Whether you live in a highrise tower or townhouse complex, urban or suburban, own or rent, condominiums are communities consisting of single residents, families and seniors, they are as diverse and complex as any residential or metropolitan area in the province. As condo managers and board members know, not surprisingly, condominium disputes arise. The Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT) was created to handle many of these disputes.
The CAT exists under the Condominium Authority of Ontario (CAO), a regulatory body that provides resources for condo residents, owners and directors. As their website states, “the CAT is Ontario’s first fully online tribunal, which uses an online dispute resolution system (CAT-ODR) to help people resolve certain types of condominium-related disputes conveniently, quickly, and affordably.”
The CAT’s jurisdiction has expanded since its inception. The CAT can currently accept applications for the following issues: Condominium Records, Pets and Animals, Vehicles, Parking and Storage, Noise, Odours, Vibration, Light, Smoke and Vapour, disputes about provisions in a condo corporation’s governing documents that govern the indemnification or compensation related to these issues and Compliance with Settlement Agreements.
The process to file a new application with CAT can be daunting to those unfamiliar with it. To make the process more accessible for all involved, the CAT developed a series of user guides to help users understand and navigate the CAT’s online dispute system.
At this time nine user guides are available. The subjects include the CAT’s confidentiality, how to file an application, a guide for respondents and intervenors, negotiation, mediation and Tribunal decisions. The step-by-step explanatory guides are easily accessed and printable and are available in Word (downloads to your desktop or other electronic device) or PDF formats.
The CAO has produced other online guides that explain broader governance topics including the Rules of Practice of the CAT, CAT member conduct and CAT Ethical Framework.
You can find a link to the CAT user guides through our Lash Condo Law resource page along with some of the other CAT guides, or you can access them here.
