The City of Surrey continues to crack down on unpermitted construction units.
A garage on the property of a house near 124th Street and 72 Avenue was transformed into six self-contained suites and a two-storey addition was built without the required permits, the city said.
“They’re so egregious, they’re built so poorly, and in violation not just of the building code but all of our zoning bylaws and the building bylaw within the city,” Matt Rose, the City of Surrey’s Director of Building, said.
The owner lives in a separate house nearby and declined an interview with Global News.
However, he told Surrey’s council earlier this week that he relies on the property to support his family and collect $6,000 a month in rent.
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“I have three small children now with family,” homeowner Mohammed Sheikh told the council.
“I have hardship to pay all the taxes and all the expense.”
The City of Surrey said it is now taking action against Sheikh’s property and two others.
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One in Whalley has an unpermitted two-storey addition with three rental units and another in Newton has a two-storey addition with no permit.
The city said that when the construction was underway at all three properties, stop-work orders were issued, but construction continued.
The city also said it is not ordering these structures to be demolished immediately, but is putting a warning on the title.
That means anyone buying the property in the future will know there are unresolved concerns about construction that may not have been inspected.
“The trickle down of that is mortgage lenders, brokers and stuff, there can be challenges renewing your mortgage, there can be challenges getting insurance,” Rose said.
Surrey has now filed 22 notices on title since launching its illegal construction crackdown in 2022 after thousands of complaints about unpermitted work.
City staff say this is not about punishing Surrey residents, but it is about public safety.
Please Global News; Help Surrey residents.
Pick an area in Surrey, and FOI all stop work orders that have been issued in the past four years, and how many are still unresolved, and how many fines were issued. We are paying for a full staff of lawyers, and building inspectors that are to abide by the BC Building Code.
What Mayor or Mayoral Candidate will address this Wild West mess??
It’s absolutely insane. They’re almost as greedy and corrupt as white people
This Country is an absolute joke
Law is Law, everyone must follow….no exceptions.
Why drag your feet to enforce our laws?
We have two sides of our Law, the obedient ones and the law breakers? So, why have Laws in the first place?
Surrey Residents are you tired of your taxes rising, while the freeloaders do what they want, build what they want.
We need someone to raise fines, before raising our taxes again.
Time for hard line fines for any illegal builds.
Which party will run on that platform
They would get my vote
Current Mayor and all council,
There is selective enforcement happening all over Surrey.
You keep raising my taxes, while all of these cheaters use these structures. Many of them collecting rent.
One year after a stop work order is plenty of time to bring them into compliance.
You terrorized my neighbours over a non-permanent structure. While you allow neighbours all around to have unpermitted workshops, added Two bedroom wings to a home, huge metal carports, ect, ect
The stop work orders are so old they are peeling off.
Come on out to Sullivan/Panorama and have a look.
Or do you ignore this area because two councillors live in this pocket?
Come on out media, and count the stop work orders, you will be disgusted
import the 3rd world, get the 3rd world
Yeah and the city of Surrey has suspended all fines until after the next election. Nothing wrong here
The works performed without a permit should be demolished and the cost should be passed on to the property owner and if not paid then a court ordered sale of the property with to have all its cost with interest along with fines to be paid first from the proceeds of the sale.
Not surprising at all. With all the immigrants that you allowed in over the years, We are swamped with them now. The law doesn’t imply to them, they do what they want, and no one can tell them different. Until someone complains. They feel so entitled to everything!
LOOK at the fella who turned that house into 6 unites and collecting 6,000 a month!!! He cries I have a growing family, I need to support them, where the heck did you get all that money to make these units!?! TEAR them DOWN, FINE THEM ALL. Do it the proper way!! Why is the law surprised by this?? All of us know this has been going on!! Time to take the blinders off!
dont forget the tax evasion
What do you expect from an absolutely, selfish, criminal race of people?
Welcome to Canindia where regulations only apply if you get caught breaking them
Funny why SOME people have money to do renos for extra cash but no cash to do it legal. Complete tear down is in order plus huge fines and all rent returned to tenants plus intrest