Dear Tony: Our strata corporation has been having the “ban live-cut Christmas trees” debate for several years without much success. Every year, there is at least one owner or tenant who abandons their dead tree in the parking garage, or rams it down the garbage chute, or tosses it off their balcony into our landscaping, or drags it through a hallway, leaving a trail of needles in the carpets. Our cameras only capture the front entry of our building and the culprits are never identified. How could we best encourage our owners to support our bylaws that would prohibit live trees for holidays and festivals?
Kyra Browning, Surrey
Holiday decorations are a wonderful way to brighten up the dark winter months and to celebrate festivals year round, but they do come with liabilities. Live trees are a nostalgic Christmas tradition, and yet they come with the dangers of increased fire risk, damaging common areas, pest infestations (always a treat when the bugs hatch) and increased maintenance. Even if your owners adopt a bylaw that prohibits live trees, don’t be surprised to find a few owners who still smuggle in live trees during the late-night hours.
In many situations, a good dose of resident awareness might solve your problems. A seasonal flier can encourage owners to properly care for their trees and tell them how to reduce fire hazards and when and how to recycle their trees. A free tree bag encourages everyone to seal their trees before they drag them through common areas.
In addition to trees, pay attention to exterior decorations if they are permitted, such as lights or displays. Strings of lights stapled to a building exterior could result in far more damage than a dried old tree dragged down your hallways.
While the displays and lights seem like a good idea, not everyone in your complex might share the same beliefs. Be open-minded about supporting other festivals through the year and avoid restricting your bylaws to the Christmas season. If you decorate your common areas or lobby for the Christmas season, consider the traditions of all residents and how they wish to celebrate their holidays.
There are also activities associated with New Year celebrations and festivals to be considered. Fireworks and firecrackers increase the risk of fire, and the noise could be a nuisance to residents and harmful to pets. Lighting fireworks off a rooftop deck or a balcony is just a bad idea.
After the recent Halloween season of fireworks disasters, several townhouse complexes have banned any types of fireworks, firecrackers or sparklers in a strata lot or on common property.
Living in a strata corporation comes with the routine noises and disruptions of everyone sharing the same common facilities and walls. The traditional countdown party to New Year’s Eve is anticipated. The New Year’s party that is raucous until 4 a.m. is a nuisance. In a strata corporation, your home is not your castle. But it is a great living experience for many of us who understand that our activities and behaviours need tobe tempered with consideration and respect for our neighbours. A safe holiday season to all.
Tony Gioventu is executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association.
