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Can my CRT fees and expenses be reimbursed?

2 min read

When a tribunal member makes a default decision or final decision about a claim, they might order an unsuccessful participant to pay the successful participant’s CRT fees and other reasonable expenses.

You may be able to claim reimbursement for:

  • CRT fees
  • Expenses for serving a CRT Dispute Notice including postage, process servers, or mileage to and from a participant’s address
  • Costs for expert evidence and other evidence reports
  • Fees paid to an Indigenous elder for support during the CRT process
  • Charges for getting documents related to your claim, like a Freedom of Information (FOI) request
  • Search fees for the Corporate Registry or Land Title Office

But you can’t claim reimbursement for:

  • Filing fees for a court, Residential Tenancy Branch, or other tribunal if you filed your claim there before filing it with the CRT

Can I be reimbursed for legal expenses?

Usually, the CRT won’t order someone to reimburse you for legal expenses.

The CRT may order an unsuccessful participant to pay some, or all, of the fees you paid to a lawyer if your claim is:

A tribunal member may consider:

  • Was the dispute complicated?
  • How much was the lawyer involved?
  • Did a participant cause unnecessary delay or expenses?
  • Did a participant submit false evidence, cases, or legislation created by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool?
  • Was there an abuse of process (improper use of the dispute resolution process)?
  • Are there any other factors to consider?

What about the time I spent dealing with the CRT process?

Usually, the tribunal member won’t order someone to pay you for missed work or the time you spent dealing with a CRT claim.

However, a tribunal member may order compensation if:

  • A participant misled the CRT such as giving false evidence, cases, or legislation created by an AI tool
  • There was an abuse of process or other extraordinary circumstances

For more information, see the CRT Rules and Can I use AI tools in evidence and arguments?

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