B.C. woman awarded $5K after mink stole damaged at cleaners
A B.C. woman whose mink stole was damaged "beyond repair" by a cleaning business has been awarded $5,000 by the province's civil resolution tribunal.
The dispute dates back to 2019 and the decision was posted online last Thursday. Maryam Ossanlou claimed that she took the stole to be cleaned at a business called Highlands Cleaners where a malfunctioning machine destroyed the fur.
The business did not disagree with this fact, according to the tribunal member Nav Shukla's decision, but rather argued that Ossanlou overvalued the item and was already offered and rejected a fair settlement. The amount of that settlement was not specified.
"It is undisputed that the fur stole was damaged beyond repair," the decision says.
An appraisal of the item done by a furrier identified by the initials "TT" was done in support of Ossanlou's claim. The appraiser based the assessed $5,000 value on photos submitted of the item before it was damaged and described it as "a natural violet male mink stole made out of approximately seven to nine top quality male mink skins," the tribunal said.
The business argued that the appraisal should be disregarded because the true value of the fur could not be established without a receipt or an in-person examination of the item in its "original condition," but Ossanlou countered that by saying she was given the item as a gift in 2005 and that the furrier did inspect what remained of the stole.
"The respondent says that since the applicant did not provide a proof of purchase, TT’s appraisal does not have merit. The respondent also says that since TT did not examine the fur stole itself and based their appraisal on pictures and a description provided by the applicant, the appraisal is not reliable," Shakla wrote.
In support of the claim that the fur should be valued at a significantly lower amount, the business provided screenshots of stoles for sale online ranging in price from $129.99 to $2,200. Ossanlou also provided screenshots of mink coats ranging in price from $4,999.94 to $7,874.94.
Shakla disregarded all of this, saying "I am unable to determine based on the screen shot listings how the fur items in those listings compare to the applicant’s fur stole in terms of quality."
In the end and on a balance of probabilities, the tribunal accepted the furrier's appraisal as "the most reliable evidence" of the garment's value.
In addition to $5,000 for the damaged fur stole, Ossanlou was awarded an $396.18 as combined reimbursement for pre-judgment interest and tribunal costs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.