ACMO Comments on the White Paper on Proposed Licensing of ...

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<strong>ACMO</strong> has a close working relationship with the Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI)
which represents primarily the condominium owners. A key example of this collaboration
is the national conference held each year and cosponsored by the two associations.
Ontario
There is no direct government regulation of the condominium management professional
nor the condominium management companies in Ontario. <strong>ACMO</strong> has been in ongoing
discussions with the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations (MCCR) on the
issue of professional self-management. MCCR oversees self-management councils in a
number of sectors. Typically the sectors involved have had serious consumer complaints,
e.g. travel agencies, car body repairs shops, real estate agents. There has been no such
impetus in the condominium management sector. Nevertheless, <strong>ACMO</strong> is urging selfmanagement
in light of the increasing complexity in condominium legislation, the
significant fiduciary responsibilities associated with condominium management and the
potential for inadequate management of the physical building structures.
Many of the <strong>ACMO</strong> services described above are positioning the profession for selfmanagement.
As will be described in more detail to follow, many of the issues raised in
the White Paper are currently being handled by <strong>ACMO</strong>.
<strong>Comments</strong> on the White Paper
The following comments on the key aspects of the White Paper are based upon <strong>ACMO</strong>’s
experience in Ontario. While there are obviously some differences between B.C. and
Ontario, the fundamentals of the condominium communities are very similar.
Licensing of the Firm
In <strong>ACMO</strong>’s view it is important that the condominium management company have the
proper tools in place to permit professional management by its staff. <strong>ACMO</strong> has handled
this issue in two ways. First, the Corporate member must have a RCM supervising all
condominium management functions. This ensures that a well trained staff member has
ultimate responsibility for the management functions at each condominium corporation.
Second, condominium management firms can go to the next level and obtain their
<strong>ACMO</strong> 2000 certification. The quality standards required of these firms is extensive. 2
However the intrusion into the financial affairs of the condominium management firm is
not as extensive as that proposed in the White Paper. <strong>ACMO</strong> 2000 firms are required to
provide a bank reference and must demonstrate that they keep proper financial records of
their own business. The are also required to carry insurance including errors and
omissions.
2 A copy of the Standards Manual will be forwarded with a hard copy of this submission. The manual
contais minimum standards in a broad range of areas including: financial reporting for client; contracts;
dealings with suppliers and ongoing staff training.