By-Law #2: Article 3: Members’ Contributions

3.1. Housing charges

  1. Monthly housing charges
  2. Each member must pay housing charges to the co-op on or before the first business day of the month. Monthly housing charges are made up of:

    • The full monthly housing charges for the member’s unit, less any housing charge subsidy.
  3. Other housing charges
  4. Each member must pay additional housing charges, if applicable. These include:

    • The membership fee of $5.00 per member (once only)
    • Sector support levy (if applicable)
    • Late payment charges (if applicable)
    • Bank or financial institution charge for NSF cheques or failed payments
    • NSF administration or failed payment charges
    • Other charges that members must pay under any of the co-op’s by-laws.
  5. Not included in housing charges
  6. Housing charges do not include the following costs to members:

    • Cable or satellite television charges
    • Telephone for a unit
    • Internet for a unit
    • Insurance on the member’s personal property
    • The member’s personal liability insurance
  7. Adjusting items in housing charges
  8. This By-law must be amended in order to change the items that are included in housing charges or not included in housing charges.

3.2. Member Deposit

  1. Paying the Deposit
  2. Members must pay a member deposit of $700.00 to the co-op before moving into their unit. (the co-op can allow for paying at a later date). Member deposit are not transferable from one unit to another and are not to be used as last month’s housing charges.

  3. Returning the Member Deposit
  4. The co-op will return the member deposit within 31 days after members vacate the unit permanently. Before returning the deposit, the co-op can deduct any amount hic the member owes because of:

    • Failure to give proper notice
    • The unit was not left in the condition stated in 5.9 of this By-Law
    • The unit was not left in a condition that does not meet the rules of the move-out policy
    • The member(s) owes month to the co-op
  5. Interest on the Member Deposit
  6. The co-op will not pay interest on the member deposit, in accordance with the Co-operative Corporations Act.

3.3. Other Charges

  1. A member is responsible for and must pay the co-op for any extra costs, charges or expenses caused by:
    • The member,
    • Any person who is a part of the member’s household, or,
    • Any person that the member allows onto the co-op’s property.
  2. This applies even if no co-op by-law has been broken for examples:
    • Charges on returned cheques,
    • Charges for collection of debts,
    • Increased insurance premiums,
    • Legal fees, and,
    • Costs of repairs.

3.4. Housing Charges are Per-Unit

  1. Housing charges and member deposits are payable on a per-unit basis. If more than one member occupies a unit, they are each responsible for the total housing charges, not just a share of them. It does not matter if they are members of the same family or what arrangement they have between them. They must make one single monthly payment the co-op.
  2. If any person moves out of the unit, the remaining members in that unit are still responsible for all the charges which apply to the unit.

3.5. Housing Charges Subsidy

  1. Entitlement to a subsidy is stated in the Appendix C of the Occupancy Agreement.
  2. The Co-ordinator is authorized to determine who is entitled to a subsidy and the amount of the subsidy. Members have the right to appeal to the Board. The Board will determine fair procedures to follow.
  3. Members who have a housing charge subsidy owe the co-op the full housing charges less the subsidy. If the housing charges subsidy funds are provided by government or other funders and the co-op does not receive the subsidy funds, the members must pay the full housing charges. It does not matter why the fuds were not received. It could be because a member was not entitled to the housing charge subsidy, or the funder changed its policies, or for any other reason.

3.6. Participation

  1. Members must attend all general members’ meetings and take part in the co-op as per the Participation Policy.

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