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Joumana Azzi says she could barely believe her eyes when she saw it: her monthly condo payments were about to double, thanks to $2.3 million in repairs needed for two buildings on Southvale Crescent.

News of the levy, she said, brought other neighbours at a meeting about the cost to tears, describing how they might have to turn their keys over to the bank or take out a loan. Some talked about selling their units.

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With less than two months’ notice, residents of 85 units at 2630 and 2650 Southvale Cres. in the city’s south end were told by their board of directors in mid-February that they would have to contribute more than $2.3 million over the next three years after a “special assessment” concluded the buildings were in need of major repairs and upgrades.

While this may seem like an unfair demand, it’s legal under Ontario law. What’s happening to the residents along Southvale Crescent is an illustration of the very few options — none of them ideal — condominium owners have if they find themselves in a similar situation.