Dear Editor,
Re: “Communication breakdown,” News Sept. 2.
The strata council for the Strata Plan BCS 802 would like to respond to a recent media reports regarding its human rights tribunal dispute with Andreas Kargut. The council has attempted to avoid the media to address this complainant through the tribunal, but there are several inaccuracies that need clarification.
Mr. Kargut appears to enjoy the limelight, but has not offered a fair description of what is occurring. Each one of the following statements is inaccurate:
1. Two owners held 25 proxy votes;
2. Owners made misrepresentations to obtain proxy votes;
3. The council uses a translator for one owner, but is unwilling to translate for English speakers; and
4. The council breached the settlement agreement reached in July.
At the annual general meeting (AGM) held on Aug. 29, six owners held 25 proxies. All six owners presented with proxies attended the AGM and voted independently. There is no basis to suggest anyone made misrepresentations to obtain proxies. Mr. Kargut made two inaccurate statements about the proxy voting at the AGM.
The previous strata councils conducted meetings solely in English for more than a decade without any accommodation for the owners who do not speak English. When a new council took over managing the strata in 2015, the group was more comfortable communicating in Mandarin. This decision was made to have efficient meetings, not to exclude owners. Until December 2015, there were no English speaking observers.
However, since a concern was raised regarding language, the council has conducted all subsequent meetings with a translator. The council has found it disappointing that this fact has not been relayed to the media at any time. Mr. Kargut commenced a GoFundMe website to fund this dispute. He benefits from not telling the entire story.
Mr. Kargut seeks to have all meetings in English, even when there are no observers present. This is completely unrealistic and would ignore the identity of this community. The council remains a group that speaks Mandarin as its first language, which reflects the group of owners and the multiculturalism of Canada.
Effective communication is important to ensure mutual respect and allow all parties to understand. The council has shown itself committed to that belief by providing a translator. Moreover, the council is willing to hear any owners’ issues or problems. However, stratas are run as a democracy and one owner cannot dictate how things are governed.
The council has been patient and has attempted to address numerous issues, but it is unfair and unreasonable to communicate falsehoods to the media.
Wellington Court
Strata Council
