The authorities expect the citizens (only?) to abide by law.
My property assessment review hearing was to be on Feb.12th. I was not given advance notice that it was changed to Feb 13. These hearings are open to the public. I was accompanied by a reporter, as I want the facts to be made known to the public. The Chairman of the hearing came out and said “no taking of notes and no recording”. Wow – at a public hearing! Why ? Looks like they wanted to keep information and facts secret, away from the public, like censorship. Some democracy! Never met him before, so I wonder how he knew that it was us, to approach us.
The hearing, I say, was a farce, as they ignored the facts, again. I was taught long ago that the law at the time of a deal takes precedent, not future laws applied backwards in time, as that becomes retroactive application of law, and that is supposed to be illegal. I was granted Indefeasible Titles a long time before regulation 438/81 and 411/95 were proclaimed, so if that is not retroactive, then whatever would be? But they insist on applying those regulations, which should NOT be applied. My land is farm land, in the ALR, and “R” means “reserve” which could be future use, but they want to force me to use it NOW. I claim that they had no right to swap Farm to Residential on their own. Also, there is no acknowledgement by BC Assessment of damage and devaluation of my land due to the garbage dump and stockyard directly adjacent, which were established and operated illegally. I was NOT compensated for damages, legal fees and losses etc. BC Assessment is comparing my damaged land to land far away that is not damaged. I had my land before the dump and stockyard so it was clean. They would now have to be claiming that a garbage dump and stockyard is clean! That is unreal!
I was granted Indefeasible Titles, indefeasible meaning a deal never to be broken, and now they ARE breaking the deal, by adding conditions. It was NOT the deal that I could never ever retire, and be forced to work until I drop dead. That is discrimination, as others have the right to retire. I call that SLAVERY, which was supposed to be abolished long ago in the civilized world. Or else to be FORCED against my wishes, to turn MY land over to others, and then “I” am no longer in control of “MY” land, and that amounts to having my land stolen from me. They swapped my Farm to Residential, when there is no residence, not even a dog house on it. Then I get ripped off with far higher land taxes, and that is like theft and robbery. Under Residential class I should be entitled to subdivide it into smaller residential lots, as 150 acres is more than needed for one home site.
Regulation 438/81 and 411/95 should NOT be applied, and therefore have NO effect on ANYONE who was granted titles BEFORE proclamation. That should only have binding force on titles granted AFTER proclamation. The authorities need to respect the “rule of law”, and if not, then they become outlaws. We’re not supposed to be the wild west, or dark ages anymore, or to have slavery in the year 2015!
I did my share of hard work already, and that is a rotten way to treat people, and I say crooked, cheating and stealing. The law at the time of a deal is supposed to apply, and NOT be changed later behind your back.
Sincerely,
Vernon Pawloske,
McBride–Beaver-Holmes River
