Co-operative Housing: Members' Rights and Duties

What is a housing co-operative?

A housing co-operative, or a co-op, for short, is an incorporated, non-profit association that owns housing for its members. The members are people who want to live in a mixed-income community where they have a voice and a vote in decisions affecting their housing. Co-op housing is a home, not an investment.

What law applies to housing co-ops?

A co-op’s “occupancy agreement” is like a lease. It sets out members’ rights and responsibilities as residents. The “rules of the association” set out the membership conditions. Both the agreement and the rules must be consistent with the BC Cooperative Association Act (the Act).

Who are members?

The people who own and live in a housing co-op are called “members.” Normally, a member must be at least 19 years old (although a co-op may allow members as young as 16). A member must also own at least one common share in the association and live in one of the co-op housing units. Members are not tenants, so the BC Residential Tenancy Act does not apply to them and they don’t pay rent. Instead, they pay a monthly housing charge for the mortgage, taxes, and operating expenses. Some members pay a housing charge based on their income – usually, about 30% of their gross household income. Other members pay a housing charge close to market rates. Together, the members own their housing jointly and control the governance and management of the housing co-op.

What rights do members have?

Members can:

1. attend, speak, and vote at general meetings where major decisions are made, such as changing policies and rules, setting housing charges, and electing directors.
2. elect the members of the board of directors, or run for election as one of the directors – if they want to be more involved in governing the co-op.
3. live permanently in their unit as long as they need the housing the co-op provides and accept membership responsibilities. But if the co-op ends a person’s membership, the person must leave the co-op. If they don’t, the co-op can apply to the BC Supreme Court for possession of the person’s unit.
4. use services provided by the co-op, at as close as possible to the actual cost.
5. withdraw from the co-op or transfer their share in it to another person – with the consent of the co-op’s directors.

What if members have a dispute?

Co-ops govern, or look after, themselves. The rules and policies of most co-ops have procedures to solve disputes between individual members and between the association and individual members. Members should follow those procedures to solve disputes. If that doesn’t work, they can seek help through arbitration or a court. Arbitration is less formal than a court. A person with a dispute who is no longer a member has only 6 months after leaving the co-op to seek arbitration or go to court. An arbitration decision is final, unless the co-op rules allow a person to appeal to court. If a co-op ends a person’s membership, the person cannot use arbitration to appeal that action – they have to go to court, as explained below.

What happens at co-op meetings?

Members of co-ops work together to govern and manage the co-op through an elected board of directors and various committees. The members themselves, as well as the committees and the board of directors, all hold meetings to deal with things like admitting new members, finance, policy-making, and major decisions for members. Co-ops also hire professional management services and contract for other services like bookkeeping and maintenance.

What do members have to do?

Members have to follow the co-op rules, which are made by members. That means members have to:

1. follow the rules on parking, maintenance of the housing, and participation in the co-op.
2. attend general meetings and meetings of any committee they belong to.
3. pay their housing charges and shares in full and on time. All money payable is a debt to the co-op. If a member does not pay, the co-op can put a lien (a charge) on their shares. The co-op can also end a person’s membership for failure to pay.

What if two or more people are joint members of a co-op?

Only one of the joint members can be a director at one time and only the person whose name appears first on the share certificate can vote – unless the co-op’s rules say otherwise. All joint members are responsible for paying any assessments, levies, dues, fees, payments and other charges relating to membership and the co-op can collect that money from any joint member.

When can a co-op end a person’s membership?

A co-op can end (terminate) a person’s membership in any of the following cases:

• if the person does not pay rent, occupancy charges, or other money they owe for the use of the premises.
• if the directors believe that the person violated a “material (important) condition” in the occupancy agreement.
• for conduct detrimental to the co-op.

The co-op must first give notice of the problem to the person and give them a chance to correct it. A motion to end a person’s membership for one of these reasons needs approval by 75% of all directors in a meeting called for this purpose. The co-op has to give the person notice of the directors’ meeting, and let them appear and speak at the meeting. A person whose membership is ended is entitled to a refund of what they paid for their shares, minus any money they owe to the co-op. When a co-op ends a person’s membership, the person’s occupancy agreement also ends, so they can no longer live in the co-op.

What if a person disagrees with the directors’ decision to end their membership?

The person can appeal to the members at the next membership meeting and continue as a member until the appeal is heard. But first, they have to notify the directors that they plan to appeal. And they have to do this within 7 days of when they are notified of the directors’ decision to end their membership.

If the members confirm the directors’ decision, the person can apply to the BC Supreme Court to rule that the termination of their membership wasn’t justified – because the co-op violated principles of natural justice or its decision was not reasonably supported by the facts or authorized under the Act.

There is a 30-day limit to apply to the Supreme Court. People need help from a lawyer before doing this.

When can a co-op end a person’s occupancy agreement?

