Province Moves to Seize Surrey Home After Years of Police Calls

A single house on an otherwise unremarkable Surrey street has consumed 120 police responses in three and a half years—including calls related to a fire last month that killed one of the occupants. Now the B.C. government is pursuing civil forfeiture, seeking to seize the property entirely.

The lawsuit alleges that the home has become a hub for serious criminal activity: drug trafficking, violence, and property crime. The frequency of calls—more than once a week on average—suggests a level of disorder that neighbors and police say the owner either couldn't or wouldn't control. The fatal fire pushed officials to act.

Civil forfeiture is a contentious tool. It allows government to seize property allegedly used in or connected to criminal activity, even if the owner isn't convicted of a crime. Supporters argue it removes problem properties from circulation; critics say it can trap innocent landlords or vulnerable people in complicated situations. In this case, the Crown appears confident enough in its case to pursue the drastic remedy.

For Surrey residents, it raises uncomfortable questions about property responsibility. At what point does a landlord become liable for their tenant's actions? The courts will have to weigh those questions—but the fact that officials felt compelled to file suggests they've exhausted other options.