Thursday, October 6, 2011
Occupy 782 East Chezzetcook road!
Well the time has come,Fran or SFB as I like to call her,has been a leach of Canada and Nova Scotia for much to long. Her dog about to be put down,her shack about to be seized...I am sure there is a long list of creditors. However the Bitch is now interested in occuping the world....LMAO. Well what is good for the goose is good good the gander. Therefore I would love to occupy the above residence this month,or before November the 8th....so lets rock......and occupy....me friends all know my e-mail so please advise what date is good for you,I will make signs and provide a free lunch......... Cheers............
Monday, September 26, 2011
Fran has done more to set back animal welfare than anyone I know.
Well I admit the header is a bold statement;however I have my reasons for the statement.
Fran Rogier claims to have rescued a mutt,(BRINDI) from a shelter ,(and I use the term shelter quite loosely). Fran claims that Brindi was in good health,(could be true) but who knows? After Fran rescued Brindi it went down hill from there,dog not Lic.,dog running at large,dog attacking other dogs at least 4 times and God knows what else that never was reported.
The final result that time Brindi was seized,and ordered to be put down,well Shit For Brains,desided to hire a lawyer and fight it.She claims to have paid a piss pot full of money to the lawyer,well at least half of the lawyers bill,the lawyer was forced to sue for the other half,and now has a lien on her shack. At a later date,Fran Rogier was charged with 3 counts under HRM by laws consurning her beloved Brindi.
Rogier was found guilty on all 3 counts,and Brindi was to be returned to SFB,under strict conditions,the main one was to be muzzled while off SFB's property;well after 2 months there was a "terrible accident",(Fran's words) and Brindi attacked a small dog on a leash,on a public highway,being walked by a pregnant lady,and her husband. Why did Brindi attack? you ask,because SFB Failed to have a muzzle on as ordered by the court.Oh yes Brindi escaped because SFB couldn't operate power windows.....Now that is one lame excuse,yep I know hard to believe but read the tapes in this blog and see for yourself. Than SFB filed a false complaint with the Police and got caught with her pants down as the call was taped,tape on this blog as well.
Well since SFB broke the court order, it left the police and By law no choice than to seize Brindi again, oh yes SFB's tried to hide in her shack,refused to answer the door until enough was enough and the police forced their way in to her shack. Brindi was seized,and placed in a pound,where she has now been over a year while SFB,twitters away,yaps on facebook and just wastes internet space with her BS.
Now brindi is in jail,so to speak,however instead of trying to do right by brindi,SFB's is trying to ,(no not trying but is) making a bigger arse of herself,by trying to shut our tourist industry down,tearing a strip off the mayor whenever she wants,saying our,(CANADIAN) legal system sucks,that animal welfare groups in Canada are doing a piss poor job,in fact tearing a strip off our legal system and Gov. whenever the mood strikes her; all this from a guest of Canada.
Now SFB's has turned so many people off that could and would help her,that she has lost at least 90% of the support that she has in NS and Canada,oh but wait she has a lot of support from the middle east,south africa,the south pole and 4 corners of the world, a fat lot of good that will do her except to boost her paypal account..SHE A LEACH, BOTTOM FEEDER!
Bottom line its all about Fran Rogier,AKA SFB"s,she loves the lime light,and could care less about Brindi,oh BTY Vet visit today cost 200 bucks....Send me the money!!
Maybe Miss Priss in South Africa will send it to her. Personally I would love to drive SFB's to the USA border and give her 200 sift kicks in her fat ass.
I will add much more as time allows,just to get the truth out there.
Fran Rogier claims to have rescued a mutt,(BRINDI) from a shelter ,(and I use the term shelter quite loosely). Fran claims that Brindi was in good health,(could be true) but who knows? After Fran rescued Brindi it went down hill from there,dog not Lic.,dog running at large,dog attacking other dogs at least 4 times and God knows what else that never was reported.
The final result that time Brindi was seized,and ordered to be put down,well Shit For Brains,desided to hire a lawyer and fight it.She claims to have paid a piss pot full of money to the lawyer,well at least half of the lawyers bill,the lawyer was forced to sue for the other half,and now has a lien on her shack. At a later date,Fran Rogier was charged with 3 counts under HRM by laws consurning her beloved Brindi.
