Got a Special Levy Notice on Your Burnaby Strata? What to Do

A special levy notice is one of the more stressful pieces of mail a condo owner can get. It usually arrives as a single sheet: the strata needs a large sum from you, often thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, due within a set window, for a repair the building can't cover from its regular reserve.

I've helped clients on both sides of this, owners who received one and buyers looking at a unit with a levy pending. Here's how special levies actually work in BC, what you can and can't do about one, and how it plays into buying or selling.

What a Special Levy Is

A strata corporation collects monthly fees from every owner. Part of that goes to day-to-day operating costs, and part goes into the contingency reserve fund (CRF), which is savings for major future repairs. When a repair costs more than the CRF holds, the strata raises the shortfall through a special levy: a one-time assessment split among owners.

Common triggers in Burnaby buildings: roof replacement, building envelope or rainscreen work (especially in 1990s-era buildings from the leaky-condo period), elevator modernization, plumbing re-pipes, and parkade membrane repairs.

The key legal point: a special levy is not something a strata council can impose on its own. Under BC's Strata Property Act, a special levy must be approved by a 3/4 vote of owners at a general meeting. If you received a notice, that vote has already happened.

How the Amount Is Calculated

Your share of a special levy is usually based on your unit entitlement, which is roughly your unit's proportion of the total building, not an equal split. A larger unit pays more; a smaller unit pays less. Your notice should show the total levy, your unit entitlement, and your specific share.

Check the math. It's rare, but errors happen. Compare your unit entitlement on the notice to the figure in the strata's registered Schedule of Unit Entitlement.

What You Can and Can't Do

You generally cannot refuse to pay a validly-passed levy. Once the 3/4 vote passes, the levy is a legal debt. Unpaid special levies can lead to interest charges and, eventually, a lien on your unit that must be cleared before you can sell. This is not a bill you can ignore.

You can, and should, participate before the vote. The real leverage is at the general meeting where the levy is proposed. That's where you can ask questions, request more quotes, propose phasing the work, or push for financing options. Most owners skip these meetings and then feel blindsided. Don't be that owner.

You can request the supporting documents. A well-run strata will have an engineering assessment, competitive quotes, and clear meeting minutes explaining the decision. You're entitled to review these. If the documentation is thin, that's a red flag about how the building is managed.

You may be able to challenge the process, not the outcome. If the levy was passed improperly, for example without proper notice or the required vote threshold, an owner can apply to BC's Civil Resolution Tribunal. But this challenges how the levy was passed, not whether the repair is needed. Get legal advice before going this route.

Ask about payment options. Some stratas allow the levy to be paid in installments, or the strata itself may arrange financing so owners pay over time rather than in a lump sum. It's worth asking.

If You're Buying a Unit With a Levy Pending

This comes up often in Burnaby's older buildings. Here's how to handle it as a buyer:

The Form B (Information Certificate) discloses current and upcoming special levies. Read it. If a levy has been approved but not yet collected, you and the seller negotiate who pays. Sometimes the seller credits you at closing; sometimes the price already reflects it.

A pending levy isn't automatically a reason to walk away. A building that's actually funding its repairs is healthier than one that's deferring them and hiding the problem. What worries me more is a building with an underfunded CRF and no levy, because that means the bill is coming and no one has voted for it yet. The strata document review during your subject period is where you catch all of this.

If You're Selling a Unit With a Levy

A special levy affects your sale, but it doesn't have to sink it.

Disclose it. It's coming out in the Form B regardless, and non-disclosure creates legal exposure. Handle it directly.

Decide your position: will you pay the levy before closing, credit the buyer, or price the unit to reflect it? Each is a legitimate strategy, and the right one depends on the size of the levy and your timeline. In a buyer's market where Burnaby homes average 40 days on market (MLS® board records, July 2026), a clean, pre-resolved levy makes your listing easier to sell than one with an open question hanging over it.

Frame it honestly to buyers: a building that just funded its roof is a building with a new roof. That's a genuine selling point if you present it right.

Key Takeaways

• A special levy is a one-time charge to cover a major repair the strata's reserve fund can't fund on its own.
• It must pass by a 3/4 owner vote at a general meeting. If you got a notice, the vote already happened.
• Your share is based on unit entitlement, not an equal split. Check the math against the registered schedule.
• You usually can't refuse a validly-passed levy, but you can challenge an improper process at the Civil Resolution Tribunal.
• When buying or selling, the levy is a Form B disclosure item and who pays is negotiable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I refuse to pay a strata special levy in Burnaby?

Generally no. Once a special levy passes by the required 3/4 owner vote at a general meeting, it becomes a legal debt. Refusing to pay can lead to interest charges and a lien on your unit that must be cleared before you can sell. You can challenge how a levy was passed if the process was improper, but not simply because you disagree with the cost.

How is a strata special levy amount divided among owners?

Your share is usually based on your unit entitlement, which is your unit's proportion of the whole building, not an equal split among owners. A larger unit pays a bigger share. Your levy notice should show the total, your unit entitlement, and your specific portion. Compare it to the strata's registered Schedule of Unit Entitlement to confirm the math.

Should I buy a Burnaby condo that has a special levy pending?

Not necessarily a dealbreaker. A building funding its repairs is healthier than one deferring them. The pending levy appears on the Form B, and you negotiate with the seller over who pays it, often as a credit at closing. A bigger risk is a building with an underfunded reserve fund and no levy yet, because that bill is still coming.

Does a special levy make my Burnaby condo harder to sell?

It can raise questions, but it doesn't have to hurt your sale. Disclose it (it appears on the Form B anyway), and decide whether to pay it before closing, credit the buyer, or price it in. In a buyer's market with 40-day average days on market, a pre-resolved levy makes your listing cleaner and easier to sell than one with an open question.

Sources

• Province of BC, Strata Property Act, special levies and reserve funds
• MLS® board records, July 2026 (Burnaby average days on market)

Related Guides

• Burnaby Strata Depreciation Report Guide
• Conditional vs Firm Offers in Burnaby
• Burnaby Strata Insurance and Deductibles
• New vs Older Condo in Burnaby

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If you've received a special levy notice and you're wondering how it affects a sale, or you're looking at a unit with a levy pending, that's a conversation I have with Burnaby owners and buyers regularly. I'll help you read the documents and figure out the right move. Reach out directly or book a valuation. Jersey Li, PREC, Sutton Group - 1st West Realty