We came across this Condo Smarts post by Tony Gioventu from Condominium Home Owners’ Association of British Columbia that highlights the limits of a strata lot owner’s right to alter common property without permission of the strata council. Read the full article below to learn more about consequences to unauthorized modification of common property, such as adding new plants or attaching items to the exterior of buildings.
Dear Tony:
When I bought my home in 2005, I was told by the seller, who was the president of council at the time, I was responsible for my limited common property garden areas around my patio. I have a 2 bedroom ground floor unit adjacent to green space in North Vancouver and the patio area is a significant part of my lifestyle. As a result of our deprecation report and a building inspection, the strata council have recently approached me and advised I had to remove the pond I
had installed and that three trees that I had planted were going to either have to be removed or at least pruned significantly to avoid damages to our building. I am refusing to remove any of the additions that I have made to the area as it adds so much value to my home. Surely I can keep these alterations as they have been there since 2005 and I have always paid for their upkeep?
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