Bat droppings in the bedroom? That doesn't mean the animals are pests, judge rules
CBC
A bat-infested ceiling might make a perfect turnkey haunted house for Halloween enthusiasts, but for a B.C. couple, it provoked a strong case of buyer's remorse and a losing battle in the courtroom.
The pair recently had their civil claim against the previous owner dismissed in a provincial court.
Emmeline Van Geemen and Kevin Van Geemen bought their first home in the central B.C. city of Prince George in 2019, not suspecting it would come with house guests in the form of a colony of bats making a seasonal home in the space between their master bedroom ceiling and the roof.
After discovering the bats, the couple brought a claim against the previous owner of the house, Eric Stevenson, for misrepresenting the condition of the property and failing to disclose a bat colony "had taken up roost in the cathedral ceilings," according to the court documents.
During the proceeding, the Van Geemens alleged that Stevenson was negligent by not disclosing that bats had previously lived inside the home.
But Judge Judith Doulis didn't agree.
"The [property disclosure statement] asks the vendor to disclose any infestations by pests or rodents. Bats are neither," wrote Doulis in her decision.
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