The CRT is an administrative tribunal. The Civil Resolution Tribunal Act allows us to take many claims about the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, small claims disputes under $5,000, and many disputes about vehicle accidents, stratas, societies and cooperative associations.
What kinds of claims can’t I make at the CRT?
There are some kinds of claims the CRT doesn’t have “jurisdiction” over. This means the law doesn’t allow us to take them, and we can’t make exceptions.
You may be able to make these claims in another tribunal instead, or in BC Provincial Court or BC Supreme Court. You may want to get legal advice.
Here are some examples of claims you can’t make at the CRT:
Only the BC Provincial Court and BC Supreme Court can enforce orders.
- Ordering the sale of property
- Ending or dissolving an interest in land
- Builder’s liens
- Ordering the sale of a strata lot
- Appointing of an administrator to run the strata corporation
- Orders vesting authority in a liquidator
- Determining each owner’s percent share in the strata complex
- Applications to wind up a strata corporation
- Remedies under section 33 of the Strata Property Act for an alleged conflict of interest by a strata council member
- Appointment of voters when there is no person to vote in respect of a strata lot
Before I apply, can you tell me if the CRT can take my claim?
As a first step, we encourage you to use our Solution Explorer. It’s free and anonymous. It asks you simple questions and gives you customized legal information and options based on your answers.
If your claim is something that the CRT isn’t allowed to take, the Solution Explorer will give you options for other places you can get information or possibly make a claim.
But for some issues, we can’t tell you before you apply whether we’re able to take your claim. You need to submit a claim application form and pay any required application fee first. CRT staff will review your application. If we tell you we might not have jurisdiction and you decide to withdraw your claim before we issue a Dispute Notice, we will refund your application fee.
In some cases, staff will ask a tribunal member to decide if a claim can proceed at the CRT. If that happens, we’ll ask you to give written reasons why you think the claim is within the CRT’s jurisdiction.
If you haven’t applied yet and aren’t sure if your dispute is within the CRT’s jurisdiction, you may want to get legal advice. The CRT can’t give legal advice, or tell you where to make your claim.