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A BC Tribunal has ruled that two Kelowna neighbours who got into a bitter dispute and dumped cat poo onto each other's front yards were both equally blameworthy.

According to a Jan. 16, BC Civil Resolution Tribunal decision, Kelowna resident Dianne Holt sued her neighbour Gregory Ormston for $5,000 claiming he'd repeatedly dumped cat poo in her yard.

The two were neighbours at an undisclosed duplex complex. It is not clear how the situation started but in the spring of 2023, the situation escalated.

Ormston admitted that on a couple of occasions he had put cat poop on Holt's doormat after her cat used his front garden as a litter box.

Holt said she let her cat outside a few times a week, but that Ormston had dumped 30 or more pieces of poo every few days for two weeks and some of it was droppings from his own cats and dogs.

However, the Tribunal wasn't convinced.

"I find it unlikely that (Ormston) would undertake the unpleasant task of placing animal droppings in the (Holt’s) yard without a sincerely held belief about the droppings’ origins," the Tribunal ruled.

Given that the neighbours lived in a duplex, and that she did let her cat out, the Tribunal found that it would be likely that some of the droppings were from her cat.

The situation escalated in April 2023 when Holt put some cat poo on Ormston's front mat.

He came home and found it.

"(Ormston) gathered the droppings and knocked on (Holt’s) door. She came outside. (He) dropped the droppings at her feet. Unsurprisingly, the parties had an unpleasant verbal confrontation. (He) also kicked some or all of the droppings into (her) yard,"

She asked him to leave and as he did he ripped off the charging cover from her electric car.

The police were called and Ormston was arrested for theft and mischief, although no charges were ever laid.

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Sometime afterwards, Holt sued to cover the $3,000 damage to the car and for the time and money spent on yard work, travel expenses and gas.

"She also says she had to live in fear for a period of time and suffers from PTSD," the decision read.

In the decision, Ormston blamed Holt for what happened.

"And I agree with (him) to some extent," the Tribunal said.

The Tribunal said that Holt admitted that she trespassed onto her neighbour's property and left cat poop on his doormat.

"I find it unproven that (Holt) or (Ormston) was more blameworthy or sustained greater loss or damage than the other in the circumstances. I conclude that the parties suffered equally from the cat droppings," the Tribunal ruled.

While the Tribunal dismissed her claims over the cat feces, it sided with her over the damage to her car.

He argued the cover was ajar and it snagged on his jeans as he walked by.

"Even if this is true, I find this still breached the standard of care," the Tribunal ruled. "(Ormston) acting reasonably, should have walked around the car with sufficient clearance to avoid snagging the cover... a reasonable person watches where they are going, particularly if they are entering someone’s private property uninvited."

Holt submitted a quote for $3,117 to get it fixed and the Tribunal ordered Ormston to pay up. He's also on the hook for $400 in interest and fees.

She also accused Ormston of cutting the wires for her internet and scratching her car, but the Tribunal dismissed the allegations due to a lack of evidence.

The decision said the two are no longer neighbours.

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