Bylaw Enforcement | City of Delta

Policies & Procedures

Property use issues impact living conditions for residents, businesses, and visitors to our city. Unsightly properties, noise, and graffiti can impact neighbourhoods and the general enjoyment of our community.

Bylaw Enforcement responds to complaints from the public and other government agencies, and identifies property use issues but does not respond to civil issues. Information regarding the complainant is kept confidential, unless the complaint ends up in the court system.

Dispute a Ticket

Be it resolved that having considered the budgetary and staff resources of the Corporation and in the futherance of the better administration of the Corporation the following Policy be adopted.
Purpose
This Policy may be interpreted as a guide to Bylaw Inspectors with respect to the enforcement of the Bylaws of the Corporation. Council may provide other policy guidance or direction on any specific complaint or enforcement issue.
In this policy "Bylaw Inspector" means any person authorized to enforce a municipal bylaw, but does not include any member of the Delta Police Department.
Priorities
1. Bylaw Inspectors will respond to complaints and will actively enforce all bylaw
  violations or alleged bylaw violations that they become aware of, consistent with
  the policies set out below.
2. All complaints relating to public health and safety violations or alleged violations
  will be given highest priority and will be investigated as soon as possible, subject
  to the availability of resources.
3. A complaint brought by a complainant who provides their name, address and
    phone number and resides within 200 metres of the location of a bylaw violation
    or alleged bylaw violation that relates to wrecked vehicles, unsightly property,
  noxious, offensive or unwholesome matter, illegal suites (subject to sections 6
    and 7 below), overweight vehicles, heavy trucks operated or parked off a truck
    route, too many vehicles, or too many pets will be given the next highest priority.
4. Bylaw Inspectors will, as the next highest priority, respond to complaints
    regarding bylaw violations or alleged bylaw violations not referred to in sections
    2 and 3 above when such complaints are made by complainants who have
    provided their name, address and a telephone number where they may be
    contacted.
5. Notwithstanding any of the above priorities, Bylaw Inspectors may, during the
  regular course of their duties, take enforcement action in relation to:
  
