The municipality of Summerland has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars dealing with legal actions and freedom of information requests from one citizen's family.
From 2019 up to June 30, 2025, Summerland has spent more than $361,443.45 to respond to actions from Bradley Besler and his family.
This does not include costs related to staff time or legal expenses incurred by Summerland鈥檚 liability insurer, the municipality says.
A one per cent property tax increase in Summerland works out to around $108,000. According to the 2025 budget, the district's legal costs went above budget by $128,000 in 2024.
Besler has represented himself and his family in all their various lawsuits.
In June, Summerland was awarded costs after the B.C. Supreme Court dismissed a petition for judicial review filed against the municipality by Bradley and Vicki Besler over a development variance permit the municipality issued for the property next door to the Beslers.
At a hearing on June 19, 2025, the court dismissed the Beslers鈥� petition because it had been made moot, following the district rescinding the variance and then voting to rezone the property instead.
Both the variance and the rezoning would allow Besler's neighbour Thorsten Clausen to have agri-tourism accommodation on the property.
After Besler filed his petition for judicial review in January of 2025, Summerland council considered the municpality's legal options before deciding to exercise its legislative powers to adopt a site-specific rezoning bylaw for the property.
The municipality also stated in a press release that it offered the Beslers the opportunity to amend or discontinue their petition on a without-cost basis, however the offer was declined and the case proceeded to the hearing where it was dismissed for being moot.
Following the June 19 decision, the Beslers filed a new petition on July 2, challenging council鈥檚 decision to pass the site-specific rezoning for the Clausen property.
The municipality of Summerland is also defending itself in several other legal challenges filed by Besler.
These related to his neighbouring property, the municipality鈥檚 freedom of information policy, a defamation suit against Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes and a suit accusing staff and council of acting in bad faith in passing a zoning bylaw.
That also includes a judicial review application Besler filed over Summerland's borrowing bylaw to pay for community infrastructure upgrades. That review was heard by a judge on June 25, who reserved their judgment for a later date.
Brad and Vicki Besler are also co-filed on a separate lawsuit in May against the Agricultural Land Commission, after the ALC gave its approval for use of some of the What the Fungus property for the Bartlett Tree Company, which Clausen also operates.