The condo board for an embattled development in Falcon Ridge has been granted the right to tear down a half-built apartment and fix the giant hole they say has become an eyesore and a safety hazard.
Yukon Supreme Court Justice Ron Veale granted the order Nov. 5. It allows the condo board to step in to fix the problems and place a lien on the land to cover the costs.
The board’s lawyer, Jim Tucker, called the half-finished mess “an open wound in the condominium development.”
The bare piece of property is the last bit owned by developer Brian Little. Little and the board have been in court for nearly three years.
That’s when a judge ordered him to halt construction of the apartment. He ruled that Little didn’t have the authority to build it there in the first place.
After a trial, Little was permitted to proceed with smaller buildings. But those plans never happened and the half-built structure remained standing, exposed to the elements.
Now the board’s been told Little has lost his financing and won’t be able to do any more work on the property. He did not show up to court on Thursday and did not file any sort of defence.
Tucker said now that the order has been made he’ll be asking Yukon sheriffs to seize anything that can be removed from the property.
He said the board will have to return to court to enforce the lien once a proper accounting has been done of how much everything is going to cost.
Veale agreed to sign the order right away. He said he will also be issuing written reasons for his decision later.