Apparently not enough has been said, or more importantly listened to, in regards to the City of Surrey’s response to illegal suites.
Letter writer M. Hajee states that homeowners need a permit to do any kind of construction to their homes.
The problem is that most of these suites are built without any permits, thus no inspections and certainly no regulatory standards.
That means the proper taxes and fees are not being collected and the inhabitants are living in ticking time bombs.
The mayor, council and city hall refuse to act on reports of these illegal additions, opening the door for more and more of them, without repercussion. Why is it that other cities have effective ways of dealing with this issue, e.g. Burnaby, where if you build it without a permit, you take it down within 30 days or they will, at the homeowner’s expense?
This is not a matter of wringing your hands, city hall, it is about enforcement, which you are choosing not do.
I am not a single voice, but I have a vote, one that will no longer support this mayor and council.
Our neighborhoods are becoming unlivable.
Jill Singel, Surrey