I’m On Strata Council

1 out of 3

You care about your strata property investment, and don’t mind sacrificing some time so that you have some control over how things get done.  You know that volunteering in strata can often be thankless, and you’re not in this to be appreciated, or to get a thank you card.  You’re in this to protect your investment, save money, and to make sure the right decisions get made.  All the emails, council meetings, and fellow owners asking you questions in the elevator are all worth it to be able to have a say in how the strata corporation is operated.  Someone has to be on guard to make sure things don’t fall apart.

You believe there are a few certainties in life:  death, taxes, and insurance.  Your role on strata council is to minimize risk, and to ensure that nothing happens that could make the strata corporation liable.  The other 95% of owners don’t seem to care about the building and what goes on, so it’s up to you to be on top of things.  You rely on the strata manager to bring up the issues to vote on.  You also have two to six other council members who are equally responsible on strata council.  Sometimes the council makes a decision that you agree with, and sometimes they don’t.  You trust that as a group, you’re doing a pretty good job, considering the circumstances.

Aside from a few minor issues, the building seems to be running decently, and there’s more and more money in the bank.  You might even enjoy feeling important, and having your opinion mean something.  There are some occasional laughs to be had at the council meeting from time to time, and it’s been fun to catch up and meet once a month.  As for all the other things happening in the community, what you don’t know can’t hurt you.

What if the things you don’t know not only can hurt you, they end up causing trouble for you and council for weeks, months and even years?   What if the way strata councils in BC normally operate often sets off a chain of events that ends up costing all owners more time and money, while causing stress for many people, including you?