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Status certificates: what must be in one and how to issue it in under an hour

A status certificate is a statement your corporation is bound by. It is also the one document a self-managed board is most often asked for at short notice.

What must be in one

Under the Condominium Act, 1998, s.76, a status certificate states:

The common expenses for the unit, whether they are paid up to date, and any increase the board has declared.

Any assessment the board has levied or intends to levy, and the reserve fund balance with the amount in the current plan.

The corporation's insurance, its budget and its most recent financial statements, the reserve fund study status, and any legal proceedings.

Whether the corporation has any outstanding judgments, and any agreements the unit is affected by.

The mistakes that cost money

Each of these is a way of getting s.76 wrong, and each one binds the corporation.

Stating a balance that is out of date by a week, because the certificate binds the corporation to what it says.

Missing a special assessment that the board has resolved but not yet levied.

Charging more than the statutory cap, or charging the corporation for a document the purchaser pays for.

How the butler issues one

The purchaser or their lawyer orders it in the portal and pays at checkout, so the corporation is never out of pocket.

The butler assembles the certificate from live ledger, budget, reserve and legal-matter data, flags anything stale before it is issued, and records the issued version permanently.

The board reviews and releases it. What was stated, and when, is part of the record.

Records and owner transparency

Authority

What the statute says

Each sentence carries the section it comes from.

A status certificate is provided within ten days of a request accompanied by the fee, the fee is capped at $100, and the content is mandated. Condominium Act, 1998, s.76

The certificate binds the corporation as against a purchaser who relies on it, which is why the butler assembles it from live data rather than from a saved template. Condominium Act, 1998, s.76

The purchaser pays the statutory fee at checkout and the corporation pays nothing. That is a Board Butler rule, not a statutory one. Board Butler pricing, status certificates row

This page explains the rules in plain language and is not legal advice.

Board questions

Questions boards ask

Who pays for a status certificate?

The purchaser pays the statutory fee at checkout. Your corporation pays nothing, and the certificate is issued from live data.

What if a figure changes after we issue it?

The issued version is kept as issued. A change produces a new certificate, and both remain in the record with their dates.

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A status certificate is a statement your corporation is bound by. It is also the one document a self-managed board is most often asked for at short notice.