RangerGuy Posted July 12, 2016 Report Posted July 12, 2016 Hi All, I posted back in January, looking for help to find a good concrete company to do our foundation and floor for the garage we are hoping to build. We got more help than I ever expected! So a big thank you to all the people who offered great suggestions. If you can believe it we still have not started this project. A little back story I will try to keep it short as possible. Since February 2015 I have been talking with Richmond Hills Planning,Building and Zoning departments. We have some flood plain on our property which really is a joke but none the less, we got the required approval from TRCA that we are not effecting the flood plain as per Richmond Hills instruction. After I got our TRCA permit I went back to the town and asked the planning department if there is anything else I need to know before applying for the minor variance. I expressly told them I have never done this before, so I am really looking for guidance and want to make sure I have everything correct because a minor variance application in our township is $4000 and is non-refundable, they said everything looks ok but it's really up to the committee, so I applied for my minor variance. After forcing me to delay from the April meeting to the May meeting, they call me 3 hours before I can defer the May meeting for free (otherwise it's a over $1000 dollar charge by the committee) to tell me they will approve my permit if I give them my land (how much they couldn't tell me, but most likely will be over 1/2 of my lot) for free! The town is extorting my land from me because they know I have spent 1000's in fees and permits that is non-refundable. Even the TRCA has informed them that it is not an appropriate situation to seek land conveyance but they refuse to change their demands. So just to be clear, the town is saying "We will give you a permit, if and only if you give over 1/2 your land for free". I have spoken with our Councillor, Mayor and the Ontario Ombudsman's office, all of which have no interest in helping us! I am hoping after you read this thread and hopefully my petition, you will see how absurd our situation is and support us by signing our petition. Please sign our petition, to help save our land!
Old Ironmaker Posted July 12, 2016 Report Posted July 12, 2016 (edited) I spent a good portion of the last 16 years pulling permits for my buddies construction company. I have never heard such a load of Bull in my life. I don't know what a petition will do for you, I hope it does help but unfortunately I can tell you it looks like time you consulted with a lawyer. Petition signed. Edited July 12, 2016 by Old Ironmaker
Rodbender Posted July 12, 2016 Report Posted July 12, 2016 (edited) go to the news they love this stuff not sure if Silverman or the like are around anymore but make it seen Edited July 12, 2016 by Rodbender
LeafsFan Posted July 12, 2016 Report Posted July 12, 2016 go to the news they love this stuff not sure if Silverman or the like are around anymore but make it seen The TO Sun was all over a story that involved a friend's family ... in part because they got to slam the feds with the story ... it ran about a month or two after they initially sat down and spoke with a Sun reporter .... but the Sun would probably love something like this.
Salmonidstalker Posted July 12, 2016 Report Posted July 12, 2016 Hi All, I posted back in January, looking for help to find a good concrete company to do our foundation and floor for the garage we are hoping to build. We got more help than I ever expected! So a big thank you to all the people who offered great suggestions. If you can believe it we still have not started this project. A little back story I will try to keep it short as possible. Since February 2015 I have been talking with Richmond Hills Planning,Building and Zoning departments. We have some flood plain on our property which really is a joke but none the less, we got the required approval from TRCA that we are not effecting the flood plain as per Richmond Hills instruction. After I got our TRCA permit I went back to the town and asked the planning department if there is anything else I need to know before applying for the minor variance. I expressly told them I have never done this before, so I am really looking for guidance and want to make sure I have everything correct because a minor variance application in our township is $4000 and is non-refundable, they said everything looks ok but it's really up to the committee, so I applied for my minor variance. After forcing me to delay from the April meeting to the May meeting, they call me 3 hours before I can defer the May meeting for free (otherwise it's a over $1000 dollar charge by the committee) to tell me they will approve my permit if I give them my land (how much they couldn't tell me, but most likely will be over 1/2 of my lot) for free! The town is extorting my land from me because they know I have spent 1000's in fees and permits that is non-refundable. Even the TRCA has informed them that it is not an appropriate situation to seek land conveyance but they refuse to change their demands. So just to be clear, the town is saying "We will give you a permit, if and only if you give over 1/2 your land for free". I have spoken with our Councillor, Mayor and the Ontario Ombudsman's office, all of which have no interest in helping us! I am hoping after you read this thread and hopefully my petition, you will see how absurd our situation is and support us by signing our petition. Please sign our petition, to help save our land! This is terrible news. Sorry to hear. I guess it's times like this that make light of the old saying it's better to ask for forgiveness then permission. You did nothing wrong by the way, and it's s shame considering you've taken all the right steps only to be essentially black mailed. Sometimes it's better to just do things without asking. Lol
ketchenany Posted July 12, 2016 Report Posted July 12, 2016 Global News has a program that gets deep into these things and may be able to help you. FREE land are nuts. Signed.
