An engaged board of directors can lay the foundation for healthy condo governance, Toronto condominium lawyer Deborah Howden tells AdvocateDaily.com.

One director is the president of the board of a 479-unit condo in the city and operates a blog that provides updates on the board’s activities and the building's day-to-day operations.

As well as giving residents a front-row seat to negotiations with vendors and matters of interest in the building, the blog also attracts a broader following from readers across the province who use it as a resource.

Howden, a partner with Shibley Righton LLP's Toronto office, says the blog’s content reflects the board’s hands-on approach, one that she says is unusual in corporations of a similar size.

“Directors of smaller corporations tend to be more engaged because they may not have an on-site property manager,” she says. “Whenever you have a high-rise with lots of units and underground parking, it comes with a certain amount of daily issues that are often left to a management company. But this board is very involved in the day-to-day running of the corporation, alongside management.

“Every condo community is unique, so they all have different needs, but here is a model where the duties aren’t completely carved up between the directors and the property managers. In my view, it creates a really balanced, healthy relationship,” she adds.

This is an excerpt from an article that appeared on AdvocateDaily.com.

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