5555 Yew St, Vancouver · Arbutus Ridge
See the whole Arbutus Ridge risk profile →5555 Yew St has been before the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal 9 times (2019–2023), surfacing 10 distinct issues across 6 categories. The dominant theme is governance & council conduct, and the highest-severity issue on record is rated high. Owners prevailed in 0 of 9 decisions; total awards on record: $19,800.
Each category below explains what that pattern means for a buyer, with the building’s own decisions as evidence.
How the corporation is actually run — records access, meetings, bylaw enforcement, transparency. Repeated governance cases signal a contentious or opaque council, and that colours every decision made about your money and your building.
Deferred repairs and general upkeep. Minor on their own, but alongside structural cases they reinforce a picture of a building falling behind.
Boundaries, parking, and renovation disputes — who controls and can alter shared space. Usually lower-stakes individually, but frequent cases show ongoing friction between owners and the board.
Special assessments and fee disputes hit owners directly — a single levy can run tens of thousands per unit. A pattern here means the building’s finances have been contested. Ask for the reserve-fund study and the levy history before you offer.
Water ingress, roof, and building-envelope failures are the most expensive problems a condo faces, and they’re what drive large special assessments. Structural cases on record are the strongest reason to commission an engineer’s review of the envelope.
Electrical, HVAC, elevators, and fire safety. Disputes here point to aging or contested infrastructure — confirm the status of major systems and whether any fire-safety orders are outstanding.
Every tribunal decision linked to this building, newest first.
The strata corporation claimed $53,400 in bylaw violation penalties from the owner for infractions spanning 2009-2017. The tribunal awarded $19,800 for unauthorized deck modifications and patio barbecue storage, while rejecting older fines as time-barred and dismissing the owner's damages counterclaim.
A strata corporation pursued $177,687.81 in damages from the owner, asserting that the owner and spouse caused delays in repair and maintenance activities that resulted in increased costs. The tribunal record appears incomplete, lacking the final determination and reasoning.
The tribunal rejected all claims brought by the applicant against the strata corporation, determining that requests for common property maintenance including fencing, decking, stucco work, irrigation systems, pavers, rail ties, pergola, and bench repairs had been previously resolved in earlier proceedings.
The applicant requested tribunal orders to stop the strata corporation from removing landscaping elements near their townhouse and to mandate consultation on landscape improvements. The tribunal declined to hear the matter as identical issues were already determined in a December 2019 decision, constituting res judicata and process abuse.
A strata lot owner disputed restrictions on wood-burning fireplaces and communication limits with property management. The tribunal ruled in favor of the strata corporation, determining the fireplace restrictions were justified by safety concerns and the communication limitations were reasonable due to excessive correspondence patterns.
An owner contested a special levy approved during the February 2019 AGM, arguing inadequate notice was provided and alleging council members breached their fiduciary obligations. The tribunal rejected these arguments, determining notice requirements were satisfied under applicable legislation, the resolution contained adequate detail, and the owner lacked standing to pursue council duty claims.
The applicant requested that the strata corporation be ordered to conduct repairs and improvements to exterior common areas, including wall structures, chimney, garden, patio, and deck spaces. The tribunal rejected the claims, determining the applicant did not demonstrate any breach of repair duties under strata legislation and bylaws, emphasizing that upgrades are not mandatory.
The owner requested $13,500 reimbursement under a 2008 alteration agreement for heating system expenses and door improvements, disputed strata governance matters, and sought legal fund financial records. The tribunal rejected most claims, ruling the reimbursement unsupported by agreement terms and disclosure blocked by SPA, but required chimney repair quotes.
The tribunal rejected the owner's application seeking $18,566.10 in compensation for common area repairs due to the statute of limitations. The owner became aware of the property damage in late May 2013 but waited until May 2019 to initiate proceedings, well beyond the required 2-year filing deadline under the Limitation Act.
Sourced from published tribunal decisions and analysed by PropTrust. Not legal advice. Verify with the corporation and a licensed professional before purchase.