ODN has been informed by one fire official and one bylaw officer that a property north of the Elks Hall on Bank Avenue has been the subject of much concern, complaints and enforcement proceedings.

The property is owned by an absentee owner, has been rented in the recent past but has been deemed a problem property in the core of the town. The building cannot be used for habitation and has no current business license.

A number of bylaw enforcement tickets have been issued with a deadline given for cleanup – or else the Town will do the work and charge to taxes. The site has been quite active lately with persons attempting to clean off the items stored in a lot west of the building ( old taxi and bus terminal ).

The Town of Oliver was asked to comment on the information above –  was circumspect – but provided the following:

“To respect the confidential nature of the property in question I cannot provide specifics outside of a Closed Council meeting.

In general terms the Town of Oliver is working with the property owner to bring the property into compliance with the Good Neighbor Bylaw 1357; specifically to Part 9 – Property Maintenance, Section 9.1, See below.

If the property does not come into compliance an order is served by registered mail with specific instructions to remedy in 10 days from the delivery of the notice. The Town of Oliver has the authority to remedy the property if the owner does not bring the property into compliance.

Under the Fire Services Act the Fire Chief can inspect a property under Section 21 to ascertain if fire hazards exist. If hazards to exist under Section 22 an Order to Remedy conditions. See below.

All costs to remedy the property and buildings is borne by the property owner.”

PART 9 – PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Private Property

9.1 No owner of real property shall cause, suffer or permit:

(a) water, rubbish, noxious, offensive, or unwholesome matter to collect or accumulate on the real property;

(b) rubbish to overflow from or accumulate around any container situated on the real property;

(c) the real property to become or remain unsightly;

(d) the accumulation of dead landscaping, vegetation, weeds, noxious weeds or other growths to occur or to remain on the real property and must meet the standards set in Section 9.5;

(e) in respect to real property for which a building permit has been issued by the Town, cause or permit demolition waste, construction waste or trade waste to accumulate on the real property;

(f) graffiti to remain on the real property; or

(g) the storage or accumulation of not more than two (2) derelict vehicles unless stored in an enclosed building or structure.

Inspection of fire hazards

21. On complaint of a person interested or, if believed advisable, without complaint, the fire commissioner and the commissioner’s inspectors may at all reasonable hours enter any premises anywhere in British Columbia to inspect them and ascertain whether or not any of the following conditions exist:

(a)the premises are in a state of disrepair that a fire starting in them might spread rapidly to endanger life or other property;

(b)the premises are so used or occupied that fire would endanger life or property;

(c)combustible or explosive material is kept or other flammable conditions exist on the premises so as to endanger life or property;

(d)a fire hazard exists on the premises.

(1)

After an inspection the fire commissioner, or an inspector with the fire commissioner’s authority, may in writing order that within a reasonable time, to be set by the order,

(a)

if section 21 (a) applies, the owner remove or destroy the premises, or the owner or occupier repair the premises,

(b)

if section 21 (b) applies, the owner or occupier alter the use or occupancy of the premises,

(c)

if section 21 (c) applies, the occupier remove or keep securely the combustible or explosive material or remedy the flammable conditions, and

(d)

if section 21 (d) applies, the owner or occupier remove or take proper precautions against the fire hazard.

(2)After the receipt of an order, the owner, occupier or person in charge must comply with it.

Information from the Town of Oliver supplied by Corporate Officer Diane Vaykovich