Rogier was found guilty on all 3 counts,and Brindi was to be returned to SFB,under strict conditions,the main one was to be muzzled while off SFB's property;well after 2 months there was a "terrible accident",(Fran's words) and Brindi attacked a small dog on a leash,on a public highway,being walked by a pregnant lady,and her husband. Why did Brindi attack? you ask,because SFB Failed to have a muzzle on as ordered by the court.Oh yes Brindi escaped because SFB couldn't operate power windows.....Now that is one lame excuse,yep I know hard to believe but read the tapes in this blog and see for yourself. Than SFB filed a false complaint with the Police and got caught with her pants down as the call was taped,tape on this blog as well.
Well since SFB broke the court order, it left the police and By law no choice than to seize Brindi again, oh yes SFB's tried to hide in her shack,refused to answer the door until enough was enough and the police forced their way in to her shack. Brindi was seized,and placed in a pound,where she has now been over a year while SFB,twitters away,yaps on facebook and just wastes internet space with her BS.
Now brindi is in jail,so to speak,however instead of trying to do right by brindi,SFB's is trying to ,(no not trying but is) making a bigger arse of herself,by trying to shut our tourist industry down,tearing a strip off the mayor whenever she wants,saying our,(CANADIAN) legal system sucks,that animal welfare groups in Canada are doing a piss poor job,in fact tearing a strip off our legal system and Gov. whenever the mood strikes her; all this from a guest of Canada.
Now SFB's has turned so many people off that could and would help her,that she has lost at least 90% of the support that she has in NS and Canada,oh but wait she has a lot of support from the middle east,south africa,the south pole and 4 corners of the world, a fat lot of good that will do her except to boost her paypal account..SHE A LEACH, BOTTOM FEEDER!
Bottom line its all about Fran Rogier,AKA SFB"s,she loves the lime light,and could care less about Brindi,oh BTY Vet visit today cost 200 bucks....Send me the money!!
Maybe Miss Priss in South Africa will send it to her. Personally I would love to drive SFB's to the USA border and give her 200 sift kicks in her fat ass.
I will add much more as time allows,just to get the truth out there.
Friday, September 23, 2011
More lies by Fran Rogier!!!!!
I won't comment on this piece of crap Fran posted on twitter,one can read it for themselves and see for themselves that fran is one sick puppy!
Humane Halifax
.@news957 Did you know the public record clearly shows #Halifax targeted #Brindi AHEAD of that harmless incident in July 08? How? By gratuitously issuing a muzzle order and using it as a death warrant! The details: Animal Services bosses Andrea Macdonald & Lori Scolaro ordered AC officer Tim Hamm to issue the muzzle in May, following a minor incident between Brindi and a neighbor’s dog. Hamm initially told @brindismom he “might” lay a fine. To her shock and dismay, he returned with the muzzle order only, saying his bosses forced the change. He did not tell her that the other dog owner had triggered this by asking him not to fine her. @brindismom had volunteered to cover vet costs for Bernie Jo Villieux, who would likely not have bothered otherwise. Learning of the $220 fine, Villieux worried that Rogier couldn't afford it and the vet bill she wanted Rogier to pay, which thanks to a few extras, now came to $143. So, without telling Rogier, she sent Hamm her request, whereupon Scolaro instructed him to “offer” her the muzzle instead, with the added note that it meant he could “take” (seize and kill) Brindi next time she was reported, regardless of reason. He then told Rogier Brindi could be killed even if she was seen unmuzzled in public. After he seized Brindi, Hamm and Animal Services went on to mislead the public with such gross misstatements of fact. Nowhere does By-Law A300 lay down any condition for mandatory euthanasia, and all fines are optional, even in the event of non-compliance with a muzzle order. The July 20 2008 incident in question in which Brindi’s muzzle slipped off was short-lived and involved no injuries at all, severe or minor. Yet Macdonald and Scolaro refused to release Brindi their death warrant, despite numerous efforts by dog trainers, caregivers, vets, and neighbors. And because Hamm issued no fine, @brindismom had no chance to appear before a judge on the charges, where she could ask him to free her dog: i.e., no due process – a clear violation of fundamental rights according to the supreme court of Nova Scotia. The whole thing smacks of conspiracy. It has led to chronic disease and years of confinement and isolation for an innocent dog, and untold heartache, financial ruin, and loss of reputation for @brindismom.Macdonald and Scolaro fired Hamm in 2010 after he publicly distanced himself from the case. We think these dirty sadists should now be FIRED! They were perfectly aware Brindi had not inflicted injury in July 2008 or in the first reported incident the previous September. They illegally locked her up for two years without any contact to other dogs until a judge forced them to release her. They shamelessly seized Brindi again for a minor incident and locked her up for a third year! What do you think?