  any bylaw violation or alleged bylaw violation of which they become aware; and
  any violation or alleged violation of a restrictive covenant, regardless of whether a complaint has been received. The notice procedures outlined in section 6 below will be followed when taking action in relation to a
  secondary suite in a dwelling that is subject to a restrictive covenant.
Illegal Suites
6. Where a complaint regarding:
1. a suite in a dwelling, other than a single family dwelling, that is not subject to a
  restrictive covenant prohibiting suites; or
2. several suites in a single family dwelling that is not subject to a restrictive
  covenant prohibiting suites,
has been made in accordance with this policy or where the Council has provided direction, the Municipal Solicitor, the Lands Solicitor or any bylaw Inspector, where satisfied the complaint is true and accurate, may give notice in writing to the owner of the property in question and to the occupant or occupants of any such suite or suites subject to the complaint. The Notice shall be a notice to vacate and shall be effective the last day of the next month. Provided that all Notices which would become effective December 31 are deemed to be effective January 31 in the new year.
7. With respect to complaints regarding a suite in a single family dwelling that is not
  subject to a restrictive covenant prohibiting suites, the following priorities will
  apply:
1. first priority will be given to resolving or achieving compliance related to
complaints associated with noise, unsightly premises, parking, and other
nuisances;
2. second priority will be given to dealing with enforcement actions that would
result in the closing of a secondary suite, where the occupants of a house with
two kitchens are not living as port of the same tenancy, or do not have freedom
of access throughout the dwelling, and where written complaints are received
from two or more separate residences, each located within 200 metres of the
subject property; and
3. lowest priority will be given to dealing with enforcement actions that would
  result in the closing of a secondary suite where the occupants of a house with
  two kitchens live together as one tenancy, and all have freedom of movement
  throughout the dwelling, and where written complaints have been received from
  two or more residences, each located within 200 metres of the subject property.
The notice procedures outlined in section 6 above will be followed when taking
action to close a secondary suite in a single detached house.
Noise
8. Where a complaint relates to noise, a bylaw violation ticket or municipal ticket
information may be issued on the basis of one complaint and the observations of
the Bylaw Inspector or police office involved. In order to seek an injunction, a
noise complaint must be made in writing by at least two complainants who
confirm their willingness to attend Court and to give evidence.
Parking
9. Complaints respecting the parking or storage of vehicles, whether on private
property, contrary to the Zoning Bylaw, or on municipal rights-of-way,
boulevards, lanes or streets may be investigated and acted upon by the Delta
Police Department and Bylaw Inspectors.
Prosecution or Injunction
10. Bylaw inspectors, where satisfied a complaint is valid, may attempt to obtain
voluntary compliance. In that attempt, a Bylaw Inspector may forward letters
  demanding compliance, and may undertake remedies authorized by bylaw.
  Should the violation continue, the Bylaw Inspector may then request that a
  Notice demanding compliance be delivered to the alleged offender and/or
  the property owner. Should the violation continue, or should the Notice be
  ignored, the Bylaw Inspector may consult with the Corporation's solicitors
  respecting enforcement action to authorize a prosecution under the Offences
  Act, authorize commencement of an injunction requiring compliance, request
that Council take action under the Community Charter, or any combination of
these remedies. in the case of a second violation, the Bylaw Inspector may
consult directly with Corporation's solicitors with respect to enforcement action,
i.e. prosecution or injunction.
Correspondence Requesting Non Enforcement or Delay of Enforcement
11. All correspondence received by Council requesting non Enforcement of or
  delay respecting enforcement of a bylaw violation shall be referred to the
  Property Use & Compliance Manager for consideration. The Property Use
  & Compliance Manager, in consultation with the Corporation's solicitors,
  will determine whether or not proceedings should be delayed, stayed or
  discontinued based on the public interest. Where there is a difficult issue
  which is of a policy orientation, then staff would forward that issue to
  Council for a "policy" level decision, as opposed to bringing forward the
  specific request.
Municipal Ticket Information
12. Notwithstanding anything herein, a municipal ticket information may be issued
for any offence authorized by bylaw, with or without a complaint, and any
disputed municipal ticket information may be prosecuted in a court of
competent jurisdiction.
Authority to Compromise
13. The Municipal Solicitor may cancel any disputed bylaw violation ticket or
municipal ticket information if, in his or her opinion:
1. there is a substantial error on the face of the ticket;
2. there is insufficient evidence to obtain a conviction;
3. the ticket should not have been issued; or
4. such action is in the best interest of the Municipality.
14. The Municipal Solicitor may abandon or settle any injunction of proceedings if,
in his or her opinion:
1. there is insufficient evidence to obtain the relief sought; or
2. such action is in the best interest of the Municipality.
Confidentiality
15. All names, addresses, telephone numbers and other personal information
provided by complainant or witness shall be kept strictly confidential and not
released without the consent of the person the information.
Pay early, pay less
Pay within 14 days, and get a discount off the full amount (discounted amount shown on the front of the ticket)
PAYING YOUR TICKET
- Online Portal deltaonline.ca (Visa or Mastercard only)
- In person at:
Delta City Hall
4500 Clarence Taylor Cres. Delta, BC.
Or
North Delta Recreation Centre
11415 84 Ave, Delta
Payments can be made in cash, cheque or credit card.
- By mail to
  Delta City Hall
  Bylaw & Licensing Services
  4500 Clarence Taylor Cres,
  Delta BC V4K 3E2
(make cheque payable to City of Delta)

If your ticket is unavailable online
If your ticket number does not display in the online payment system, check to make sure it is a City of Delta ticket. If it is, it may not have been entered into our system yet. Please try back later.
Ticket disputes
If you wish to dispute the allegations contained in our ticket, you may submit an adjudication request in person or by mail to 4500 Clarence Taylor Cres,
Delta BC. The adjudication request is located on the back of the ticket.
This adjudication request must be received by the City of Delta within 28 days from the date of service or delivery. Postmarks will not be honoured as the date of dispute. Disputes delivered after business hours will be considered received on the following business day. You may provide and attached your reason for dispute but this is not a requirement.
A screening officer will contact you by telephone to discuss the offence.
How the adjudication process works
The adjudication process can take 2 to 3 months to finalize.
Once you apply for an adjudication hearing, you can only cancel your dispute by paying your ticket at any point before the hearing.
Keep in mind:
- An adjudicator cannot reduce the ticket amount or give you more time to pay.
- The issuing bylaw officer does not need to attend the hearing.
- A $25 fee is charged in addition to your ticket if the ticket is upheld.
- You must submit a separate application for each ticket you choose to dispute.
  **A paid ticket cannot be taken to adjudication**
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Present your evidence
You can present your own evidence at your scheduled hearing for the adjudicator to consider in any of the following ways:
- In person during your hearing at City Hall, 4500 Clarence Taylor Cres, room TBD.
- In writing to finance@delta.ca - 10 business days before your hearing
- By phone during your phone hearing
The adjudicator only makes a decision as to whether the offence occurred or did not occur based on the evidence presented. Personal circumstances are not considered. Adjudication hearings are open to the public. All evidence presented during hearings can be seen by the public