Investor · Sherbrooke, Québec · Member since 2016 · 77 posts · 19 votes
Hello, i recently became aware of a good deal in my area, but the building encroaches on the sidewalk and is not respecting current regulations in that regard. am i at risk for being forced to demolish this building, if i buy the property? does anyone have experience with this type of case? thanks,
@Account Closed get the property under contract if it is a good deal, and put in a condition of sale the seller has to provide document that sidewalk encroachment is grandfathered in or has been accepted as an amendment. Your RE agent should be helping you with this. The City (usually) will not ask you to demolish. They usually ask you to pay for the fees to submit an application for approval of minor deviation. Good luck.
Talk to the city. Most older buildings are grandfathered in. You might also want to check if it is a historic building as there could be restrictions on exterior renos.
@Account Closed get the property under contract if it is a good deal, and put in a condition of sale the seller has to provide document that sidewalk encroachment is grandfathered in or has been accepted as an amendment. Your RE agent should be helping you with this. The City (usually) will not ask you to demolish. They usually ask you to pay for the fees to submit an application for approval of minor deviation. Good luck.
thanks Huong...by the way are there any problems associated with being too close to the street (should be 15 meters from center of road in quebec, i think). problems other than legal things associated to zoning...e.g. is it bad for the building or tenants in any way, etc.?
Being very close to the sidewalk/street can complicate things if you need to work on the building's foundations, if you need to change the water lines, etc.
If it's a good deal, just factor this in and adjust the repair costs if needed after the inspection.