Smear campaigns

Demonizing an owner who challenges the incumbent directors is a shrewed tactic because it works; especially if you claim that the challenger has cost the owners money.

It's unethical but that doesn't matter. In politics, winning matters.

Example #1
Here is a part of the minutes of an AGM from a condo in the GTA:



So an owner asked the auditor about:
• $60,000 shortage in the Reserve Funds.
• $50,000 deficit in the Operating Fund.

So to make up for the $110,000 shortfall, the board should have raised the monthly fees. However that would make the board look bad.

Instead the board announces that the owners need to pay a second Special Assessment of $1,000 a unit and it is all the fault of one owner, who happens to be running for a position on the board.

Example #2
An owner takes his board to Superior Court to:
• get an AGM. (the condo had none in three years.)
• get audited Financial Statements (the condo had none in three years).
• force the board to get a Reserve Fund Study.
• examine certain corporation records.

In total, the owner got 11 court orders against the board.

In response, the board announced a Special Assessment to pay for the legal costs. Then they held the court-ordered AGM.

Prior to the AGM, the president announced that if the incumbents were re-elected, the monthly maintenance fees would not go up and their would not be any more Special Assessments.

Did the owner get elected? Of course not.

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