On Sunday, the Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association (VISOA) is hosting a seminar to address the ways in which the Human Rights Code is applied when it comes to strata corporations. The educational event, Human Rights in Stratas, will touch on how the law applies to smoking, pets and accessibility, and how it doesn’t apply in other instances such as age restrictions.
VISOA acknowledges that many people are aware of the code, but may not be clear on how it comes into play in a strata situation or how it interacts with the Strata Property Act.
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“There is a common misconception that strata councils can make all of the decisions but that is just not the case,” says Sandy Wagner, president of VISOA.
The Strata Property Act has specific requirements that must be followed for everything ranging from passing a no-smoking bylaw, to spending money from the strata’s reserve fund to build ramps, to giving someone a parking spot closer to the building, says Wagner.
“It’s important for owners, councils and potential purchasers to understand the Strata Property Act and The Human Rights Code and handle these situations appropriately,” she explains.
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The seminar’s guest speaker, Shawn M. Smith, is a partner at Cleveland Doan LLP in White Rock, B.C. He has 15 years of experience working with strata corporations and will be sharing his knowledge of strata property and real estate law.
The seminar will take place on Sunday, June 23 at the Comfort Inn on Blanshard Street from 1 to 4 p.m. This event is open to VISOA members and the general public. Tickets are available online or can be purchased at the door — $10 for members and $30 for all other attendees.
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