During the high winds we had on Friday a blower contraption launched off the roof of an abandoned building down the street from us and crashed into the sidewalk. Thankfully no one was hurt. I've shown a sketch of its path down to earth and what could have been.
What are the rules when it comes to buildings like this? It's been for sale for a few years but has been falling apart. The roof has been ransacked by teens. The shingles have been blown off by storms. The entire building is gradually falling apart. Short of someone buying it and fixing it up can the city do anything?
Comments
Rob L. - October 6, 2008 11:44 am
Certainly this applies: DANGEROUS, HAZARDOUS AND UNSIGHTLY PREMISES BYLAW
Also, doing something about the situation I describe here might motivate owners of properties like this to sell or upgrade, rather than letting them sit idle, deteriorating more and more every day.
Dan James - October 6, 2008 12:37 pm
Rob,
Thanks for the link. So it looks like the city CAN do something about this. Has the city ever enforced these bylaws?
Peter Rukavina - October 6, 2008 1:58 pm
You win my award for "effective use of illustration in a weblog."
Ryan Filsinger - October 6, 2008 3:44 pm
When I saw the title, I thought for sure this post was about the stock market.
Jevon - October 6, 2008 4:05 pm
The city needs to have a tax law that punishes this sort of thing downtown. Leaving a building empty downtown is bad for everyone, and if the owner can't afford to maintain it, then they shouldn't get a tax break.
Would love to see movement on this issue., it would also open up the real estate market to younger and more aggressive buyers,,. right now most people are locked out downtown.
Rob L. - October 7, 2008 3:48 pm
Dan... Yes, properties are ordered to clean up quite regularly (it occurred around the corner from me recently actually, at a dilapidated old house whose grass hadn't been cut in 6 or 8 weeks).
I'm going from memory here... but I believe if the property owner doesn't comply with an order, the City can do the job and bill the owner. However, council has to pass a resolution before going in to clean up a property, so the whole process can be quite lengthy. We recently discussed this with the Premier, as it is provincial legislation that requires us to first pass a resolution.
I believe a complaint under this bylaw can be initiated by anyone. The email for the Bylaw Enforcement Officer is listed here, or you can ask your Councillor to pursue it :-)