Humane Halifax
.@news957 Did you know the public record clearly shows #Halifax targeted #Brindi AHEAD of that harmless incident in July 08? How? By gratuitously issuing a muzzle order and using it as a death warrant! The details: Animal Services bosses Andrea Macdonald & Lori Scolaro ordered AC officer Tim Hamm to issue the muzzle in May, following a minor incident between Brindi and a neighbor’s dog. Hamm initially told @brindismom he “might” lay a fine. To her shock and dismay, he returned with the muzzle order only, saying his bosses forced the change. He did not tell her that the other dog owner had triggered this by asking him not to fine her. @brindismom had volunteered to cover vet costs for Bernie Jo Villieux, who would likely not have bothered otherwise. Learning of the $220 fine, Villieux worried that Rogier couldn't afford it and the vet bill she wanted Rogier to pay, which thanks to a few extras, now came to $143. So, without telling Rogier, she sent Hamm her request, whereupon Scolaro instructed him to “offer” her the muzzle instead, with the added note that it meant he could “take” (seize and kill) Brindi next time she was reported, regardless of reason. He then told Rogier Brindi could be killed even if she was seen unmuzzled in public. After he seized Brindi, Hamm and Animal Services went on to mislead the public with such gross misstatements of fact. Nowhere does By-Law A300 lay down any condition for mandatory euthanasia, and all fines are optional, even in the event of non-compliance with a muzzle order. The July 20 2008 incident in question in which Brindi’s muzzle slipped off was short-lived and involved no injuries at all, severe or minor. Yet Macdonald and Scolaro refused to release Brindi their death warrant, despite numerous efforts by dog trainers, caregivers, vets, and neighbors. And because Hamm issued no fine, @brindismom had no chance to appear before a judge on the charges, where she could ask him to free her dog: i.e., no due process – a clear violation of fundamental rights according to the supreme court of Nova Scotia. The whole thing smacks of conspiracy. It has led to chronic disease and years of confinement and isolation for an innocent dog, and untold heartache, financial ruin, and loss of reputation for @brindismom.Macdonald and Scolaro fired Hamm in 2010 after he publicly distanced himself from the case. We think these dirty sadists should now be FIRED! They were perfectly aware Brindi had not inflicted injury in July 2008 or in the first reported incident the previous September. They illegally locked her up for two years without any contact to other dogs until a judge forced them to release her. They shamelessly seized Brindi again for a minor incident and locked her up for a third year! What do you think?
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Frannie not begging for money?....THINK AGAIN
This can be found on Fran's FB group, Its time the truth was spoken and all her puppets were advised:
Francesca Rogier created a doc.
Group Description: PLEASE READ
BRINDI MUST NOT DIE AND MUST NOT BE LOCKED UP ANY LONGER ON DEATH ROW!
The city of Halifax has taken extreme retaliative action against Francesca for her success in saving her dog. After locking her up for two years illegally, it seized Brindi again on Sept. 27. This followed a minor incident in her driveway with neighbors related to those who first reported her - and also happen to work f...or the city. They were determined to see Brindi killed. Yet they both admit to kicking her repeatedly (both at once!) and Brindi did not try to retaliate in any way.
How can you kill a dog who will not attack when it is being harmed by strangers??
The incident was clearly an accident, but the city has a vendetta. Having lost twice to Francesca, it is now hoping to convince a court that she did not obey court conditions. They even used illegally obtained recordings to obtain the seizure warrant. And when Francesca tried to get an injunction for Brindi's release, they did all they could to obstruct it. They had her immigration status investigated, and sent building officials after her, who issued contradictory orders to secure her home - a home renovation postponed because of Brindi's prior ordeal. Then, they evicted her anyway, falsely claiming it was unsafe, and denying her the right to appeal the eviction.
Brindi has never bitten a human; she has caused very little harm to other dogs (minor cuts on 2 occasions). Yet she is being treated very unfairly, and so is her owner, Francesca Rogier. Francesca emigrated to Nova Scotia in 2006 with a simple dream of fixing up an old house and keeping a dog and two cats as family. She was ripped off by a fraudulent contractor who went bankrupt and left her home high and dry. She battled for two years to save her dog.
