A stop work order notice is pinned to the fence at the Schell motel.
(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)
November 21, 2024 - 6:00 PM
A Vernon arborist who continued to work without a permit after being warned has pleaded guilty in the Vernon provincial court and fined $1,000.
Green Giant Tree Removal and J Purewal Trucking Company both pleaded guilty in Vernon provincial court yesterday, Nov. 20, to working next to a riparian area without a permit.
The work was carried out at the Schell Motel in Vernon in April and according to the City of Vernon the company was warned to stop the work but didn’t listen.
Both Green Giant Tree Removal and J Purewal Trucking Company were then both charged under the Local Government Act.
The trucking company’s owner owner Jasbinder Purewal also owns the Schell Motel.
Provincial Court Judge George Leven fined both companies $1,000 each for working without a permit along with $150 surcharge.
The companies will also have to get an engineering company to assess whether any damage caused and complete any rehabilitation work as needed at their own expense.
The Schell Motel.
(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)
It’s not common for companies to be taken to court over such matters, but chopping down trees without a permit can be costly.
In 2023, Salmon Arm resident Jim Weed was fined $163,000 – $1,000 for every tree he chopped down without a permit. He later pleaded guilty and had the fine reduced to $55,000.
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