- Joined
- Nov 15, 2007
- Messages
- 70
Hi Members!
This is the first of a few posts and updates I will provide regarding my personal battle with the City to upgrade a secondary suite I already have in one of my rentals.
Timeline: Nov 2009, purchased a suited home, in a solid area, good rents, etc. Felt I did my due diligence, but made CRITICAL ERROR.
Error:while attempting to confirm that this property had a `legal` suite, I stopped when I saw that the Coty was taxing it as such. In my paper hunt, I saw that the City knew it had a basement suite, and texed it that way. What I didn`t know was that it could be illegal, and still be taxed as having a suite. Sound fishy? Me too.
So, I got a call from an Inspector, who had a complaint filed by a passerby who saw that I was installing a separate entrance (Alberta Fire Code reqmnt, among others). I was told to remove the kitchen, or apply for a Development Permit. I did, paid the $500, and then was promptly denied because of the narrow width and over sizing of basement suite area.
I appealed it and won, and that is another story in and of itself.
Now that the DP has been approved, I must apply and get a Building Permit (BP). Another expense... and the City wants me now to bring the suite up to the Alberta Building Code. If you know the requirements of this Code, you`ll know that this will cost me close to $15,000 for an existing suite... 2 furnaces, new trunk lines, tear down the ceiling, etc. Major work, and brutal cost.
I found out that this is not the case, and the City is choosing to interpret the ABC improperly.
More to come...
This is the first of a few posts and updates I will provide regarding my personal battle with the City to upgrade a secondary suite I already have in one of my rentals.
Timeline: Nov 2009, purchased a suited home, in a solid area, good rents, etc. Felt I did my due diligence, but made CRITICAL ERROR.
Error:while attempting to confirm that this property had a `legal` suite, I stopped when I saw that the Coty was taxing it as such. In my paper hunt, I saw that the City knew it had a basement suite, and texed it that way. What I didn`t know was that it could be illegal, and still be taxed as having a suite. Sound fishy? Me too.
So, I got a call from an Inspector, who had a complaint filed by a passerby who saw that I was installing a separate entrance (Alberta Fire Code reqmnt, among others). I was told to remove the kitchen, or apply for a Development Permit. I did, paid the $500, and then was promptly denied because of the narrow width and over sizing of basement suite area.
I appealed it and won, and that is another story in and of itself.
Now that the DP has been approved, I must apply and get a Building Permit (BP). Another expense... and the City wants me now to bring the suite up to the Alberta Building Code. If you know the requirements of this Code, you`ll know that this will cost me close to $15,000 for an existing suite... 2 furnaces, new trunk lines, tear down the ceiling, etc. Major work, and brutal cost.
I found out that this is not the case, and the City is choosing to interpret the ABC improperly.
More to come...
