House buyers misled by developer
Real estate developers! This story is about people buying a house under development in Ste‑Anne. The developer assured them that the woodsy greenery adjoining their lot was protected, so they paid more on the understanding it would be a permanent feature. But it wasn’t. The woods are being razed to create parking for an adjoining industrial installation. No promise is included in the deed, nothing but hot air. Real estate developers! Salt of the earth!
CE 12:07 on 2024-07-24 Permalink
Always get everything in writing! This was advice my father gave me even as a young child.
Jonathan 12:15 on 2024-07-24 Permalink
Wow. Some folks are just not very bright. Even what the Mayor of Ste-Anne is saying, “That land has always belonged to MDA. It has always been zoned as industrial. They have the legal right to do as they wish with that piece of land,” the mayor said.”is not even correct. Just because they own the land doesn’t mean they can do whatever they want!
Nicholas 12:32 on 2024-07-24 Permalink
Jonathan, I’m sure what the mayor means is they have the legal right to do as they wish within the confines of the law. The mayor knows it’s industrial, so they can’t put up a residential or commercial tower. But, in general, I don’t know of any rule that says you can’t cut down a tree you own on your own property, and that’s clearly the intent. (Yes, exceptions might exist for city-owned trees, preserves, trees with current nests in them, etc.)
People are often under the assumption that they can tell other people what do to with their land and property (but are usually aghast when they find out they can’t do what they want with theirs). There are limits imposed by law, or contract, but if you have that assumption you should always check it first, and know that anything that’s legal, as opposed to contractual, can be changed by the government.
Ian 13:29 on 2024-07-24 Permalink
How did I know Broccolini was involved haha – guess which development company owns much of the land around the new REM station?
Andrew 16:12 on 2024-07-24 Permalink
NIcholas, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue requires a permit to chop down any tree greater than 4″ in diameter, and I think most municipalities have similar rules. I don’t know the legal situation here, but everyone likes more trees, and they’re well protected in most places.
https://ville.sainte-anne-de-bellevue.qc.ca/client_file/upload/pdf/citoyens/services/English%20/TREE_FELLING_PRUNING_2024.pdf
Jonathan 16:16 on 2024-07-24 Permalink
Nicholas:
I don’t know what the mayor meant to say. I only know what she said that was quoted in the article.
In most boroughs in the city of Montreal you can’t just cut down a tree above a certain caliber (10cm in my borough) without first applying for a permit and justifying this. I don’t know about Ste Anne.
What I don’t like about the statement by the Mayor is that she is completely ignoring the role the muni has in preventing things like this happening. I don’t particularly care about the case of these people who bought into a piece in ‘nature’, while simultaneously destroying it and expecting that nobody else should be able to do the same.
It is completely within the right of the municipality to establish a framework of land use and to enforce it. For example, they could require that any zoned landed have a minimum of permeable surface/canopy cover/FAR, etc etc. All to say that rather than the owner being able to ‘do what ever they want’ we can reframe it as ‘we don’t have any regulations that prevent them from doing what they did’.