B.C. Human Rights Tribunal accepts condo language complaint

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has accepted a complaint filed by seven condo owners in Richmond, B.C., who say their strata council has beenconducting meetings in Mandarin only since July.

"It's aclass-actioncomplaintagainst the current strata council based on racial discrimination,"said AndreasKargut, one of the complainants.

"We're being excluded and shunned aside because we don't have the same cultural backgroundand we do not speak their language," he claims.

• B.C. condo language dispute sparks human rights complaint

The complaint was filed in December 2015.Kargutsays he and the other complainants will be askingfor financial compensation, a formal apology and for the current council to resign.

Kargutsays the tribunal sent him a letter on Wednesday afternoon saying the complaint hasbeen accepted and the respondents havebeen notified as well.

The tribunal's letter to the respondents says the complaint can be resolved by mediation. If not, it will be resolved at a hearing.

Strata meetings usually deal with the maintenance and governance of a condo building. Kargut says he was on the strata council from 2005 until 2014, when the new council was elected.

Patrick Williams, withClark Wilson property dispute resolution group, notes there are no rulesto force a condo council to do business in English.

CBC News attempted to contact members of the current strata council, but they didn't respond.