Engineering reports show vacated Oliver residents could have moved back home

Oliver resident Bharbara Klassen said she’s not just battling an illness, she’s battling the pain of having been forced from her home and on top of that, finding out she could have moved back in.

Klassen is one of 60 residents who were ordered out of Park Place condos in 2013.

They were told it was no longer safe to live there because of damage from a 2011 earthquake, 85 kilometres south of the border in Washington state.

READ MORE: Oliver condo owners told to vacate their homes

However, retired engineering specialist David Perehudoff, who was hired by the strata council, now says damage to the building wasn’t caused by the earthquake and was only cosmetic.

“Six engineering reports clearly state that the building is fine to occupy… these poor people are under a spell and they could be back in their building today,” Perehudoff said.

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Insurance has denied the building earthquake coverage for the damage, leaving the residents on the hook for the repair bill.

“I was kind of dead inside about this subject… it cost, not just me, but many others alot of money which we didn’t have,” Klassen said.

Sympathizing with their situation, Perehudoff said the company he’s with, Canadian Wetlands, has offered to fix the building up for $125,000.

“We said you know what, we can cover this on our own buck… I thought I was going to get a hug from the strata manager… in two weeks we could get the building occupied,” Perehudoff said.

But the strata council has declined the offer. Global News was not able to get a hold of anyone from council who could explain why.

In the meantime, three years have passed and those like Klassen have had to find a new home, while continuing to pay strata and other fees.

“It’s a very sad story because it has divided a lot of people who lived there,” Klassen said.

Despite it all, she’s waiting for the day she’ll be able to move back to the home she bought.

“It would be nice to call your home your own again,” Klassen said.

Perehudoff said his offer is still on the table and hopes a solution is found that will ensure the vacated residents will soon be able to return home.

~ With files from Doris Maria Bregolisse