New legislation from the provincial government is making it easier for developers to tear down older condominiums, but it’s hurting many owners being forced out of their homes.
Last October, the province announced it would be proposing changes to the Strata Property Act to remove the requirement that 100 per cent of owners in a strata building would need to approve any termination of their strata corporation – meaning until recently, if a developer wanted to buy a strata building to tear it down, they would have to achieve unanimous consent from its occupants.
As of a few weeks ago, developers only need to convince 80 per cent of owners to sell. That leaves the other 20 per cent out of a home.
For residents like Lillian Klassen, who lives in an older complex facing demolition near VanDusen Garden in Vancouver, the new legislation isn’t very welcome.
“There was a lot of discomfort around the complex because a lot of different people had signed with different realtors, and there was a lot of secrecy,” said Klassen.
The legislation was supposed to make it easier for developers to get clearance without waiting on only a couple of owners holding out on a sale that the majority wanted.
Tony Gioventu, executive director for the Condominium Homeowners Association, says the change will help with supply by tearing down smaller buildings in turn for building large complexes with hundreds of units.
He said back in October 2015 in a statement: “This will be a welcome change for condo owners in B.C. who are struggling with aging buildings that are now imposing extremely high costs for renewals, and are prevented from considering redevelopment offers because they cannot obtain a unanimous vote of the strata.”
But for the 20 per cent of strata owners who might disagree with the plans, they will be out of luck.
“For them it will be a very sad situation being forced out of their homes essentially,” said Klassen.
Klassen is among the residents who have been forced to leave, and says she doesn’t know where she’ll find her next home.
“Can’t find anything,” she added.
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