Links to the Breadcrumb trail
- News
- Local news
- Local business
- Business
The charges are after a three-month investigation by the city and are related to the construction of two two-storey properties
Publication date:
April 13, 2022 • 31 minutes ago • 3 minutes reading • Join the conversation Cliff de Jong speaks at the Calgary City Hall on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. The City of Calgary has filed 51 charges against Dhaliwal Homes Ltd. for non-compliance with the Alberta Safety Codes Act. Photo by Stephen Wilhelm / Postmedia
Content of the article
The city of Calgary has filed 51 charges against Dhaliwal Homes Ltd., its director and two agents for non-compliance with the city’s provincial safety codes and bylaws.
Advertising 2
This ad is not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
The charges are after a three-month investigation by the city and are related to the construction of two buildings.
“This is a very serious case for us, it is very unusual,” said Cliff de Jong, manager of the city’s building security services. “We have essentially four houses that were built without permits.”
Content of the article
He added at a news conference that the company appears to have received approval from the city to plan the construction of two two-story properties with four combined blocks, but has not received a proper permit.
The problem was not found until the four units were sold. During a proper inspection of one buyer, it was found that there were no verified permits for homes or garages.
Advertising 3
This ad is not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
A buyer who contacted Postmedia said they were able to terminate the deal and get most of their money back once they learned the seller was under investigation.
The two buildings are located at 1704 27th St. SW and 2327 27th Ave. NW
House in block 1700 on 27th St. northwest of Calgary on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. The city of Calgary has filed 51 charges against Dhaliwal Homes Ltd. for non-compliance with the Alberta Safety Codes Act. Photo by Stephen Wilhelm / Postmedia
The Southwest property is still listed on NewInfills.ca for $ 899,900 and is for sale. It is a building with five bedrooms, four bathrooms and 1,905 square feet, built in 2021. NewInfills.ca did not immediately return a request for comment.
Content of the article
The Northwest property was removed from the market on October 22, 2021 from the real estate website zolo.ca, but the four-bedroom, four-bathroom townhouse was previously listed for $ 849,900.
Due to the investigation, which revealed a lack of permits, no one was able to break into the homes.
Advertising 4
This ad is not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
Fees include:
- Building without a municipal building permit for both homes and private garages.
- Building without the necessary checks on safety rules (electric, gas, plumbing and building).
- Deliberate submission of false and misleading information in connection with permits, inspections and residence permits.
There were a total of 49 allegations of violations of the Alberta Safety Codes Act and Dhaliwal Homes Ltd. could be fined up to $ 100,000 for a crime and / or up to six months in prison if convicted. For both violations, they face fines of up to $ 10,000 for indictment and / or up to one year in prison.
“There are no permits for the four houses and the associated garages, and they have submitted documentation that cannot be confirmed as proof that they had permits,” de Jong said.
Advertising 5
This ad is not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
House in block 2300 on 27th Ave. northwest of Calgary on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. The city of Calgary has filed 51 charges against Dhaliwal Homes Ltd. for non-compliance with the Alberta Safety Codes Act. Photo by Stephen Wilhelm / Postmedia
According to the city Dhaliwal Homes Ltd. has been in business in the city for some time and has not been at the center of an investigation of this nature before.
De Jong added that it is important for home buyers to carry out a proper inspection when making a purchase of this amount. Without proper permits, a guarantee for a new home will not be issued. Homeowners, not the builder, will be responsible for all costs to ensure that the house meets all requirements once the sale is complete.
“Our legislation directs us to the owner to correct all the problems, so if someone moves and completes the sale, we can only go to the person who currently owns the property,” de Jong said. “We need to make sure that the structure is safe and our legislation directs us to the owner, so they will be left with a serious, very expensive problem to solve.”
Advertising 6
This ad is not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
He added that it would be difficult to get through the process of buying a home without one of the “door keepers” – a real estate agent, a lawyer or the city – catching the problem.
House in block 2300 on 27th Ave. northwest of Calgary on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. The city of Calgary has filed 51 charges against Dhaliwal Homes Ltd. for non-compliance with the Alberta Safety Codes Act. Photo by Stephen Wilhelm / Postmedia
Permits will now have to be obtained and full inspections will have to be carried out on the four units before anyone can move in. This means that the walls will have to be opened and the drywall removed so that the structure, plumbing, electricity, gas and heating can be inspected and passed before a residence permit can be obtained.
The matter is now in the provincial court, with the first appearance on Wednesday morning.
– With files from Stephen Wilhelm, Calgary Herald
jaldrich@postmedia.com
Twitter: @ JoshAldrich03
More news, fewer ads, faster load times: Get unlimited, easy access to the Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites for just $ 14 / month or $ 140 / year. Subscribe now via Calgary Herald or Calgary Sun..
Share this article on your social network
Advertising 1
This ad is not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Sign up to receive daily headlines from the Calgary Herald, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
By clicking the register button, you agree to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300
Thank you for registering!
Email is welcome. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.
The next issue of the Calgary Herald headlines will be in your inbox soon.
There was a problem registering with you. Please, try again
Comments
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civic discussion forum and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles. It can take up to an hour to moderate comments before they appear on the site. Please keep your comments up to date and respectful. We have enabled email notifications – you will now receive an email if you receive a response to your comment, there is an update on the thread for comments you follow, or if a user you follow comments on a comment. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.
Add Comment