BURST
The owners of a Surrey house used by Hells Angels as a clubhouse say they knew nothing of any illegal activity by their renter, despite allegations made by the B.C. government.
Last month, the director of civil forfeiture filed a lawsuit against the notorious biker gang to seize three clubhouses, belonging to the Mission chapter, the Hardside chapter in Surrey , and the Haney chapter in Pitt Meadows.
Gurbinder Singh Johal and his wife Kulwant own the house at 18068-96 Ave. in Surrey that has been used by the Hardside chapter for years.
The Johals said in their response to the government lawsuit, filed Jan. 8, that they “have no knowledge of the alleged unlawful activities referred to in the notice of civil claim and are not, and have not, been connected to any such unlawful activities.”
“The Johal defendants are not beneficiaries of the alleged unlawful activities ,” their filing opposing the forfeiture also said.
They also said they have evicted Hells Angel Gurpreet Dhaliwal, their most recent tenant. They had just signed a five-year lease with him on March 8, 2025, the statement of defence said.
“The Johal defendants understood that Mr. Dhaliwal was using the property as his personal residence. Mr. Dhaliwal has since been evicted from the property.”
Before the lease to Dhaliwal, the Johals said they rented the property to Suminder Grewal, beginning on Oct. 25, 2017.
Hardside Hells Angel Grewal, known as Allie, was shot to death in south Surrey in August 2019. His wake was held at the Surrey clubhouse under the watchful eye of anti-gang officers from B.C.’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.
The Johals said in their statement of defence that Grewal told them “that the property would be for his personal use and to restore his antique cars. The Johal defendants understood Mr. Grewal’s use of the property to be as represented.”
“At all materials times, Mr. Grewal and Mr. Dhaliwal (the “former tenants”) presented themselves as responsible individuals to the Johal defendants. The former tenants kept the property clean and in good repair,” the response said.
The Johals have asked the director of civil forfeiture to discontinue the lawsuit against them.
“The Johal defendants are wholly uninvolved in any alleged criminal activity,” their response said.
But in a 2020 response to another lawsuit, filed by the City of Surrey over the property, the Johals said Hells Angel Shannon Rennie was their tenant.
“The defendants lease the property to the defendant, Shannon Rennie, pursuant to a Residential Tenancy Agreement executed Oct. 15, 2017,” the May 28, 2020 statement of defence said.
Surrey filed the lawsuit to get the Hardside clubhouse shut down, alleging it violated municipal bylaws.
In October 2024, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ardith Walkem denied a city application for an immediate injunction and said the matter should go to trial. That trial is now set for February of 2027.
CFSEU Sgt. Sarbjit Sangha confirmed Tuesday that the Hardside chapter has now moved out of the Johal’s property. She added that the agency doesn’t have information about their new meeting place yet.
No other defendants listed in the December 2025 B.C. government lawsuit have filed any response to date.
The government said in its lawsuit that Hells Angels chapters “are each a criminal organization .”
“Members of the Hardside chapter, Mission chapter and Haney chapter have used the Hells Angels’ reputation for violence for the purpose of intimidation and other unlawful activity, all for material gain of the chapters and their respective membership.”
Many of the allegations mirror those in the civil forfeiture case originally filed in 2007 against the Nanaimo clubhouse that in 2012 merged with the director’s lawsuit to seize the East End and Kelowna clubhouses as well. After initially losing that case in B.C. Supreme Court, the director won in the B.C. Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear the case in 2023, clearing the way for the forfeiture of the clubhouses. All three have now been sold or demolished.
Blueksy: @kimbolan.bsky.social