Her success was short-lived, tragically, as unkind neighbors directly related to the same family who first reported Brindi for a harmless scuffle. They eagerly cooperated with the animal control manager who signed the death order in 2008 after setting her up with an unfairly imposed muzzle order.
Francesca is in dire straits now, because after she met the demands of building officials, doing exactly as an engineer required, they evicted her anyway. She was given minutes to pack some belongings and forced to leave her cat behind. She returned the next night to find that Amelia was trapped in the house and the water heater was broken. It was fully functioning the day before and HRM employees admit suspiciously that they "saw" it was detached from the pipe. As she used the hot water minutes before leaving, this can only mean they did the deed. Hurricanes and winds did not do this in two years!!
HRM has lied in public about her heat and water lacking, and about her house being unsafe. Yet they are unable to lie to her about it as a reason for eviction. Instead, they are autocratically demanding she complete all construction before she can move back in. This is unheard of anywhere in North America! As is the attempt to kill a dog that has never killed or seriously harmed an animal, let alone ONCE bit or threatened a human!!!
HRM (Halifax) have tied her hands so she cannot save herself or her dog: having forced her to spend thousands on the added work in October, they evicted her without notice in November. They also chased off reputable contractors by lying to the press, and are now demanding she submit to their control. She must submit a work schedule that she cannot possibly guarantee with winter weather setting in. Their plan is to move to the next step of claiming she is not serious about finishing and will likely revoke her construction permit very soon. This is a house she loves dearly and planned her new life there with Brindi. She designed a beautiful new garage and basement as a foundation. She lost half of her budget to legal costs yet still wants to make it happen.
Francesca has a right to her dream just as she has a right to be with her dog. Brindi has a right to live in a loving home.
There is no reason on earth for such unacceptable and brutal treatment of a lone female immigrant who worked hard to become a professional and a teacher, and worked hard to train her dog well - Brindi did not bite these peop[le even when they kicked her in the head!!! The only "reason" is that these local civil servants have a chip on their shoulder and want to punish Francesca for standing up for her rights so that she could protect her dog.
They are accustomed to misusing the law to get what they want. That is how they took Brindi for two years and did it again, and that is how they evicted Francesca and are now making it impossible to finish the house, and that will be how they take the house away from her entirely.
THESE ARE UNETHICAL CIVIL SERVANTS with DIRECT CONNECTIONS TO ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTORS
all from a small clique down at city hall, according to reliable information - people behind the scenes who get their way.
THIS GROUP IS HER ONLY LIFELINE RIGHT NOW!
Francesca is cut off from family and friends and has limited resources, nowhere to live, and a mountain of problems to tackle.
She is not allowed to see Brindi, yet again. And she has been taken to the cleaners one time too many by lawyers.
PLEASE HELP US CARVE OUT A NEW PATH TO FREEDOM FOR BRINDI AND FRANCESCA!!
WE NEED NEW IDEAS AND PEOPLE WILLING TO IMPLEMENT THEM!
CORRUPTION AND ABUSE MUST BE RESISTED WHEREVER THEY RAISE THEIR UGLY HEADS, ESPECIALLY WHERE INNOCENT LIFE AND LIBERTY IS CONCERNED!!
Francesca's liberty is at risk now as well, as she cannot leave the province for fear of Brindi being killed AND her house being taken by the city, who plan to revoke her permit, install some sort of foundation and THEN put a lien on it, until she pays an exorbitant price to get it back!
THEFT, HARASSMENT, PERSECUTION, AND VIOLENCE =- all for the sake of the petty pride of a few lowly municipal public servants!!
THE QUESTION REMAINS: IF WE CANNOT SAVE A DOG, WHAT GOOD ARE WE AS HUMAN BEINGS?
iF WE CANNOT SAVE A WOMAN WHO SAVED HER DOG, WHICH OF US IS NEXT??
DESCRIPTION
****************************** ********************
Our goal is to save the life of a rescue dog, a mutt named Brindi. We want to see her returned to her rightful owner and beloved human companion, Francesca Rogier.
Brindi has been locked up on death row for TWO YEARS. YET:
She never attacked or threatened a person.
She never killed or caused serious injury to a dog.
Her owner has been denied due process, even to this day.
She is a good-natured mutt, six years old, rescued from a shelter in 2007. A few run-ins with other dogs were reported, but apparently never serious enough to lead to charges. On July 24, 2008, a few days after a minor encounter, animal control officers armed with a warrant and a euthanization order seized Brindi from her home without notice. Since then she’s been on death row at a city pound. Because it is run by the SPCA, Francesca could not even gain their assistance.
