While I support the city's desire to encourage owners of vacant homes to either sell them, or rent them out, I have not been a fan of the program since it inception. For one thing, it effectively disallows second homes, and its application can be grossly unfair. For example, a couple who were building a new house moved out of their home since they thought approvals to start construction were imminent. However, they were delayed, so they had to rent another place. To add insult to injury, the city charged th
I have been assisting someone who had been trying to redevelop three vacant lots in Marpole. Yes, although it's called the Empty Home Tax, it applies to vacant land!
This gentlemen wanted to build rental suites but the lots were zoned duplex. He tried to rezone them only to be told there was no policy to allow rezoning. But there could be, so just wait. He waited and was then charged the tax. It has been a Kafkaesque nightmare for him, and for me!