There has been a new twist in the battle over a $6.7-million West Vancouver property, whose owners constructed an apparent second dwelling without any permits or inspections.
The District of West Vancouver ordered the demolition of the 1,500-square foot building located in the Brothers Creek area in July, after its planning department concluded the structure had been illegally built.
The owners are contesting that decision.
In an Aug. 29 letter from their lawyer, Naib Gerami and Ayesheh Mansouri and Omid and Kamran Gerami told the district, “there is no evidence to support the conclusion the structure is unsafe,” and that staff refused to let them apply for new permits or a variance to keep portions of the building.
“Our clients have been trying to bring that portion of the building that encroaches with the environmental setback into compliance for months now. Specifically, on 07 April 2025, our clients attempted to apply for the necessary permits, but staff refused to even accept their application,” the group’s lawyer wrote on July 8.
“Our clients intend to apply for the necessary permits by the end of the week, and we ask that staff accept and process the application and make formal decision before council considers any remedial action.”
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The district rebuffed that missive, saying it was unlikely any variance would be granted since the structure was built without a permit and outside the district’s official community plan.
According to a council report, district staff learned about the unauthorized building on May 15, 2024, after a complaint about “a large new structure on the Property.”
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A city inspector visited the property the following day and issued a stop-work order.
In their correspondence last month, the owners also claimed the initial public complaint that led to the demolition order “may have been racially motivated”.
No specific evidence was provided to substantiate that claim but legal counsel for the owners cited an apparent anonymous letter their clients claim to have received after Global News reported on the issue on Aug. 11, more than a year after the district received the original complaint.
That letter, which Global News has not independently verified to be authentic, allegedly said “Think of this as a lesson in what you can expect if you continue to live here. OR – go back to where you came from,” and “you are not special, you are just like the rest of us, even though your God is greed.”
West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager rejected the insinuation the complaint was motivated by racism.
“I wouldn’t even comment on that,” Sager said.
“Certainly our staff would not be at all interested in any kind of racial complaint, that — I don’t buy that argument at all.”
In an Aug. 19 letter to the district, the Gerami family further cited “hardships we have faced,” including financial burdens including fines and demolition expenses, emotional and mental stress, and public embarrassment and racist attacks.
“The news report on Global and the City’s response to it left our family exposed to (devastating) racist attacks, xenophobic remarks, and includes veiled threats of surveillance and retaliation” the Geramis wrote, the latter in reference to the apparent unsigned letter they allege was mailed to their home.
“As a former shareholder of a licensed home-service company, we find this situation especially frustrating. In our industry, obtaining the proper permits for gas appliance installations is not just standard, it is mandatory,” the letter states.
“We kindly ask the District of West Vancouver to take into account that this situation was not created by us, the current homeowners. We acted in good faith by engaging the builder of our home to extend our deck and build the gazebo. We had every reason to believe he would follow all required procedures.”
Global News was unable to reach the homeowners on Thursday, while their lawyer said she was unavailable to comment on the matter.
The four owners remain locked in litigation with Shahin Construction Ltd. over the project. In court documents filed in April, the builder alleges he is owed more than $148,000 for unpaid work.
West Vancouver District Council will hear the owners’ appeal on Sept. 8.
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