Montreal City Weblog

Kate 13:39 on 2021-04-06 Permalink Reply  

• Ephraim 13:53 on 2021-04-06 Permalink

  There are a number of ways to go after the problem, starting with the permits…
  1. Don’t allow reconfiguration of the apartments. You have 2.5 and 3.5 and you end with 2.5 and 3.5 with the same size. You want to change the configuration, you ensure everyone has a new place to stay and show us that they agreed to move. No agreement, no reconfiguration.
  2. Give a very short window to do the contracted work, OR if it extends beyond a short period, make the permit for dwellings over 5 apartments extraordinarily expensive.
  3. Increase inspections. More frequent verification that you are doing the work and that you are doing it to code, with RBQ licenced contractors. Show what you are doing. Verify that you are doing that.
  4. As soon as finished, re-evaluation the property to increase property taxes.

• YUL514 16:22 on 2021-04-06 Permalink

  Ephraim, the city is very good at taking care of #4 especially with regular home owners who renovate their own home and don’t have rental properties. They always pass by the moment you are forced to get a permit for certain work.

• Ephraim 17:01 on 2021-04-06 Permalink

  Depends on the arrondisement, but yes, they do. But I want them to make the renoviction a pain in the ass. For example, when you are doing it, is time to make sure you are up to code and a tighter code. For example, require sprinklers, separate electric meters, efficient windows, etc. Make it HURT to do a renoviction. Fire preventive materials. Energy efficiency. Make it something that you really want to think twice or three times before you do it.

• qatzelok 11:30 on 2021-04-07 Permalink

  Another solution, perhaps more radical but certainly more comprehensive and sustainable, would be to nationalize most of our building stock and throw most of our corrupt business class in jail for re-education.

  Or, we can adjust some laws and see what happens next.

• dwgs 11:54 on 2021-04-07 Permalink

  In most jurisdictions building permits are meant to ensure that the work is done as planned and to code. In Montreal a building permit is intended to alert the city that improvements are being done so they know enough to raise property taxes. Nine years ago I had my front porch / balcony rebuilt. I wanted to bring it back to something close to what it originally would have been instead of the ugly 60’s wrought iron that had been done at some point. Paid several hundred dollars for the permit. Four or five months afterwards the city got in touch to say they were sending an inspector to check the work. I had to take a day off of work to accommodate them. I met the inspector outside on the porch, ready to discuss but she immediately asked to go inside. I pointed out that we were standing on the structure that the permit was issued for and did she want to check the structural underpinnings etc? She again asked to enter the house. I acceded and for the next half an hour she walked all over my house and took photos of every room, asking when things had been last renovated, had I replaced windows etc etc. When she was done she told me that the finance office would be in touch to let me know about my new tax bill, she never once even glanced at the porch.

• Joey 14:49 on 2021-04-07 Permalink

  @dwgs from my understanding, the city is supposed to conduct a visual inspection of every property (interior) every nine years, to keep track of changes, number of bedrooms, etc. In my 11 years living in my current place, they came once and the visit seemed to have been triggered by major renovations to the exterior that required a permit. They did not inspect the renos, just spent some time looking around inside, taking pictures and counting rooms. I think this is what happened in your case, though they either explicitly or implicitly made it seem as if the inspection was related to the repairs.

• Ephraim 16:42 on 2021-04-07 Permalink

  City tried to do that to me @dwgs was to refuse, being that the permit was for x and that was the end of the discussion. I pointed out ALL the downgrades (we took out a wood floor and put in floating floor.) We removed a few square feet that was built in, etc. When they did come in for an inspection (a different time) I was there, constantly correcting the person, because they were guessing and not actually measuring. And when he asked questions about when something was done, I told him to take out a OUIJA board and ask the previous (dead) owner. You don’t have to answer their questions, you aren’t under oath, there is no judge and certainly no justice.

  These inspections shouldn’t be done the way they are. They should be measuring. The data should be input into a computer program and that should be IT. The fact is that they can influenced by your possessions, which suggests that the system is corrupt.