HOME OWNER DISPUTES INSPECTION BILL

The owner of a rental home in Pitt Meadows is protesting a $3,200
bill and a no-occupancy notice issued by the city after a bylaws team
inspected it for abnormally high energy consumption.

Inspectors posted the no-occupancy notice at a house on 119 Avenue
last week. They found "numerous plumbing electrical and building
renovations done without a permit" at the home.

Todd Listwin, who owns the house, said he found out about the
inspection after receiving a $3,200 bill for the inspection. The
house was being rented out by Listwin. He had hired a property
manager to screen tenants and collect rent.

"As an owner, I should have known the inspection took place. I just
got a bill," Listwin said.

A landlord with 17 rental properties, Listwin said it was the first
time a municipality had barged into one of his homes.

"They are taking over my house right now. I'm out of rental income. I
understand some of the concerns. I had a property manager that made a
bad choice and I'm the victim, really."

Listwin said he is going to dispute the $3,200 bill.

The City of Pitt Meadows has now inspected seven homes in the past
two weeks for abnormally high hydro consumption.

The inspections are part of a three-month pilot project to eliminate
residential marijuana grow operations through safety inspections.

No marijuana operations were found at any of the seven homes in Pitt Meadows.

"These houses have been identified by high hydro consumption," said
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows RCMP Cpl. Ryan Schlecker.

Under the program, RCMP forward a list of such homes to a team of
four comprised of a bylaw officer and building, fire and electrical
inspectors. B.C. Hydro then releases domestic electrical consumption
information to the municipality. Homes that use more than 93
kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per day, or three-times the
average, are investigated by city staff.

City staff first post a 24-hour notice of inspection at the homes.

City bylaws inspector Leslie Elchuk, who is co-ordinating the pilot
project, said 10 homes with high electrical consumption have been
identified so far.

On Tuesday, council directed staff to file notices in the land titles
office about deficiencies at three homes after staff found work done
without electrical, plumbing and building permits.

Documents filed by the inspection team show inspectors found tap and
water lines in the basement of a house on Chestnut Crescent, as well
as open panel electrical box connections and holes in sub-floors into
the attic.

In a house on 118B Avenue, owned but not occupied by a Maple Ridge
couple, inspectors found plumbing work done without a permit, open
drains in the crawl space, incomplete wiring and a compromised fume
barrier near the garage.

Elchuk said once the homes are fixed, the owners can apply to have
the notices removed from the land titles office.

The notices warn prospective buyers that the homes were altered
without permits.

RCMP continue to urge residents to report any suspicious activity in
their neighbourhoods.

Report suspicious activities to the RCMP at 604-463-5261 or calling
CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).