A co-op can end (terminate) a person’s occupancy agreement for any breach of the occupancy agreement. The most common reason is non-payment of housing charges. The board must first demand in writing that the person correct the problem. If the person doesn’t correct it, the board can pass a resolution by a simple majority to end the occupancy agreement.

When the occupancy agreement ends, the person’s membership also ends and they must then leave the co-op. But first they have the appeal right the previous section (on appealing a membership termination) describes.

More information

Check the website of the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC at www.chf.bc.ca or call them at 604.879.5111 in Vancouver and 1.866.879.5111, toll-free, elsewhere in BC. The Federation website has model rules and occupancy agreement, a guide to the model rules, and a guide to the Act. They are under the “Members Resources” link, which is under the “Education” link on the main page. This website also has a link to the Act.

As well, both the Cooperative Association Act and Cooperative Association Regulation are available at www.bclaws.ca – click on “Statutes and Regulations” and then on “C” in the alphabetical list. Scroll down and click on the name of the Act and Regulation to view them. Some public libraries also have copies of BC laws and regulations.

Finally, check the website of the Community Legal Assistance Society at www.clasbc.net.

[updated October 2012]

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In law, to formally deliver documents to a person in a manner that complies with the rules of court. Service may be ordinary (mailed or delivered to a litigant's address for service), personal (hand-delivered to a person), or substituted (performed in a way other than the rules normally require). See "address for delivery," "ordinary service," "personal service" and "substituted service."

An agreement that requires payment for the use of property, under which the owner of property, like a car or an apartment, gives up the right to occupy and use that property in exchange for a sum of money. A "lessor" is the person who retains ownership of the property and receives money for its use. A "lessee" is the person who purchases the right of possession and use of the property.

The conditional transfer of the title to real property by an owner to another person in return for money given by that person as a loan, while retaining possession of the property. The party to whom title is given, the "mortgagee," usually a bank, is allowed to register the title of the property in their name if the person taking the loan, the "mortgagor," fails to make the required payments. See "encumbrance" and "real property."

In law, the making of a choice between two or more options.

Normally referred to as the "Supreme Court of British Columbia," this court hears most of the trials in this province. The Supreme Court is a court of inherent jurisdiction and has no limits on the sorts of claims it can hear or on the sorts of orders it can make. Decisions of the Provincial Court are appealed to the Supreme Court; decisions of the Supreme Court are appealed to the Court of Appeal. See "Court of Appeal," "jurisdiction," "Provincial Court" and "Supreme Court of Canada."

In law, the right to have the control and use of a thing. One can have a right to the possession of a thing without owning it, as in the case of a car lease, or ownership without possession, as in the case of a landlord who rents an apartment suite. See "ownership."

In property law, the act of an owner of a thing giving ownership of that thing to another person, usually in exchange for money or other property in the case of a sale, or in exchange for other rights in the case of a family law agreement. See "family law agreements," "ownership" and "sale."

(1) Agreement, or (2) the giving of permission for a thing to happen or not happen.

A dispute resolution process in which an arbitrator hears the evidence and arguments presented by the parties to a legal dispute and makes an award that resolves the dispute and is binding on the parties. The arbitration of family law disputes is governed by rules set out in Part 2, Division 4 of the Family Law Act. See "alternative dispute resolution" and "family law arbitrator."

In law, (1) a judge's conclusions after hearing argument and considering the evidence presented at a trial or an application, (2) a judgment, or (3) the judge's reasons. A judge's written or oral decision will include the judge's conclusions about the relief or remedies claimed as well as their findings of fact and conclusions of law. A written decision is called the judge’s "reasons for judgment." See "common law," "conclusions of law" and "findings of fact."

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A court proceeding in which one party sues another for a specific remedy or relief, also called a "lawsuit" or a "case." An action for divorce, for example, is a court proceeding in which the claimant sues the respondent for the relief of a divorce order.

An agreement between two or more people, giving them obligations towards each other that can be enforced in court. A valid contract must be offered by one person and accepted by the other, and some form of payment or other thing of value must generally be exchanged between the parties to the contract.

In family law, an antiquated term referring to child support and spousal support. See "child support" and "spousal support."

A sum of money or an obligation owed by one person to another. A "debtor" is a person responsible for paying a debt; a "creditor" is the person to whom the debt is owed.

(1) In real property law, a piece of property and a building situated on it, usually including the area of the property surrounding a building on that property. (2) In law generally, a premise is an assumption that founds a logical argument. See "argument" and "real property."

In law, something that is relevant or important. A material fact, for example, is a fact relevant to a claim or a defence to a claim. See "claim," "evidence" and "fact."

In law, an application to the court for an order, usually brought after the commencement of a court proceeding but before its conclusion by trial or settlement; an interim application. See "action," "interim application," and "order."

A judge of the superior courts of British Columbia, being the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

A person licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction by that jurisdiction's law society. See "barrister and solicitor."

A kind of legislation that provides supplemental rules for a particular act. Regulations are created and amended by the government, not by the legislature, and as a result the legislature has no say in how or what regulations are imposed by government. See "act."