The District of West Vancouver wants to warn potential home buyers about a property that municipal staff say has undergone significant renovations without the necessary permits.
Council voted at a July 21 meeting to file a notice with the land title office against the property at 1921 Fulton Ave.
The property has a lengthy history of bylaw enforcement issues related to unpermitted construction and renovations as well as construction noise violations, and has been operating three unpermitted suites on the lower floor, according to a staff report.
In January 2023, the owner got a permit to renovate the property to establish a daycare. But after a small fire in May 2024 – resulting from using an oven as storage space – the owner asked to revise the proposed work to renovate the kitchen on the main floor, still for the stated purpose of building a daycare, staff said. That revision was granted.
Then in June 2024, the owner emailed the district, advising they had decided to turn the basement into a bachelor suite instead of a daycare space. A neighbour also complained that the main floor renovation had gone beyond just the kitchen.
The owner was issued bylaw offence notices that fall, for construction noise outside of allowed hours, but the owner argued against them.
“Communications from the owner towards staff quickly became hostile and unproductive,” staff said in the report.
In April 2025, the district issued a stop work order, due to the disallowed construction.
Then in May, staff noticed that the property was listed for sale. The listing states that the home has three secondary suites available for short- or long-term rental, and four “fully equipped” kitchens. But the property is only permitted to have one kitchen and no secondary suites, staff said.
Later in May, building and bylaw staff conducted an interior inspection of the property, accompanied by West Vancouver police.
Staff documented numerous examples of unpermitted work inside the home, including significant plumbing and electrical work, and that the carport had been unlawfully enclosed and an EV charger added.
After deeming much of the work unsafe, staff posted a “do not occupy” order to the home on July 9.
Staff also sent a letter to owner Soheila Eslaminikoo, advising her to move into compliance with district bylaws or face further enforcement.
District should have checked on work being done, owner argues
Eslaminikoo and her husband addressed council directly at the July 21 meeting, arguing that it was the district’s responsibility to come to the property to check that the work was being done properly. They also threatened legal action against the district.
Coun. Scott Snider said he disagreed that the onus is on the district to show up during construction to see that the work being done is permitted.
“I think that anybody that is doing work on their home … would understand that you need to ask for an electrical permit to have electrical work done. You would need a plumbing permit to have the plumbing work done,” he said. “You would understand that the zoning of your house does not allow for multiple secondary suites.”
Coun. Christine Cassidy recalled that there was a home in a very similar situation on 20th Street, and the district ordered it to be demolished.
“Unfortunately, as much as I would like to recognize all of the efforts that you have put in, the district has standards, and those standards, if nothing else, revolve around the safety of somebody residing in the home,” she said. “And if you’d only pulled the permits and had the work inspected, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Regulations are put in place so people don’t go into a home that’s a fire hazard, or where the plumbing is going to fall apart, Cassidy said.
“You cannot give anybody that assuredness. And now you’ve got the house on the market,” she said. “If the house proved to be faulty, the district would be the one that is liable.”
Mayor Mark Sager said the owners had a permit to build a daycare, and if they wanted to put in suites instead, they had to apply for an amended permit.
“You can’t use the same permit for two different things,” he said.
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