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Notes from the building record.
Plain-language writing for BC strata councils and property managers. Field-tested notes on inspections, planned maintenance, envelope care, and the technical record that keeps buildings out of crisis.
Recent writing.
Short, focused pieces on the questions BC building decision-makers ask most often. Filter by category, or scan the full archive.
8 articles
Records
6 min read
Lost alteration agreements, and the roofing project that finds them →
A 68-unit townhouse community heads into a roof replacement with 11 owner-installed skylights and no agreements on file. Commentary on a Condo Smarts column.
Special levies
8 min read
When the levy arrives with 15 days notice →
Reported Canadian levies of $30,000 to $42,500 per unit, and the deferral history that produced them. Including the $400 repair that became millions.
Special levies
7 min read
Reading special levy risk before you buy →
Form B, minutes, and the depreciation report each show a different part of levy exposure. What the documents show, and what they cannot.
Fire safety
6 min read
Strata fire safety inspections in BC →
Who is responsible, what is inspected, and how fire safety fits with the rest of building oversight on common property.
Maintenance
7 min read
Planned vs reactive maintenance for strata →
Why the ratio between planned and reactive work is the strongest predictor of special-levy risk, and how a building record shifts the balance.
Envelope
6 min read
Exterior building maintenance services →
Envelope, roof, drainage, sealants, and the exterior items most often missed between formal reports in coastal BC.
Inspections
5 min read
Condo vs strata inspections in BC →
Same legal structure under the Strata Property Act, different inspection scope. A short primer on what shifts between building types.
Finance
5 min read
CAM expenses explained →
What Common Area Maintenance means in a BC strata context, and how it relates to the operating fund and contingency reserve.
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