Our pets mean the world to us, and vice versa. Their only legal protection is through our rights. But in Halifax, it seems even owners' rights are in peril, as there is no appeal process in place. This forced Francesca, Brindi's owner, to file a lawsuit to keep her alive; she then succeeded in quashing an unfair by-law, voiding the euthanization order. But Halifax kept Brindi locked up. In retaliation, it charged Francesca with three by-law violations in a bid to get a judge to issue a new euthanization order. These charges stem from a six-month old incident and were the first ever laid. The trial has been scheduled for October 13.
Meanwhile, the city's legal basis for holding Brindi is doubtful without a valid order in place. No new warrant was issued.
Brindi was evaluated as "not dangerous" and highly trainable. During eight weeks of obedience class, which she passed with ease, she had no issues with other dogs. Trainers say her errant behavior might relate to her early days on a reserve, where dogs run in packs and guard their territory. They say it can be corrected with training. This is exactly what Francesca wants. She is willing to meet other conditions as well, if only the city return her dog - alive!
Recently, Brindi needed biopsy surgery and may have cancer because the SPCA vet found a lump near her spine. Her teeth are in bad shape as well, and it is incomprehensible that the shelter won't give her her favorite "chew", raw beef bones, that her owner and friends bring her regularly.
Please donate if you can to help with the huge legal bills! And stay tuned for requests for letters and calls!!!
FOR MORE OF THE STORY:
See under Discussion Topics.
Keeping a dog in a pound indefinitely is detrimental to its health. Killing a dog that is not dangerous goes against the principle of protection of animal welfare. Yet the SPCA is participating in this abuse. It is willing to kill this dog, while earning money for it (no less than $414,000 a year, at present). Having kept silent for six months, ignoring her owner's pleas for help, last January the Nova Scotia SPCA began repeatedly asking the city to "re-home" Brindi. Not only is this something the city cannot legally do (without a judge's order); it would be a wrong and cruel thing to do to an owner who has sacrificed so much for the sake of her beloved pet - and it would be cruel to a dog that was neglected for years and has never known any other home.
Brindi has already spent half her life behind bars. She may lose her life altogether unless somebody does something to let Brindi go home where she belongs!!!
HALIFAX DOG OWNERS: SPEAK UP FOR FRANCESCA AND BRINDI! OTHERWISE, YOUR DOG COULD BE NEXT!!
The fact is, if the city “wins”, EVERYBODY loses: an innocent dog will die, and a very dangerous precedent is set.
************************************************************ *************
************************************************************ *************
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ON THIS URGENT PLIGHT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW: MEDIA COVERAGE IS ESSENTIAL!
BEFORE YOU JOIN: "Save Brindi" is a CALL TO ACTION GROUP!
We need you to send letters, make calls, gather signatures, help with
fundraisers, and participate in local events and demonstrations.
************************************************************ ************
• For more information, and the trainer’s assessment, see http://freebrindi.blogspot.com/
• See letters of support at: http://supportbrindi.blogspot.com/
• Sign the Free Brindi ipetition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/FREEBRINDI/
• Care2 Alert: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/free-brindi-this-dog-must-not-be-euthanized
• Write to public officials – see the discussion topics
• If you're able, you may donate to help pay for legal costs. Go to http://freebrindi.blogspot.com/ and click on the DONATE button. or click here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=9595134
• Participate in an auction at: http://www.epier.com/auctions.asp?franya
• Buy a FREE BRINDI t-shirt at http://www.cafepress.com/freebrindi
See More
August 10 at 1:36am
Note the above date ,appox 1 month ago.......
Francesca Rogier created a doc.
Group Description: PLEASE READ
BRINDI MUST NOT DIE AND MUST NOT BE LOCKED UP ANY LONGER ON DEATH ROW!
The city of Halifax has taken extreme retaliative action against Francesca for her success in saving her dog. After locking her up for two years illegally, it seized Brindi again on Sept. 27. This followed a minor incident in her driveway with neighbors related to those who first reported her - and also happen to work f...or the city. They were determined to see Brindi killed. Yet they both admit to kicking her repeatedly (both at once!) and Brindi did not try to retaliate in any way.
How can you kill a dog who will not attack when it is being harmed by strangers??
