Since there was no remaining meaningful consumer protection activities or responsibilities being conducted at the Homeowner Protection Office (HPO), it is no surprise to learn that the HPO is quietly closing its doors. HOMEOWNER PROTECTION ACT RESPONSIBILITIES TRANSFERRED The announcement last summer that the HPO interest-free loan program (designed to keep Leaky Condo owners in … Read more
The sudden discontinuation on July 31, 2009, of the HPO Reconstruction Loan Program by Housing Minister, Rich Coleman and his government was unconscionable. They have now brought consumer protection to an all-time low in BC. In the Fall of 2007 the Homeowner Protection Office received an independent report from McClanaghan and Associates which clearly pointed … Read more
Leaky Condo reconstruction costs have soared past $3 billion so far, and that doesn’t include the indirect societal costs borne by British Columbians that nobody is tracking. Since only about 20 percent of leaky condo owners met the government imposed “means test” of the Homeowner Protection Office loan program, the $670 million in HPO victim … Read more
Leaky condo assistance dries up, Liberals say program is obsolete The provincial government is scrapping a program that for the past decade has provided leaky-condo owners with interest-free loans to pay for repairs By Derrick Penner The Vancouver Sun – August 1, 2009 Housing and Development Minister Rich Coleman said the loan program has more … Read more
This is not the place to cut corners in construction When I read this today it reminded me of what became clear during the Barrett Commission hearings over a decade ago in British Columbia. The many engineering assessments being conducted on leaky condos were turning up dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of building code violations. At one … Read more
Times Colonist June 24, 2009 Condo victims deserve better The leaky condo debacle remains one of the greatest consumer ripoffs in Canadian history, costing British Columbians between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. Lives were devastated when people bought homes and found themselves facing huge repair costs. Now the provincial government, without warning, is halting an … Read more
One year ago the following article which I wrote was published in the “pros & condos” section of Western Living Condo. Since then I have made it available to the public and other Realtors through my website and seminars. From feedback received I know it has already helped buyers so I thought it would be … Read more
This is a follow up to this previous post which you might want to read as a backgrounder. The control of rain penetration relies on the exterior layer (the wall cladding) of the building envelope assembly to resist all rain penetration. This requirement has always been a requirement of the building code no matter what the envelope … Read more