Court-appointed strata administrators: when a court takes over
When a strata's governance breaks down completely, any owner can ask the BC Supreme Court to appoint an outsider to run it. It is rare, expensive and slow, which is why it is usually the last resort.
Last reviewed November 13, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.
The short answer
Under section 174 of the Strata Property Act, the strata corporation, an owner, tenant, mortgagee or anyone else with an interest in a strata lot can apply to the BC Supreme Court to appoint an administrator to exercise some or all of the strata corporation's powers and duties. The court appoints one only if it is in the best interests of the strata corporation. The court sets the term and pay, and the strata corporation pays the administrator's remuneration and expenses, which means every owner does. An administrator still needs the owners' vote for decisions the Act reserves to them, unless the court orders otherwise.
What an administrator is
An administrator is a person appointed by the court, often an experienced strata manager or a lawyer, to run some or all of the strata corporation's affairs in place of the council. Section 174(3) gives the court wide flexibility. It may:
- appoint the administrator for an indefinite or set period,
- set the administrator's remuneration,
- order that the administrator exercise some or all of the strata corporation's powers and duties, and
- relieve the strata corporation of some or all of its powers and duties.
The administrator may delegate a power (section 174(5)). On application, the court can remove or replace the administrator or change the order (section 174(6)).
What an administrator cannot do, unless the court orders otherwise, is skip the owners' vote. Section 174(7) says that if the Act requires a majority, 3/4, 80% or unanimous vote before a power is used, the administrator must get that approval first. So budgets, special levies and bylaw changes still go to the owners.
When courts appoint an administrator
The test in section 174(2) is whether the appointment is in the best interests of the strata corporation. BC courts have generally treated it as an exceptional remedy. Situations that have led to appointments include:
- Council cannot function: no quorum, no council at all, or factions so entrenched that decisions are not being made.
- Serious mismanagement: missing records, unpaid bills, insurance not renewed, or funds not accounted for.
- Repeated failure to follow the Act: no AGMs, no budgets, no response to records requests.
- Major projects stalled by conflict where delay is harming the building.
Courts also look at whether other, less drastic tools have been tried. Owners can call a special general meeting with 20% of the votes (section 43), remove council members by majority vote (Standard Bylaw 11), and bring claims to the Civil Resolution Tribunal. Those are faster and far cheaper, and an applicant who has not tried them may struggle to show the appointment is needed.
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What it costs, and who pays
Section 174(4) is blunt: the administrator's remuneration and expenses must be paid by the strata corporation. That cost flows through the operating budget or a special levy to every owner, including the owners who opposed the application.
On top of that are the legal costs of the court application itself, which can be significant, and the cost of the administrator's time, usually billed hourly or monthly as the court approves. Owners considering an application should get legal advice early, because the court decides who bears the costs of the application.
How an application works
- Document the problem. Collect minutes, notices, unanswered records requests, financial statements and correspondence. Courts want evidence, not frustration.
- Try the ordinary tools first: a written request to council, a records request under section 36, an owner-demanded SGM under section 43, and if needed a Civil Resolution Tribunal claim.
- Find a proposed administrator. Applicants usually propose a qualified person willing to act and give the court their terms.
- Apply to the BC Supreme Court under section 174(1), with notice to the strata corporation. This is a court proceeding; the Civil Resolution Tribunal does not appoint administrators.
- The court decides whether to appoint, on what terms and for how long.
- Ending the appointment. It ends when the set period expires, or when the court removes the administrator on application, usually once a functioning council is back in place.
How stratas avoid ever needing one
Administrators are almost always the end of a long slide: records not kept, meetings not held, owners not informed. The fixes are dull but effective:
- Hold the AGM within two months of the fiscal year end (section 40).
- Send council minutes to owners within two weeks of every meeting (Standard Bylaw 19).
- Answer records requests within two weeks (section 36).
- Keep the records section 35 lists, for the periods in Regulation 4.1.
- Fill council vacancies promptly (Standard Bylaw 12) and keep at least a quorum.
A council that does these things is very hard to displace, because there is little for a court to fix.
Questions councils and owners ask
Who can apply for a strata administrator in BC?
The strata corporation itself, or an owner, tenant, mortgagee or other person with an interest in a strata lot (section 174(1)).
Can the Civil Resolution Tribunal appoint an administrator?
No. Section 174 gives that power to the BC Supreme Court.
Who pays for a court-appointed administrator?
The strata corporation pays the administrator's remuneration and expenses (section 174(4)), so the cost is shared by all owners.
Can an administrator impose a special levy without a vote?
Not unless the court orders otherwise. Section 174(7) requires the administrator to obtain any owner vote the Act requires before using that power.
How long does an administrator stay?
For the period the court sets, or indefinitely until the court removes or replaces them on application.
Good records are the best prevention
Administrator applications usually follow years of missing or disputed records. Minutes that record every decision and vote, sent on time, are the cheapest protection a strata has.
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This page is general information for BC strata corporations, not legal advice. Your strata's own filed bylaws may differ from the Standard Bylaws. See the current text of the Strata Property Act and the Strata Property Regulation on BC Laws.
Related guides
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CRT Disputes
Significantly Unfair Decisions
When Council Does Not Respond
Who Enforces the Act
Removing Members