Province trying to take away condo owners’ rights
Has anyone ever wondered when the rights and freedoms we enjoy in Canada are going to be no more? Sadly we often fail to notice these types of things gradually being taken away from us.
Our federal government has been working on this for a while and now the province is moving swiftly in the same direction. Bill 44, rushed through the legislature, is a prime example of our rights and freedoms being taken away.
Since when does a democratically elected government believe it has the right to prevent us from doing what we feel works for us with our own property? Bill 44 effectively takes the right of private property owners to restrict rentals and determine the appropriate age of owners moving into the building. I’m referring to condo owners. We own our individual units and are joint owners of the common areas. Effectively meaning we own everything either as a group or as individuals. For the province to try and dictate what a private property owner can do with his privately owned property is to take away a right and a freedom.
Much of that has already taken place through municipal rules. Where will the province go next? Take away property ownership altogether? Sounds like a move to a form of socialism that exists elsewhere but should not even be thought about in Canada.
Our premier lives in his very nice home on the Lower Mainland but has forgotten our privately owned condos are equal to his privately owned home. There should not be any difference in his home and our condos. Privately owned, fee simple. Wake up Mr. Premier, and elected officials, you’re treading on dangerous ground both for yourselves and the people who elected you. We’ve already heard too many stories of people who choose to rent out homes or units and end up with problem tenants and the difficulties that occur in an effort to evict. Bill 44 is not the solution. Building affordable housing is. In any case, even building affordable housing requires your tax dollars and mine to make it happen. So, we are already obliged to help.
Jack Peake
Duncan