Condo Water Leak Case Shows Importance Of Complete Evidence

British Columbia’s Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) has ordered a strata corporation to immediately reverse a charge of nearly $10,000 to a strata lot owner after finding the unit’s owner was not responsible for a water leak and resulting expenses.

In Liang v. The Owners, Strata Plan NW 1374, CRT member Leah Volkers wrote that even if she found lot owner Chuan Wei Liang responsible for the leak, the available evidence does not show the strata corporation spent $9,843.15 repairing it.

The leak was discovered on June 24, 2019, in Unit 116, a strata lot two floors beneath Liang’s unit, SL60. The strata dispatched a contractor, Latham’s, to investigate.

The dispute revolved around where the leak originated and whether Liang was responsible for it and the resulting expenses.

The decision highlights the importance of providing complete evidence, and not just relying mainly on repair receipts.