What happens when a strata unit owner's right to privacy
conflicts with the need for common property repairs? Generally, the
unit owner will lose out to the strata council, provided the strata
council acts reasonably and for a legitimate purpose. This is one
of the downsides of strata living: you are not really the king of
your castle. Your personal interest may need to give way to the
collective interests of the strata as a whole.
A recent case from North Vancouver illustrates this
point, though it also highlights the perils of acting unreasonably
and with disregard for the collective interests of your strata
neighbours. Mr. Getzlaf had a ground floor strata unit which opened
onto the strata parkade roof. The building had a lush and extensive
garden on the common property outside his unit that shielded it
from the parkade. Unfortunately, the roof membrane beneath his
garden required replacing, in part because of the damage done to it
by tree roots. The strata held a
