As the owner of a fire-ravaged property he's been accused of neglecting, Fu De Ren has defended himself in both civil proceedings and bylaw trials.

But the East Vancouver landlord may be forced to pay for his latest attempt at self-representation: a bid to cut his property's assessed value by nearly half — from $19 million to $10 million.

According to the board that hears assessment appeals, Ren's arguments are riddled with fictitious case law — possible artificial intelligence (AI) "hallucinations" that sent B.C.'s assessment authority on a wild goose chase in search of legal precedent that doesn't exist.

Now, the board says Ren may have to pay for those mistakes.

"The unraveling of these falsehoods has required investigation and research by both the Assessor and the Board," board panel chair John Bridal wrote in an Oct. 7 decision.

"I find an order for costs may be warranted, reflecting the additional time of both the Board and the Assessor in addressing this matter."

'The human ... remains responsible'

Ren's battle with B.C. Assessment is the latest chapter in a story that began more than two years ago with a massive fire that rendered the low-rise apartment building that used to sit in the 400 block of East 10th Avenue uninhabitable.

In the time since, another fire resulted in an order for the demolition of the remaining structure, and Ren has fought with tenants, bylaw officials and the city over his alleged neglect of the property and his reluctance to pay for tearing down what was left of it.

A fire in 2023 rendered Fu De Ren's apartment building uninhabitable. Another blaze a year later resulted in an order for the demolition of what was left.