leaf4 Posted July 12, 2016 Report Posted July 12, 2016 Yikes, I'd be calling a lawyer, that's a brutal way of going about things on the cities part though, I've signed, good luck
RangerGuy Posted July 12, 2016 Author Report Posted July 12, 2016 (edited) Thank you to every one that has signed already. I have contact a few tv stations, none of them have not answered me .. very disappointing. I am going to try Global News, in case i missed that one What bugs me, now that I know there is such a thing as an "Official Plan" that the planners use, I would have consulted it before spending all this money. They never once said because you have flood plain and are applying for a minor variance, we will ask you for a land conveyance. I spoke to them several times before I even working with TRCA to make sure I wasn't just wasting money and had a chance at building my garage, I could have decided to not do it in the first place if they were honest and forth coming with information. TRCA made me get a letter from an engineer saying the proposed garage would not effect the flood plain, which I did and they issued me a permit no problem. Richmond Hill is using this desire to "Protect" this land as a guise to acquire valuable land near a major intersection! I have thought about the lawyer route, I still have the OMB to try. I can do that without a lawyer and if that fails I will be suing for sure! If for anything but to get my money back! Please feel free to pass this link on to anybody! I want at least 100 signatures before our next meeting. Edited July 12, 2016 by RangerGuy
SirCranksalot Posted July 12, 2016 Report Posted July 12, 2016 (edited) Signed, Extortion by public officials!! Shame on them. CBC sometimes have this sort of situation featured. Time to see a lawyer. Edited July 12, 2016 by SirCranksaLot
Old Ironmaker Posted July 12, 2016 Report Posted July 12, 2016 Don't leave this too long, call a lawyer tomorrow AM. What is TRCA? I hope CA isn't for conservation authority, they are death by 1000 cuts dealing with them.
SmokestackLightnin Posted July 12, 2016 Report Posted July 12, 2016 Don't leave this too long, call a lawyer tomorrow AM. What is TRCA? I hope CA isn't for conservation authority, they are death by 1000 cuts dealing with them. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Conservation Authority is another word for a whole bunch of people attempting to protect their cushy jobs so they make life miserable for some. And it's your job to try and prove their theories and opinions wrong while their committee makes any required decision. I guess you can be judge and jury at the same time. I have had the pleasure of dealing first hand with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority. Sorry to hear of this issue, good luck.
dave524 Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 The only outfit worse than the conservation authority is the escarpment commission
DRIFTER_016 Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 Get in touch with your MP, they will likely be of some assistance. When my dad was being given the run around by the auto licensing folks last year his MP got it straightened out quickly.
Sinker Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 I work for a CA and ive never heard of something so bizarre. S.
ketchenany Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Conservation Authority is another word for a whole bunch of people attempting to protect their cushy jobs so they make life miserable for some. And it's your job to try and prove their theories and opinions wrong while their committee makes any required decision. I guess you can be judge and jury at the same time. I have had the pleasure of dealing first hand with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority. Sorry to hear of this issue, good luck. We had some property in Alliston my parents bought way back without looking into the long term. They wanted a place to go and have a meal some gardening and relax, it was rented! When we tried to sell it this thing was locked tighter than a barn door! A small stream that split the property was considered sacred that flowed into the Notty! they told us this stays as is and nothing else! The renter bough it and farms it.
