Kelowna homeowner out $66K after strata repairs fell through – Okanagan

Susan Hisch grips a makeshift balcony railing made of 2-by-4s. As she gives it a shake, it wobbles noticeably.

“This isn’t safe,” she said.

In 2021, Hisch, like every other homeowner at Burtch Estates in Kelowna, B.C., was told she needed to pay a special levy of $66,000. The funds were supposed to go toward a full envelope restoration of the aging building — a major construction project intended to upgrade the exterior, fix balconies, and improve safety.

Hisch paid her share, but three years later, much of the work remains unfinished.

“Each owner had to come up with that money to redo the full envelope of the building,” she said. “And still — nothing’s done.”

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Hisch says that while many residents paid the levy to the strata, progress stalled a year after construction began. The contractor, Team Construction, walked off the job. Then, she says, their strata management company, Lifestyles, also abandoned the project.

“Here we are, stuck with nothing done,” Hisch said. “The siding wasn’t finished. The balconies weren’t done. Winter was coming.”

Team Construction told Global News they were forced to stop work after the strata council and their consultant, GTA, allegedly stopped making payments. In a statement, the company said, “We filed a lien, initiating a two-year dispute that resulted in the Strata Council finally accepting responsibility. It’s unfortunate the membership wasn’t kept informed.”

Now, Hisch’s home is surrounded by signs of incomplete work: cracked balcony foundations, temporary wood supports in place of real railings, a second balcony without a railing, and siding that was never installed.

The situation hasn’t just affected Hisch’s safety, it’s changed her quality of life.

“Balconies are our outdoor living space. And we haven’t been able to go out there,” she said “I haven’t had company over. I’ve been working seven days a week just to pay off that $66,000.”

In a phone call with Global News, the strata said construction could restart — if owners vote in favour of continuing the project. But Hisch isn’t optimistic.

“I call it a stalling tactic,” she said. “I’d like to be a glass-half-full kind of person, but at this point, I no longer have faith.”

For now, Hisch is left with no railing, no repairs and no end in sight.

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