Not abiding by the building code could become a costly proposition.
The Regional District of North Okanagan is proposing to hike the notice on title fee from $157 to $850 in the five electoral areas.
“We don’t want people to have notices on title. We want them to conform,” said director Shirley Fowler.
“This may be a way to get people to go by the book.”
Notices are placed on title when a property has violated the building bylaw.
Such a move eliminates RDNO’s liability if someone were to be injured because of a flaw in construction.
Notice on title makes prospective purchasers aware of deficiencies.
When a property owner seeks compliance with the building code, a fee must be paid to have notice on title removed.
Staff says the hike to $850 reflects their time to handle notices on title, but there’s no support from director Eugene Foisy.
“That’s a huge jump,” he said.
“Some are for an old building that’s been there for 40 years and some guy has bought it. They’re not all people trying to be criminals. They’re caught in circumstances.”
Opposition also comes from director Rick Fairbairn.
“The numbers are not based on time sheets. It should be in the $450 range,” he said.
But other board members say the financial burden of the building service should be on those not conforming with code and not taxpayers.
“We need an ability to get people to stand up and notice there is a building code,” said director Kevin Acton.
RDNO is also considering notice on title fees for municipalities it contracts the building department service to (all jurisdictions but Vernon and Coldstream).
