27 Articles
The syndicate has the legal obligation to safeguard the immovable, concerning work in common and private portions. Such work includes minor or major repairs, and urgent interventions, when the conservation of the built-up patrimony is affected by a fortuitous event. In such occurrences, article 1066 of the Civil Code of Québec provides that no co-owner may interfere with carrying out, even inside his private portion work required for the preservation and which is necessary to…...
Choosing a contractor is a crucial step that should not be taken lightly! Indeed, renovation and construction work constitute a significant budget item, and it is essential that the board of directors takes measures to choose a reliable contractor, ensuring transparency and competitiveness for co-owners. A well-structured and rigorous process is key to avoiding unpleasant surprises and ensuring the quality of the work carried out. Furthermore, a well-conducted call for tenders process can not only…...
As in common portions, work can be carried out in common portions for restricted use, such as building a terrace upon which a co-owner would have exclusive use or transforming a balcony into an additional room attached to an apartment. If such cases, the co-owners must keep in mind that article 1063 of the Civil Code of Québec governs the use they can make of the common portions for restricted use. This article stipulates that:…...
The law has provided legislative provisions for syndicates of co-owners to ensure they are protected in the event of poorly executed work (article 1081 of the Civil Code of Quebec). The legislator aims to address the issues that may arise following a construction project. When work is carried out in common areas, the syndicate benefits from several legal guarantees. These include guarantees for poor workmanship, hidden defects, and loss of the structure. All these rights…...
Co-ownership work is of the utmost importance. Yet, they are more often than not overlooked by the syndicates of co-owners. Work that needs to be done in common portions can be minor or major in scope. Yet one needs money to pay for them. Good financial planning is therefore advisable in the medium and long term, so that the community of co-owners can adequately protect its real estate investment. Replacing windows, the roof or rehabilitating…...
Works carried out in common portions concern the entire community of co-owners, which is why they are often managed by the syndicate. Not only is this action consistent with its purpose and mission (article 1039 of the Civil Code of Québec), which aims to ensure the maintenance and preservation of the immovable, but it also stems from an onerous liability that falls on the syndicate, should the works be poorly executed, for example. In this context,…...
Co-ownerships must set up a contingency fund to finance future work expenses. When it comes to major repairs or the replacement of the common portions, consideration is given to the obligation imposed on the syndicate to preserve the building and its corollary: the constitution of a contingency fund. This fund is funded by a mandatory contribution made by each co-owner to the contingency fund. This will vary depending on the calculation method chosen by the…...
In the case of contingency funds, a syndicate of co-owners must have guidelines for the investment of the sums accumulated in the fund. It must clearly define the return and risk objectives for a given period while taking into account constraints such as liquidity needs, the legal context and exceptional circumstances. This task is delicate, because a syndicate of co-owners acts asadministratorofthe property of others. That is why it must submit to restrictive and precautionary…...
The Asset Management Plan (AMP) is a comprehensive process for ensuring the conservation and maintenance of real property assets. This plan details the information regarding the common elements and the measures required to provide an agreed-upon level of service in the most cost-effective manner, while describing the associated risks. In particular, the AMP defines the intervention scenario to maintain the asset, quantifies the cost of its implementation and establishes the financing strategy, generally over a…...
Replacing windows, reroofing or rehabilitating underground parking slabs, to name but a few, is usually very expensive. Upgrading the common portions generally represents significant costs for the co-ownership and managing them can be complex. This reality is accentuated by the aging of Quebec's housing stock and the new obligations introduced by Bill 16. For this reason, the contingency fund study must set out the financial parameters that will make it possible to calculate the required…...