliano v. MTCC No. 570 and YCC No. 531.