Burnaby to file land title notice on problem property
A North Burnaby property owner is ignoring building inspectors, fines and city bylaws.
Now Burnaby city hall is making its next move—it's filing a notice in the Land Title Office warning prospective buyers of numerous contraventions of bylaws during construction of the home.
Council approved the action in response to longstanding issues at 7045 Sierra Drive. The owner, Victor Meira, has not been cooperating with city building department staff, according to a city staff report.
A building permit was issued in 2005 for a new house to be built at the property and extensions were granted until October, 2011 when the existing permit expired, according to the report.
When a permit expires, work is required to stop and the construction removed unless a new permit application is made within 30 days of the last expiry date, the report explained.
"Staff have not been allowed to enter and inspect the outstanding objections noted at our last inspection on 2011 August 17. Two bylaw notices with $500 penalties for failure to comply with an order were issued and they have not been paid to date."
Meanwhile, "the property owner and his family are, however, currently occupying the dwelling without an occupancy certificate," the report said.
While the property is not for sale, city staff recommended filing the notice on the land title to alert potential buyers to the problems.
Building department staff will continue to try to resolve the issues with the property owner and will pursue legal action if necessary to ensure compliance with city bylaws, the report said.
wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
twitter.com/WandaChow
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