Written by: Zachary A. Fischer On December 5, 2024, Bill 30, or the Service Alberta Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, received royal assent. Bill 30 brings amendments to different pieces of Alberta legislation. One such piece of legislation is the Condominium Property Act, RSA 2000, c C-22 (the “Act”). For both condominium owners and boards, Bill 30 brings long-awaited and important changes. A summary of key amendments is included below: The Establishment of the Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal Perhaps the biggest announcement in Bill 30 is the introduction of the Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal. Currently, when a dispute arises between a condominium owner or owners and their condo board, the matter often must be resolved through the court system. However, the court process is long and expensive. Parties to a dispute may find themselves in situations where the legal costs of pursuing a matter far eclipses the value of the claim. This leads to situations where condominium boards or owners decide not to pursue a matter even though they may be legally entitled to a remedy. The proposed tribunal should allow parties to pursue claims and resolve disputes on a timelier and more cost-effective basis, while reducing the burden on our court system. Similar tribunals have already been established in other provinces with great success. While the scope, powers, and procedures of the tribunal won’t be fully known until the governing regulations have been introduced, this is an exciting and long-awaited development for condominium owners. Governance and Voting Bill 30 brings protection for individuals who act as members of condominium boards. Where an action is brought against such a member acting for a board, and the member is held not to be liable, then the court may now award enhanced costs in favour of that member. This imposes a potential penalty on anyone who brings meritless or unnecessary claims against those sitting on the board of a condominium. Changes are also proposed to help simplify voting during meetings, allowing for votes to take place based on one-vote-per-owner rather than units factors. This streamlines the voting process for both owners and boards and reduces administrative headaches. However, an owner will still have the right to request that a unit factor vote be held instead. Chargebacks The law around condominium chargebacks has been an area of confusion for condominium owners, boards, and lawyers. Bill 30 seeks to add some much-needed clarity by specifying what can be charged by a condominium corporation back to an owner. The proposed amendments also stipulate the maximum amount that can be charged back to an owner as well as making it clear that an owner has the right to dispute the amount of the chargeback. Conclusion Besides the changes discussed above, there were many other amendments to the Act which serve to promote the efficient governance of condominium corporations and protect owners and board members alike. These changes will take effect upon proclamation, the date of which is unknown, but Parlee McLaws LLP is ready to help owners and condominium boards alike navigate the new amendments once they are in place.