Murray Johnson R.C.M. Crossbridge Condominium Services
The Last Word
Consumer Protection or Consumer Cost? That is the Question
Looking back over the period from November 2017 and into this new year and trying to articulate what has transpired is overwhelming. In the last 14 months I have had to review, learn and understand over 17 different pieces of legislation, regulation and code just to be able to do my day-to-day job.
ILLUSTRATION BY FIONA SMYTH
I had to learn a new code of ethics that applies specifically to me and what I do for a living. I had to consider how staff performing against the Condominium Management Services Act code of ethics affects the livelihood of the many employees, managers, accounting and support staff we have counting on us. We must be very careful, but then most have always been very careful in how we provide our services. As managers and directors, we go about learning and trying to understand the multitude of new rules and regulations and we’re getting pretty good at that. Managers are learning to adapt to the new regulatory requirements and directors are taking their required train-
ing (for the most part). It seems like the mechanics of condominium governance, contrary to some predictions, did not come tumbling down, imploding into itself. We’re still here and for the most part we’re chugging along and getting things done. Sounds pretty good… or does it? Contrary to the code of conduct that says we shall not represent ourselves as a professional in a field we are not qualified for, some managers are still offering legal and other non-management professional advice. Directors are taking the courses but they’re not all applying the content they learned. The bridge between the mechanics of governance, doing the dayto-day tasks, and the ethical and moral soft skills required to be squeaky clean are getting lost in the noise of condo living and managing. It’s very hard to make that split-second decision and consider the new regulations and ethics when you’re in the middle of a flood. No doubt that the vast majority of directors and managers are exactly that, “squeaky clean” and above reproach…
until someone steps forward with wild accusations and innuendo and then the ability to defend oneself seems to get lost in the lack of accurate record keeping. Sadly, this new level of so-called consumer protection is far from cost free. Seems everyone; directors, managers, management firms and even owners and residents are taking a stance based on risk mitigation. Are we shifting from customer service to self-protection, and if we are, what is the cost? When multiple managers have been stripped of their licenses and are unable to practise in this province, I fear that the industry has not taken full ownership of the new license standards and code of ethics. Every manager should be able to recite the conditions attached to their level of license and every director should be able to demonstrate that they are in compliance with ethical procurement, governance and the many regulations affecting condominiums. Managers are simply not going to say “no problem, we can do that, no extra cost” CONDOVOICE SPRING 2019
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