As a member of Council, you volunteer your time, giving up evenings to attend meetings, and following up with owners and tenants about issues in your building. You threw your hat in the ring to offer some help, perhaps to provide a particular set of skills and knowledge, or because you thought it would be a great way to be a part of your community.
And you were right – it is a great way to be a part of your community! But like anything in life, it also comes with a few headaches. Particularly the headaches caused by those difficult people (you know who we’re talking about) who make it their life’s mission to criticize and cause angst about everything council does...let’s call it Strata Council harassment.
But wait, Strata Council bullies aren’t always the Owners. Sometimes, a Strata Council bully might also sit on the community’s Council as well! This can make things extra difficult, especially if your Strata Council bully makes other members feel uncomfortable and want to quit their roles. Don’t let that happen, we have prepared some tips for you below.
Often referred to as “strata trolls”, this is a term borrowed from a very prominent character we have all become familiar with over the last decade or so – the internet troll. You know this character…they post inflammatory, off-topic or just plain unnecessary comments in online communities. Read the comment section on any news site – it will be rampant with internet trolls.
“In this era of keyboard warriors, being a jerk has become synonymous with speaking your mind,” points out Paul Mendes, Partner, Lesperance Mendes Law Firm, “But the internet troll is no different from what I call the Strata Council bullies”.
The Strata Council bullies are the kind of people who enjoy annoying people, think everyone is up to something and monopolize conversations. Unfortunately, they do exist! And while you may even have more than one, fear not, there are simple ways to deal with Strata Council bullies.
First – know who they are. According to Mendes, there are a few ways to identify them:
Once you identify these bullies, it is essential to take action. This kind of behaviour is not good for your community’s health, let alone the health of your Council Members.
Bullying goes against bylaws. WHAT? Yes, you heard us. This kind of Strata Council harassment is not allowed, and according to Mendes, it is a contravention of your Strata’s Bylaws.
Note: The Property Bylaw that most stratas have references behaviour that would represent bullying. This can be found in Standard Strata Bylaw #3 which outlines examples of unacceptable behaviour.
“The Strata Council bullies are often outraged by everything, and it’s difficult to figure out what their motivation is”, explains Mendes. “But regardless of their motivation, it is very important to enforce your bylaws to maintain control of the situation and send a message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Whether your community Strata Council bully is an Owner or a part of the Council, here are a few important things to consider:
As a few extra tips, here are some pointers to consider if your Strata Council bully sits on Council. Let’s work together to get out of this nightmare!
Protect your Owners by considering the following:
If a Strata Council member hasn’t formally violated any bylaws in your Property Bylaw (which most stratas have), but their behaviour still proves to be disruptive in a community, use the next election as a way to improve your Council.
Council Members are elected every year at the AGM. Individuals who reach the “majority vote” and have the most votes are welcome to serve on the Strata Council.
Find out what characteristics make a good Council Member and how Council is chosen by taking a look at our Strata Council – The Guide To Success [Strata 101 Series] Blog Post.
The worst thing that can happen is working with a management company that doesn’t acknowledge the behaviour and allows it to persist...what?!
At Tribe, we take great responsibility in ensuring that our staff are protected from the health and safety risks that result from abusive behaviour. Whether that comes from a Council Bully Owner or Council Member, we recommend that Strata Council acts immediately by sending a violation letter to ensure that this behaviour doesn’t continue. We find that not dealing with this quickly sends the message that this behaviour is acceptable
The world of strata, not unlike the rest of the world, is made up of diverse personalities with unique communication styles, needs and ways of perceiving the world. Keep a level head, communicate clearly, record everything, and enforce your bylaws.
Good luck!
Thank you to Paul Mendes, Partner, Lesperance Mendes, for guest speaking at our recent Tribe Open House on “Communicating with Difficult People” and “Short-term Rentals”. You can follow Paul on Twitter here.