Dear Tony:
Before the holiday break we had a cold snap in the interior and our dry sprinkler system in the unheated underground parking failed.
A build up of condensation through the summer collected in the lines, it froze during the cold snap and when it warmed it set off the system on several levels.
Good news, other than several cars with complimentary washes we did not suffer any damages; however, the incident cost for repairs to the system is significant. We have annual service and inspection, and council are questioning whether the lines should have been blown out before winter, and whose responsibility is it?
The property manager advised it was the service company, the service company advised they have never done this as they were never contracted for it, and it turns out we don鈥檛 actually have a service agreement. We鈥檙e resigned to the bills, but we hope to prevent this type of problem in the future.
鈥擱on J.
Dear Ron:
Strata corporations enter into an extensive number of service and maintenance contracts. Not all services are defined within annual contracts or agreements, so it is essential the orders for work include a defined scope to be performed each year.
Start the new year with one goal, collect and identify all components of your building(s) that require professional/services and create a schedule of when these services are performed, the contractors and service providers, and the scope of services for review of each of the providers.
There may be a variety of services that are considered 鈥渁dd-ons鈥 and not part of routine services, but those are often just as important as the key services. The servicing of your dry system is a good example. During the previous winter, failed dry systems in parking garages were a common complaint.
As strata councils, we rely on our service providers to give us recommendations for routine maintenance and servicing, but strata corporations cut corners for minimal cost, and even eliminate essential services.
Every council member should be aware of the schedule of services that occur for a strata corporation as they are ultimately responsible for the decisions and budget implementations approved by the owners.
A published schedule of the service providers and overview of their contracts is critical for the council and property managers to coordinate the budgeting requirements and performance of the services.
Neglected maintenance and repairs isn鈥檛 just an incident. It dramatically increases costs for emergencies, labour costs, disruptions to owners and ultimately your risk for insurance coverage resulting in increased deductibles and policy costs.
Start 2025 with a structured inventory of your service requirements. Verify contracts and agreements are up to date and consult with service providers on the recommended scope necessary to prevent failures and deliver efficient operating of your building systems.
Tony Gioventu is executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association.
