The City of Vernon says it is working with the property owner to resolve a situation with relatives living in an RV on the acreage.
The irony is if the fifth-wheel trailer were simply parked on the property, that would be fine – but because Lee and Sondra Watkins are living in it, it has become a bylaw issue.
City of Vernon spokesperson Josh Winquist says the "unlawful occupation" has been ongoing since May 2022.
"Since that time, there have been several conversations with the property owner and occupants of the RV around education and voluntary compliance," Winquist said in an email.
The city's zoning bylaw does not consider an RV a 'dwelling unit' and prohibits the use of an RV as a permanent year-round accommodation, Winquist explains.
"Residing in a RV as a permanent year-round accommodation is not an allowable property use within the Zoning Bylaw Agriculture (A1) zone.
"RVs are manufactured in a way that does not comply with BC Building Code regulations and standards."
The Watkins say that's an odd stance to take given the city and province's push for creative solutions to ease the housing crisis.
The Watkins feel they are caught between a rock and a hard place.
"I don't know what makes this wrong. We've done everything right from the electrical to the septic holding tank to professional insulated skirting," said Lee.
Use of the trailer has been OK'd by the Agricultural Land Commission.
Winquist says the city's planning department has advised that a variance for the RV to remain as a year-round dwelling is contrary to the Local Government Act, "which does not permit variances to use or density."
"While this continues to be an active ongoing investigation, it should be noted that considerable time – more than a year – has been given for the property owners and RV occupants to consider options and to find a solution that complies with the City Zoning Bylaw."
"All they talk about is solutions for the housing crisis and having more affordable housing and options and for people to come up with creative ideas like this when they have the property – and they have just gone silent, will not talk to us, will not respond to us," said Sondra.
So far, the Watkins have been fined $750 – and those could go up to $250 a day.
