How much control do I have if I own a condo and it has property managment running it?

You have as much control as is allowed and outlined in the condo corp's bylaws and rules. Condo ownership means you're living within a community and you have to abide by their rules. There are elected representatives (The Board of Directors) that run the condo corp and approve or disapprove various rules based on voting by the unit owners.
If you're seeking control, then a freehold property might be best for you.

Every Condo has its own rules, but every owner/member has a vote; so probably you do not have much control, but some influence.

The board of directors, made up of condo owners, hire a property management firm. Get involved with the condo board, run for a director in the next election.

The condo by-law will tell you that !

It's true. It's completey dependant on the condo buliding as each one has its own rules and regulations. If you feel as though you don't have much leverage with your board, the best thing you can do is become more involved in their decision making process. Run for election, attend the meetings, make yourself visible! You may find out you have more influence than you though you did.

Not really very much. Strata's and property management companies are put in place to maintain the value in a collection of homes. If they are all painted different colours, or some are maintained and some are not, or if everyone has a 5 foot satellite dish out front (I know they don't exist any more) - then this effects everyone in the complex. You do have a vote - but it is a group effort and you may have to get permission for many things. Some love this - some hate it!

It can not be as much as a detached or a free hold that you can have control. While you buy a condo you must have received the status certificate and part of that is the declaration, By-laws and rules& regulations. You have to abide those declaration, By-laws and rules& regulations.

Violation will invite a litigation ending you have to pay the legal fees for the both sides.

In a condo, the property management company is involved only to act for the condo corportation which may include enforcing condo corp rules & regulation and contracting with suppliers (such as cleaning companies, etc) to maintain the condo property. If you are concerned about how much control you have, or what you can do with your condo, your should read the condo documents that you received when you purchased.

What type of control are you talking about?
You can rent it to whomever you want. You can do any renovation inside but you cannot do anything outside.
Most major decisions are accepted by majority rule and you can always refer to the condo rules to get more info...

condo ownership is shared ownership so it all depends how involved you are in the condo corp meetings and what influence you can have on other owners and potential voters on the condo corps budget. In general the condo owners don't have much control because they likely never want to get too intrenched in the condo meetings and overseeing what management is doing.

I agree with Itay's assessment. However, sometimes there are things not outlined clearly in the documentation. If you want to plant a small garden in the common area, for example, it is technically not allowed but since you are beautifying the property (thereby improving it), most condo corps will let it go. Likewise with portable gazebos on the back patio. As long as it's not affixed to the building, most corp's will allow it. The key is that it must be "portable" and "removable", so it can technically be removed at any time.

It's important that you have your lawyer thouroughly check the status certificate before buying and also check out the management company to alert you to any concerns or problems the Condo Corp. might be facing. Once you have bought and you desired a more acive say in the rules of the building then get yourself elected to the board and be active in the decision making committees.