Emily Yu, North Vancouver’s infamous illegal hostel hostess, has been found in contempt of court again and will be forcibly evicted from her Central Lonsdale townhouse so that it may be sold.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge ordered the sale in June after Yu failed to pay more than $50,000 in legal fees her strata racked up trying to have the illegal hostel shut down.
But the strata council’s lawyer was back in court Friday morning to report Yu had refused to follow court orders to turn over a copy of her keys to a court bailiff and to allow the property to be inspected.
According to affidavits filed with the application, when the bailiff knocked on Yu's door, the woman who answered claimed not to be Yu. When the bailiff returned, he found the RCMP had been called. And although there was no direct evidence that Yu was responsible, the real estate agent's For Sale sign had been twice taken down.
Strata lawyer Stephen Hamilton said the only way for the court orders to be enforced was to physically prevent Yu from obstructing the law any further.
“Ms. Yu has demonstrated that, despite all of the opportunities this court has given her to bring herself into compliance with court orders, to respect this court process, she has no intention of doing that,” he said. “In my submission, it's highly probable that she’ll just continue to interfere with what needs to be done.”
Yu showed up to Friday’s hearing alleging that she had been a victim of fraud and identity theft because the court file number on her case had changed.
“This court file number is not my court file number but I have been dragged into the court, back and forth, multiple times in front of your honour to listen to somebody else’s court file,” she said.
Justice Barry Davies was having none of it, though.
“I am not going to listen to this made-up nonsense. I have heard enough from you over the last three years to understand that you will say or do anything that you think might allow you to continue to obstruct the orders of this court,” he said. “You have obfuscated. You have been in contempt. You have completely and utterly refused to accept your responsibilities as an owner and as a neighbour. And this must come to end.”
Yu protested and shouted over Davies multiple times, but the judge told her repeatedly and forcefully to “be seated and be quiet.”
“I have no option, unfortunately, but to move you from your property and I do that simply for the purpose of ensuring that you not only respect the orders of this court, but that your neighbours and your fellow owners really receive the relief to which they are entitled, so that is the end of this matter,” he said.
Yu must now “deliver vacant possession” of the townhouse to the sheriff by Nov. 30, at which time she will be banned from stepping foot on the townhouse property.
The order gives the sheriff the power to change the locks and includes direction for the RCMP to assist with the eviction by force if necessary.
For her further contempt, Yu has been fined another $2,500, although Davies conceded that he doubted Yu would actually pay.
Even after the hearing adjourned, Yu protested “I’m innocent, your lord. I’m a victim.”
The strata council issued a statement following the ruling.
“The tough words from Justice Davies today were greatly welcomed from all of the other owners in our complex. It is tough to put into words how challenging this has been for us all. We never expected to still be in court dealing with this more than three years after it started but to at last see this coming to an end means a great deal to us. Thank you to everyone involved in supporting our strata through this ordeal – it means a lot to us," it read.
The three-bedroom townhouse remains on the market, listed for $965,000.
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