CRT Dispute Response Form: How to Fill It Out in BC

The CRT Dispute Response form looks straightforward — name, address, check some boxes, submit. But what you write in those text fields can follow you through negotiation, facilitation, and adjudication. A vague denial that fails to address a specific allegation can be treated as an admission of that fact. An overly detailed narrative can hand the other side your evidence strategy before the case has even started.

Here is what the form actually asks, and how to fill it out without accidentally helping the other side.

Two Different Forms, Two Different Forums

Before you start filling anything out, confirm which forum your case is in:

CRT Dispute Response (online) — for claims up to $5,000 filed through the Civil Resolution Tribunal at civilresolutionbc.ca. You access it using the file number and access code from your Dispute Notice package. No paper form number — it is a web form.

Provincial Court Reply (Form 2 / SCL002) — for claims between $5,001 and $35,000 filed in BC Provincial Court Small Claims. You also need to file a Form 38 (Address for Service) alongside it. Form 2 can be filed in person at the court registry, by mail, or through Court Services Online.

The instructions below cover both, since the logic is the same even though the interface differs.

The CRT Online Form: Section by Section

Legal name and contact details. Confirm your full legal name exactly as it appears on the Dispute Notice. If the applicant named you incorrectly (wrong spelling, maiden name, your business instead of you personally), note the discrepancy — it may matter later, but this is not the place to argue it.

Response option for each claimed item. The form asks you to select, for each line item the applicant claims, whether you dispute it, admit it, or admit part and dispute part. Address every item. A line item you skip or leave blank can be deemed admitted.

Brief explanation of your dispute. If you are denying a claim, state the factual basis and any legal ground for the denial. "The work was not completed as described in the contract" is better than three paragraphs about the contractor's attitude. You will have the opportunity to submit detailed evidence later, during the adjudication stage.

Corporate or organizational authority. If you are responding for a business, corporation, partnership, or strata council, you must identify a Contact Person who has authority to bind the entity. This is usually an owner, partner, or director.

Provincial Court Form 2: Key Fields

Form 2 is more structured than the CRT web form. The critical sections:

"DISPUTE" section. You must respond to each itemized line in the "How Much" section of the Notice of Claim. Address each item directly rather than relying on a general "I deny everything."

"WHAT HAPPENED" section. Your version of events. Stick to facts. Dates, amounts, what was agreed and what was delivered.

Counterclaim section. If the claimant owes you money from the same dispute, you can file a counterclaim in the lower section of Form 2. This carries an additional $100 filing fee.

Form 38 (Address for Service). You must file this alongside Form 2. It gives the court a mailing and email address within BC where documents can be sent to you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Over-sharing. The response form is a pleading, not a witness statement. State your position clearly and briefly. You will submit evidence later.

Failing to deny specific items. Under BC civil procedure, anything you do not explicitly deny can be deemed admitted. If the claimant says you owe $4,200 and you only address $3,000 of it, the remaining $1,200 may be treated as undisputed.

Admitting "the facts but not the amount." If you agree you received a service but dispute the price, say so clearly — "I admit the service was provided; I dispute the amount claimed" — and state what you believe the correct figure is.

Missing the filing fee rules. CRT online responses are free. Provincial Court Form 2 costs $26 for claims up to $3,000 and $50 for claims over $3,000. If you admit the full claim and only propose a payment schedule, there is no filing fee for Form 2.

The BC CRT Dispute Response Guide includes a Response Strategy Planner worksheet that walks through each claim item and helps you draft structured denials before you type anything into the official form.

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