**Vancouver Property Owner Faces Scrutiny Over AI Use in Tax Appeal** The owner of a Vancouver property assessed at over $19 million has successfully reduced his tax assessment by nearly $1 million. However, the Property Assessment Appeal Board of British Columbia has raised concerns that Fu D. Ren may have violated its code of conduct by potentially using artificial intelligence in his appeal. According to a recent board decision, the code prohibits submissions that are inaccurate, misleading, or manipulated. John Bridal, the chair of the panel, noted that Ren's submission included quotes from legal cases that do not exist. "It is possible that these may be 'hallucinations' from using generative artificial intelligence to assist with developing the appellant's submission," Bridal stated. He added that this could indicate a lack of attention to detail or, worse, intentional falsification. Ren defended his submission as being made in "good faith," but Bridal expressed concern that Ren did not address the criticisms in a rebuttal. The distinction between accidental errors from AI use and intentional falsification did not matter to Bridal. He concluded that Ren breached the board's code of conduct, which requires disclosure of any reliance on artificial intelligence. In his appeal, Ren argued for a lower assessment based on three decisions from the board and B.C. Courts, claiming they supported a 20% downward adjustment due to market resistance. However, the assessor pointed out that none of the cited cases could be found on relevant legal websites. Ren calculated his property’s market value by applying a 20% discount to a suggested $12 million list price, arriving at a value of $9.6 million. The issue arose during Ren's appeal of the 2025 assessment for his 18,312-square-foot lot in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant neighborhood. He contended that the $19,082,000 assessment was excessive and proposed a reduction to an estimated market value of $10 million. The panel learned that the building previously on the property had suffered multiple fires in 2023 and 2024, leading to a city-enforced demolition order on August 9, 2024. The demolition was completed by November 20, 2024, leaving only the underground parkade foundation intact. Ren has been billed for the demolition but has not yet paid. He provided five overdue invoices to the City of Vancouver totaling $2,030,287.14, which include costs for demolition, security, and maintenance incurred between August 2024 and March 2025. Ren argued that the $2 million cost for demolition and clean-up should be deducted from the property’s market value. He claimed that the market value of "disaster-affected land" should be assessed as the bare land value minus clean-up and demolition costs. However, the assessor noted that the cases Ren cited to support this method also do not exist. Bridal stated that Ren failed to present a reasonable basis for the claimed market value, indicating that the case citations and appraisal standards referenced were likely incorrect or falsified. Bridal emphasized that the board has the authority to award costs in such cases. He stated, "If indeed the appellant has knowingly provided false cases and a misleading submission, I find this conduct would represent a breach of the board's rules." He ordered the property’s assessment to be lowered to $18,144,000. Bridal also invited further submissions regarding the potential for ordering costs against Ren in favor of the assessor or the board, which he will decide in a future ruling. Wayne MacKay, a professor emeritus at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law, advised that anyone using artificial intelligence for legal arguments should disclose it upfront and verify the accuracy of case references. "You can use it at your peril in the sense that you’re ultimately responsible for anything it says, both the content and its sourcing," MacKay warned. "If you’re wrong about that, then, basically, you’re going to lose all credibility."