Old Ironmaker Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 (edited) The only outfit worse than the conservation authority is the escarpment commission I was in the construction business 10 years ago, Sunrooms. We did business in your neck of the woods. Niagara Escarpment Commissions, permit #1, Niagara Conservation Authority, permit #2, local jurisdiction, permit #3, then if construction is within 300 meters of a highway under the auspices of the MOT, permit #4, then of course every other job requires a variance that is non refundable, goof tax #5. Oops, I forgot it was in The Greenbelt whatever that means, permit #6. Then there is the idiot at City Hall that makes it clear he like Blue Jays games or you file might not make it to the top of the pile. That was when I lost it and contacted the Police and 5 of them got fired after a 2 year investigation. All that cost is enough to put a small company trying to play be all the rules out of business, oh yea I did pack it in when it was obvious it was killing me and was not able to make a thin dime. My business partner continued until he was charged with assaulting a building inspector. Unfortunately Ranger Guy has a tough road ahead of him. Knowing what I know now if I were he I would buy a new place that has a garage. As they say you can't fight City Hall. Actually you can fight them you just can't win. I continued to pull permits a few years ago for an associates construction company but I never got upset because it wasn't my money being spent and I made good money doing it. Edited July 13, 2016 by Old Ironmaker
RangerGuy Posted July 13, 2016 Author Report Posted July 13, 2016 (edited) I was totally expecting to have all the trouble with the conservation authority, but surprisingly they were the easiest to deal with. It took me months to get out of the planner what they expected to see in the engineers letter but once I had that it was a breeze. I have a very small section of my garage that is below what they call the flood plain line (294.8 meters above sea level). If you draw a line where my garage is very small thin triangle starting at the rear east corner and going up about 10 feet is 294.7 meters above the sea level. So that is .1 meters difference so I needed an engineers letters stating we would not effect the flood plain. I got it and they issued the permit. It's the town that's being absurd, after I got the TRCA Permit they said...OH we have our own rules regarding flood plains.. the the Bull started. Why would they not entertain that conversation before hand, because they saw it as an under handed way to extort land from me! We actually did try to sell our house, but couldn't find anything we liked/needed that wouldn't greatly increase our commute to work Again please get all you can to sign this permit, I know it probably won't accomplish anything but it's another bullet to take through the court system! Edited July 13, 2016 by RangerGuy
Terry Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 Well I have heard of a couple people who had to give the city land to get the permit or severance In both cases their property did not meet the towns plan. In the case of the guy who wanted a severance the property deed had them owning part of the road allowance so they had to give the town the 13 ft across the whole lot if they wanted the severance
Lape0019 Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 I'm more interested in why they want half your land? They will never tell you they expect a land conveyance. They want you in a position where you would be hard pressed to turn down the offer.
Dara Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 I don't get it. What land do they want and why do they want it. Tell them no and go to the meeting
JoePa Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 I had a go around on another forum about the differences in Canada and the U.S - it seems up there you need permits , licenses or be registered for just about everything you do - it would drive me crazy - its a wonder you don't need some kind of permit to take a crap - I'd get a lawyer and sue the city - what they are doing is criminal
Steve Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 atta boy. "sue, sue, sue" after all, it's the 'merican way.
dave524 Posted July 13, 2016 Report Posted July 13, 2016 licensing .......... when the government takes away your right to do something and sells it back to you.
RangerGuy Posted July 14, 2016 Author Report Posted July 14, 2016 Hi Lape0019, They want my land because it's close to a major intersection in Richmond Hill, they won't admit that. They say it's because it's hazardous land and want to control the flood plain. If they were truly concerned about flood plains and hazardous lands, they would have insisted on land conveyance of the property 1 block away from me that got the variance in the meeting I went to in May. Why didn't they want this other guys land you ask, because he is on a residential street and his property is surrounded by other privately owned lands, there is no financial benefit for the town to own this property. I'm going to the meeting in August either way. I hear nothing from the planning department since May until I email the committee of adjustments Representative saying put me on the list for August and I'm seriously considering a law suit. Then I get an email from the planning department within the hour! RIDICULOUS! I'm more interested in why they want half your land? They will never tell you they expect a land conveyance. They want you in a position where you would be hard pressed to turn down the offer.
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