After a fire 16 months ago, Derek Wubs still has no home and no answers.

What he does have is a $37,000 bill he’s struggling to pay for his burned-out Chilliwack condo, and a warning for others.

“I was under the belief that paying my strata fees would result in the appropriate building insurance being purchased,” Wubs, 26, said.

“People who are looking to buy in a strata, I would suggest to them be very careful because there’s no such thing as a good strata story.”

Wubs, 26, owns a condo at Parkridge at Sardis Village, a 60-unit building that went up in flames in August 2019. A fire investigation pointed to smoking materials in a neighbouring unit as the cause.

After being forced from their homes by the blaze, Wubs said, they found out the building was underinsured by $3.2 million.

Wubs and other owners are being forced to pay a special levy to make up the shortfall. Each unit must pay at least $36,000 but some are facing bills over $57,000. Wubs owes over $37,000 for his share.

Having looked at documents supplied by Wubs, an expert on condo policy said this should serve as a warning to other condo homeowners in the province.

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