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Swann accuses NDP Government of leaving Hillview Condo owners behind

Last Updated Jun 8, 2018 at 6:44 am MDT

PHOTO. The Hillview Condo Corporation is being sued for $23M for firing Viceroy Construction, the former builder. Jenna Hamilton/ MORNING REPORTER.

A Liberal MLA is making waves in the legislature on behalf of Hillview Condo owners.

The 214-condo complex in Abasand burnt down in the 2016 wildfire. The condo corporation is being sued for $23,136,055 by their former builder, Viceroy Construction, for allegedly wrongfully terminating their contract.

David Swann called the NDP Government’s policies inadequate and accused them of leaving the condo owners behind.

“Their lives have been turned upside and they cannot turn to the NDP Government for solutions. I’ve spoken with concerned citizens whose homes were destroyed in the Fort McMurray disaster,” said Swann. “They are coping with the stress and emotional trauma of losing their residence to the 2016 fire. They are also dealing with legal entanglements during the rebuild that have been exacerbated by weak NDP policies.”

Since terminating Viceroy in August 2017, the work site sat open to the elements and required repairs. The board hired a new contractor, Calmac Developments Ltd., to perform the repairs and complete the build.

Initially advised the repair work would cost $4 to $5 million, owners were instead presented with a repair estimate from Calmac Developments Ltd. of $6,080,030.25, costing each unit an additional $30,000 to $36,000.

According to several Hillview Condo owners, they have been unable to access needed information from their board in regards to the rebuild and legal proceedings.

Swann said the NDP needs to provide solutions including pro bono or low-cost legal services.

“In the four years since the Condominium Property Act was passed but there are still no regulations to create a much needed dispute resolution board. Nor is there a guaranteed access to information for condominium owners from their own condo boards. This makes it extremely difficult to deal with complex legal issues.”

A group of owners from the condo complex have started a GoFundMe account to retain a lawyer in hopes of pursuing legal action against the board.