Forfeited Hells Angels clubhouse in Kelowna, B.C., sold to the city

In this file photo, RCMP officers display a Hells Angels vest in Richmond, B.C. in this handout photo. (CP PHOTO / HO / BC RCMP)

A former Hells Angels clubhouse that was seized by the British Columbia government in 2023 after years of fighting in court has been sold to the City of Kelowna.

A statement from Public Safety Minister Garry Begg says the sale of the home in Kelowna includes a "right of entry," which means the province's civil forfeiture office can take the property back if it is ever acquired and used for organized crime in the future.

The property, with an assessed value of $1.25 million, was one of three Hells Angels clubhouses in Vancouver, Kelowna and Nanaimo that were forfeited to the province last year after the Supreme Court of Canada chose not to hear an appeal of the civil forfeiture process.

A statement from Begg's ministry says it's not able to disclose the sale price before it's registered with the land titles office.

A statement from the City of Kelowna says the home was bought using reserves and now officials are "working to determine the best use for this land in the future."

The home was built in 1996 and is listed as having one bedroom and two bathrooms.

The minister says selling the home, along with other tools at the province's disposal, allows it to pursue profits from criminal activity more efficiently and are "perfect illustrations of why we have civil forfeiture in B.C."

The former clubhouse in Nanaimo was demolished last year.

The ministry says the sale of the Vancouver and Nanaimo properties will be made public when details are available.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2024