Deck that collapsed during wedding party built illegally: Langley
The Township of Langley, which is being sued over a deck collapse in April that resulted in dozens of wedding guests being injured, has filed court documents alleging the deck was built illegally.
The home at 5880 268 St. had a large outdoor deck that was attached to the main residence. Below was a concrete slab.
While guests were congregating on the deck to take photos, it suddenly and without warning gave way, causing some of the guests to fall from the deck onto the concrete below. One neighbour reported hearing a “deafening boom” as the deck came down.
More than a dozen lawsuits filed in B.C. Supreme Court by injured guests claim that the township was negligent in a number of ways, including that it failed to employ a reasonable inspection at the home.
Amaroo Estate, the company that was renting out the home, and a number of its directors were named as defendants, along with the township.
In its response, the township says the “illegal deck” was constructed without any building permit being issued.
“At no time were drawings for the illegal deck ever submitted to the Township,” says the response filed on Nov. 4.
“Construction of the illegal deck was thus carried out surreptitiously and entirely unbeknownst to the Township, and as a result, its construction was never subject to the Township’s inspection.”
The joining of the “illegal deck” to the house was deficient in a number of respects, including that its supporting joists didn’t extend into and under the house, it says.
“Given that construction of the illegal deck wasn’t contemplated by the original drawings and was instead carried out without any building permit or notice to the Township, none of the deck defects could have been reasonably foreseen by the Township.”
People who were injured in the collapse were treated for injuries that included broken bones and cuts, bruises and scrapes.
Amaroo Estate, which described itself as being in the business of providing executive-style furnished accommodations, was being operated illegally since it didn’t have a business licence, says the township.
“The Township was not advised of the illegal rental business and there was no reasonable means by way of which it could have become aware of the illegal rental business prior to (the incident).”
The township’s court documents also say that, in March 2011, the township investigated a complaint from the public about the home and discovered that it had three illegal suites and two mobile homes on the property.
“The Township proceeded to issue a number of warnings, letters and tickets for one or more of the above violations, and further directed that the mobile homes be removed and that the illegal suites be decommissioned.”
Amaroo Estate, which the township says was dissolved as a corporation three days after the deck collapsed, has not yet responded to the lawsuits. Its directors — Gurdeep Sahota, Balwinder Sahota, and Sukhwant Singh Takhar — also have not responded in court.