Spitting Mad at Condo Fees and Fines!

J.L. from Ontario, Canada writes:

Dear Mister Condo,

I live in a condo in Ontario, Canada. I recently made a rude choice by spitting on the elevator dashboard. A few days later, I got a letter asking me to pay $50 for “cleaning fees and disinfecting fees” and also that they caught me with a surveillance camera. Are condos allowed to do this? What happens if I do not pay?

Mister Condo replies:

J.L., greetings to you in the Great White North! First off, I think it is fair to say that what you did was completely improper and particularly offensive to your neighbors and even yourself. The fact that is was caught on camera means that there is video evidence of your transgression as well as your own admission that you did, in fact, spit on the elevator dashboard. Cleaning and disinfecting fees should be the least of your worries, my friend. Anti-social behavior like that can lead to a visit from the local police as well. The short answer is “yes”, the condo Board is well within their rights to charge you a fee for cleaning and disinfecting the common element that you defaced and the offense is most likely eligible for a fine as it damaged common property. If you do not pay the fees and fine you could find yourself facing a late fee on top of the fine, truly something to make you foam at the mouth over. My advice is to pay your fine, learn your lesson, and, please, don’t do anything like that again! All the best!