Leaky Condos Talk by Lois Avison

Are you considering buying a condo? Don’t! At least not until you have done your homework, and researched all the available information on this issue.

On Sunday afternoon, February 18^th/04, in the White Rock Library meeting room, the Citizens Community Forum had the pleasure of hearing Dr. James Balderson tell us of his personal experiences, and those of others, who had fallen victim to unscrupulous builders of condos. Dr. Balderson has devoted the last 10 years, since his purchase of what turned out to be a leaky condo, informing the public of the hazards. He has organized a group called, Coalition of Leaky Condo Owners, and also operates a web site, www.myleakycondo.com.

If you are already the owner of a leaky condo, look into the Home Owners Protection Program. It offers repair loans, according to the age and financial status of the applicant. There is no maximum—the interest and repayment terms are particularly generous for applicants over 60 years of age. Their phone number is 1-800-407-7757.

For further information, and answers to your questions, contact Dr. James Balderson at his web site. He has a list of all the condos that are leaking, or which have had repairs to try to overcome the problem.

The Citizens Community Forum is an informal discussion group that meets at 2 p.m. on the third Sunday of every month in the Meeting Room at the White Rock Library. All are welcome. Admission is free. The topics chosen for each meeting are often controversial and all are relevant to current social and political affairs. A well-qualified speaker introduces each topic.