SLIP UP!

After moving to Ottawa and paying full-market rent on the private market, I applied for a subsidized apartment in a co-op under construction.  How comforting it was to move into such a beautiful apartment and building in general.  The building was 100% accessible and what I loved about my apartment was the shiny black wall-mounted oven.  Everything was so clean, sturdy and upbeat.  Above all, I felt secure.  I loved my new home and I really enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people and learning about disability issues.  

I met my future husband through the co-op movement.  He was one of the developers of the co-op and other co-ops throughout the city.  Things were progressing normally until one day I received a notice under my door.  Here's an excerpt from my blog posting dated January 16, 2009 entitled Evictions Part I:

... a husband and wife were on the Board of Directors together. They ran duct tape across the office floor near the entrance and a sign on the counter read "DO NOT CROSS THIS LINE". Well, I guess I transgressed this new principle in law, because a Notice was slipped under my door informing me that I had to attend a Hearing at the next Board meeting and that they were charging me with being a nuisance. A review of the By-laws quickly indicated to me that this could lead to eviction, so I contacted a lawyer. The lawyer advised me to invite ALL the members to attend my Board Hearing. At the next General Meeting, I stood up in front of the members and invited everyone. A short time later a Notice was distributed to members, indicating that this so-called Hearing had been postponed, not dropped. I wanted to pursue this further, as I knew how vulnerable people could be to this type of abuse. I asked the Board to hold a meeting to allow my lawyer to speak to the members about their rights. The Board refused, so I booked the hall in my own name and invited the lawyer. The meeting was very well attended, appreciated and a real eye opener for all.

Co-ops can be insular and cult-like. It's healthy to keep a foothold in the real world.

This was a foray into how twisted and dangerous co-ops can be.