One Vancouver non-profit service agency is suing another after a heritage building in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside collapsed against an adjacent rooming house.
On July 24, 2013, one of the walls of a vacant building at 451 Powell Street collapsed and the building was demolished by the City of Vancouver the next day. More than a dozen tenants of the rooming house next door at 437 Powell Street were evacuated.
In its claim filed September 5, Ming Sun Benevolent Society, the owner of the rooming house at 437 Powell Street, alleges the building owned by the Philippine Women Centre of B.C. at 451 Powell Street had been allowed to fall into disrepair.
"For at least five years prior to July 24, 2013, the structural integrity of 451 Powell was compromised, causing it to begin to collapse/encroach on 437 Powell, and exert significant force against the adjacent wall of 437 Powell," the claim states.
The Ming Sun Benevolent Society alleges the Philippine Women Centre of B.C. failed to properly maintain its building and did not warn the residents or owners of 437 Powell Street that their building had partially collapsed onto the rooming house.
Ming Sun Benevolent Society is claiming damages for the cost of repairs to 437 Powell Street, the costs of the City of Vancouver's eviction of the tenants, cost of lost rent, compensation for claims by, behalf and related to the displaced tenants, and for harm to the reputation of the plaintiff and building, resulting in future lost rent.
None of the allegations has been proven in court. A statement of defence has not yet been filed.
