Posted on 07/25/2021 9:59:49 AM PDT by rickmichaels
A judge has ruled that a $3million luxury home in Quebec, Canada, built less than ten years ago must be demolished and the local city will need to pay for it.
The ruling is the latest in a roughly eight-year legal saga that began when the home was built too close to the street, violating local zoning laws in the city of Gatineau.
The judge's decision overrules an exemption the city gave the homeowner in a bid to keep the mansion as-is.
In his ruling this week, Quebec Superior Court Judge Michel Deniel said owner Patrick Molla had every reason to believe his home met building code requirements when the city granted him permits to build in May 2013, the Canadian Press reported.
That September, however, the city discovered that the planning official who approved the permits made an error when they allowed construction to go forward on the home, which is about 23 feet from the street. Homes must be built at least 51 feet away from the street, according to local bylaws.
Instead of telling Molla to stop construction on the home, however, the city allowed it to go forward, telling him that the problem would be taken care of. In February, 2014, Molla's family moved into the home, and in July, 2014 it granted him a 'minor exemption' to keep it in compliance.
Deniel's ruling override's Gatineau's exemption, and says there was likely little choice except for it to be torn down.
He sided with neighbors who complained the property was out of character with the rest of the neighborhood and argued that the city's exemption was an illegal abuse of power.
'Had he known the risk of eventual demolition, he would not have continued issued Moll construction on Sept. 25, 2013,' Deniel said in his ruling.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Nice house. And on the water. Wow. Doesn’t look too close to the street to me.
The neighbors have no taste.
What goes around, comes around.
Looks like it was built in Minecraft.
Ditto!
He’s making the CITY pay for the CITY’s mistake though.
They may call this a mansion, but it is one ugly house.
you may be able to get 2 or three armored bulldozers for 3 million
that won’t over heat on you when you need them, or drop a tread
Yep.
You can’t undo exemptions. Never heard of it and been in the business 50+ years.
Even when the gov makes a mistake, you lose and they win.
The gov thinks you don’t own your property and will do everything in its power to make sure you know that.
I noticed that as well. Powerlines? Seriously?
As I think about it, the owner knew from the very start that his plans for the house violated the setback requirement. I would’ve left well enough alone and not have sought the waiver. But he did, and he got it. Only to realize years later the word of the Government is useless.
I’m not blaming the owner, but he did screw up. He trusted them.
Rather than pay 3 million loonies, I bet the city could get off cheaper by paying a few of his closest neighbors $100K.
A brand-new D-11 is running upwards of $2 million, a new D-10 about half that. Three million should easily cover several used machines, though, with all of the armor and other necessary modifications. Hiring operators might be another matter entirely.
Maybe it would be cheaper to move the street?
rich people think that rules don’t apply to them
Is dropping a tread anything like throwing a track?
Reminiscent of the Soviet style of 1960’s architecture.
If you look at the other two homes in the picture it does look out of place and also looks too close to street.
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