The Township of Langley has issued a warning about fake building permits, after two were recently found posted at construction projects.
A notice to builders was sent out last week, warning them that forging a building permit green card constitutes fraud, and is a breach of the Township’s building bylaw.
“There are many excellent builders in the Township of Langley, and it is unfortunate that a couple are being unscrupulous,” said Roberto Cesaretti, Township manager of permit, licence & inspection services.
“We just want homeowners and business owners to be aware that this is happening, as it is their responsibility to ensure valid Township of Langley building permits have been issued for any new construction, alterations, or renovations being done.”
In one case, a contractor who was reported for constructing an accessory building without a permit was found to be displaying a phony Building Permit Green Card. The other fake card was discovered at a project where a home was being gutted and an addition built on the back.
The Township did not report the contractors to the police, as that is the responsibility of the homeowners, Cesaretti said, but worked with the homeowners to help the projects gain compliance and get back on track.
In the memo, the Township says it will pursue legal action for those who use the fake permits, and will be issuing Stop Work Orders and tickets amounting to $500 for each day the lands are not in compliance with Township bylaws.
It goes on to say that any homeowner or business owner who is using a contractor to perform construction work, should protect themselves by:
• requesting references of other addresses where the contractor has performed work;
• requesting copies of all accepted drawings and building permits;
• checking with Township staff if permits are required for the work, or if they have been issued;
• checking the Township Building Activity Page at www.tol.ca to confirm that a building permit has indeed been issued; and
• using resources on the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association website (gvhba.org) to help choose a contractor.
