Proposed Changes to the CAT's Jurisdiction - CCI Eastern Ontario Chapter

Legislative Newsflash - Proposed Changes to the CAT'S Jurisdiction

One of the many changes to the condominium legislative landscape that came into force on November 1, 2017 was the creation of the Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT). Since its inception, the CAT has only had the jurisdiction to deal with disputes over condominium records. However, the Government of Ontario recently announced proposed changes to the regulations under the Condominium Act, 1998 that would significantly increase the scope of the CAT's jurisdiction.

According to the summary provided by the government, the other disputes that would fall under the CAT's expanded jurisdiction would include:

disputes about certain nuisances that are being transmitted from one unit to another;
disputes arising from provisions in the condominium corporation's governing documents that relate to pets or other animals, vehicles, parking or storage; and
disputes relating to the interpretation and application of a condominium corporation's indemnification provisions in those types of disputes mentioned above.

The government is accepting comments on these proposed changes until January 31, 2020. We would encourage any condominium industry stakeholder who has an opinion on these matters to provide comments before that date.