A judge has ordered an Ile Bizard resident to demolish his brand new luxury home — ruling the city of Montreal shouldn't have allowed him to build it in the first place.
Maurice Poitras built the $1.5 million home just off Monk Rd. in Ile Bizard three years ago, after he says he got all the necessary permits to built there.
The neighbours are upset with Poitras for building the home in between their houses, infringing on their once forested view and took him to court on a technicality requiring homes to be located on a street, or private access road.
The judge decided the definition of a private road spelled out in the Ile Bizard regulations was not legal, and building permits issued to Poitras contradict provincial law.
The piece of land on which he built the home, does not have an official access road leading to it, and his neighbours want him out, telling the Journal that the new home disturbs the peace and harmony of the area.
Poitras says he now has to demolish the waterfront home and pool, as well as to replant no less than 30 trees that were cut down to make way for it.
He says he'll appeal.
One of the neighbours, Marco D'Onofrio, told the Journal de Montréal that Poitras' home is right next door to his, between two other homes, separated by a wooded area that acted as a buffer between the homes. Now that buffer zone is gone.
Poitras, however, contends that if the neighbours didn't want him to build there, they ought to have purchased the land.
In 2013 and 2014, the city issued about a dozen construction permits anyway — something the judge says should not have happened — which would have prevented the whole dispute.
The city's lawyers are examining the case, and will not be commenting.