A strata in BC was forced to pay thousands of dollars after losing a tribunal hearing to a contracting company that owned a unit in the building.
Zimmerman Contracting owns and rents out unit 1101 in a condo tower.
On July 5 and October 30, 2022, the unit saw floods that stemmed from blockages in the strata’s pipe system.
Zimmerman suggested that the BC strata was responsible for the costs of damage related to the floods because it didn’t adequately maintain the pipe system. It claimed a total of $20,374.80 in repair costs.
In response, the strata denied responsibility for the repair costs, given that the floods were “all within unit 1101.”
Many issues pertaining to the tribunal hearing were documented before the primary flooding events. For example, the tribunal decision points to backups in the kitchen sink before July 2022.
Zimmerman’s tenant was out of town until July 5, and when they came home, they found damage to the unit’s cabinets, drywall, and carpets.
An invoice suggests restoration costs totalled $10,760.72.
The tribunal agreed that a primary reason for the mishap was that the strata failed to follow a plumber’s advice and flush the condo tower’s kitchen stacks.
Thankfully for the strata, the second flood, which occurred later in 2022, wasn’t its fault but was actually due to the tenant pouring grease down the drain, which caused a backup.
Still, the BC strata had to pay for the first flood’s damages, totalling $10,760.72. All in all, the strata had to pay $11,491.99, which was the total for damages plus tribunal fees.