A Toronto-area condo board has reversed its decision to require a disabled woman with a service dog to register with the property manager every time she visited her family. The board's initial rules faced backlash and legal threats, highlighting the importance of reasonable and enforceable condo bylaws.
The board of a Toronto-area condo is reversing course on an order that forced a disabled woman with a service dog to register with the property manager every time she wanted to visit the building, where her mother and sister live. Emily Mclennan, who drops by 1515 Lakeshore Rd. E., in Mississauga, Ont.
, with her service dog Honey about once a week, had told the board through a lawyer last week that the new rules violate the Ontario Human Rights Code, and gave them until Monday to expunge them or face legal action. 'I'll believe when I see it,' removed from the condo's rules, the Kitchener, Ont., psychotherapist told CBC Toronto. The case is a cautionary example for condo boards says Deborah Howden, a condo law specialist at the Toronto law firm Shibley Righton LLP. 'Rules have to be reasonable, as do bylaws,' said Howden, who was not involved in this case. 'If they are not reasonable, they are not enforceable.' David Lepofsky, chairman of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, says people with service animals must be accommodated under the Ontario Human Rights Code. The controversy began earlier this month when the condo board circulated a letter about an updated rule that bans dogs. That bylaw was accompanied by a separate set of rules that said service dogs would be allowed — but only under certain circumstances. For starters, any visiting service dog must be registered with the building, and its owner must fill out a second form for each visit
Service Dogs Condo Boards Disability Rights Human Rights Code Accessibility
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
City of Calgary reverses course to allow retrieval of Olympic Plaza bricksCalgarians who purchased Olympic Plaza bricks in 1988 will have the opportunity to retrieve them before construction begins in January on a project to transform the downtown park.
Read more »
Huge condo tower now stands twice as tall as anything else in Ontario cityA province-wide condo boom has transformed skylines across Ontario, and Barrie is just the latest city to witness such a change with a new tower that…
Read more »
Morning Update: Corruption and conflict in the world’s newest countryAlso in today’s edition: Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago and Canada’s slumping condo sales
Read more »
Condo Smarts: How reliable is artificial intelligence for strata questions?Is AI reliable for strata questions? You might not want to rely on it for interpretation of legislation, court or tribunal decisions, writes Tony Gioventu.
Read more »
Condo Smarts: Garage maintenance essential to life of buildingNeglecting common property repairs and maintenance simply results in damages and greater costs in the future
Read more »
New Condo and Rental Tower Approved in Burnaby's EdmondsBurnaby city council has approved a mixed-use development featuring a 41-storey condo tower and a six-storey rental building in the Edmonds neighbourhood.
Read more »