The former president of a local Vancouver community garden society was implicated in a legal fight over grant money.
According to the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal, the Strathcona Community Gardeners Society brought a case against Maria Stanborough, who once served as the society’s president.
Strathcona, represented by a director, claimed that Stanborough was withholding the group’s grant money and claimed $2,287.42 in lost funds. In defence, Stanborough denied liability and said she was entitled to keep funds as compensation for her work.
“She further justifies keeping the money because of bullying and aggressive actions from other Strathcona directors,” the tribunal’s online decision states.
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Strathcona’s purposes include maintaining two separate gardens, and Stanborough was the president of the board of directors between September 2022 and July 2023.
In January 2023, the society applied for a $8,000 grant to a third party, and Stanborough filled out various forms. The grant money was to fund the restoration of one of Strathcona’s gardens.
“Ms. Stanborough did two things that I find lessen her credibility,” the tribunal said.
One of those things was when she prepared a second project budget to show the board, which stated that the grant money was $5,000 instead of $8,000.
“I find this makes her an unreliable historian in this dispute,” the tribunal added.
“Second, she did not include in the above-mentioned second budget the consulting work she claims a setoff for in this dispute.”
Strathcona received the $8,000 grant in May 2023. Stanborough deposited the funds in her personal bank account and then transferred $5,000 to Strathcona’s account, “holding back” a balance of $3,000. The third party in question confirmed with the board that the full amount was $8,000 and that it was deposited to Stanborough’s account.
Stanborough resigned as president on July 22, 2023, and withdrew the $5,000 from Strathcona’s bank account two days later. Throughout September 2023, several emails were sent to Stanborough asking her to return the missing grant money. At the time, Strathcona believed the full amount was $6,087.42.
She admitted that she might have initially held back $3,000 of the grant money and, for the rest of it, said, “I might have accounted for the money incorrectly.”
On July 27, 2023, she returned $1,912.58 and $3,800 on Sept. 25. That left a total of $2,287.42 unreturned.
On Sept. 24, 2023, she issued an invoice for $2,220 for consulting and other services she provided to Strathcona, but the society never approved or expected the invoice.
“Her actions were, at best, highly improper,” the tribunal said.
By Stanborough’s admissions, she also claimed that she sought compensation because of “how bullying the Board members had been.”
Ultimately, the tribunal ordered her to pay Strathcona $2,570.02, which included the grant debt and tribunal fees.