The incident was clearly an accident, but the city has a vendetta. Having lost twice to Francesca, it is now hoping to convince a court that she did not obey court conditions. They even used illegally obtained recordings to obtain the seizure warrant. And when Francesca tried to get an injunction for Brindi's release, they did all they could to obstruct it. They had her immigration status investigated, and sent building officials after her, who issued contradictory orders to secure her home - a home renovation postponed because of Brindi's prior ordeal. Then, they evicted her anyway, falsely claiming it was unsafe, and denying her the right to appeal the eviction.
Brindi has never bitten a human; she has caused very little harm to other dogs (minor cuts on 2 occasions). Yet she is being treated very unfairly, and so is her owner, Francesca Rogier. Francesca emigrated to Nova Scotia in 2006 with a simple dream of fixing up an old house and keeping a dog and two cats as family. She was ripped off by a fraudulent contractor who went bankrupt and left her home high and dry. She battled for two years to save her dog.
Her success was short-lived, tragically, as unkind neighbors directly related to the same family who first reported Brindi for a harmless scuffle. They eagerly cooperated with the animal control manager who signed the death order in 2008 after setting her up with an unfairly imposed muzzle order.
Francesca is in dire straits now, because after she met the demands of building officials, doing exactly as an engineer required, they evicted her anyway. She was given minutes to pack some belongings and forced to leave her cat behind. She returned the next night to find that Amelia was trapped in the house and the water heater was broken. It was fully functioning the day before and HRM employees admit suspiciously that they "saw" it was detached from the pipe. As she used the hot water minutes before leaving, this can only mean they did the deed. Hurricanes and winds did not do this in two years!!
HRM has lied in public about her heat and water lacking, and about her house being unsafe. Yet they are unable to lie to her about it as a reason for eviction. Instead, they are autocratically demanding she complete all construction before she can move back in. This is unheard of anywhere in North America! As is the attempt to kill a dog that has never killed or seriously harmed an animal, let alone ONCE bit or threatened a human!!!
HRM (Halifax) have tied her hands so she cannot save herself or her dog: having forced her to spend thousands on the added work in October, they evicted her without notice in November. They also chased off reputable contractors by lying to the press, and are now demanding she submit to their control. She must submit a work schedule that she cannot possibly guarantee with winter weather setting in. Their plan is to move to the next step of claiming she is not serious about finishing and will likely revoke her construction permit very soon. This is a house she loves dearly and planned her new life there with Brindi. She designed a beautiful new garage and basement as a foundation. She lost half of her budget to legal costs yet still wants to make it happen.
Francesca has a right to her dream just as she has a right to be with her dog. Brindi has a right to live in a loving home.
There is no reason on earth for such unacceptable and brutal treatment of a lone female immigrant who worked hard to become a professional and a teacher, and worked hard to train her dog well - Brindi did not bite these peop[le even when they kicked her in the head!!! The only "reason" is that these local civil servants have a chip on their shoulder and want to punish Francesca for standing up for her rights so that she could protect her dog.
They are accustomed to misusing the law to get what they want. That is how they took Brindi for two years and did it again, and that is how they evicted Francesca and are now making it impossible to finish the house, and that will be how they take the house away from her entirely.
THESE ARE UNETHICAL CIVIL SERVANTS with DIRECT CONNECTIONS TO ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTORS
all from a small clique down at city hall, according to reliable information - people behind the scenes who get their way.
THIS GROUP IS HER ONLY LIFELINE RIGHT NOW!
Francesca is cut off from family and friends and has limited resources, nowhere to live, and a mountain of problems to tackle.
She is not allowed to see Brindi, yet again. And she has been taken to the cleaners one time too many by lawyers.
PLEASE HELP US CARVE OUT A NEW PATH TO FREEDOM FOR BRINDI AND FRANCESCA!!
WE NEED NEW IDEAS AND PEOPLE WILLING TO IMPLEMENT THEM!
CORRUPTION AND ABUSE MUST BE RESISTED WHEREVER THEY RAISE THEIR UGLY HEADS, ESPECIALLY WHERE INNOCENT LIFE AND LIBERTY IS CONCERNED!!
Francesca's liberty is at risk now as well, as she cannot leave the province for fear of Brindi being killed AND her house being taken by the city, who plan to revoke her permit, install some sort of foundation and THEN put a lien on it, until she pays an exorbitant price to get it back!
THEFT, HARASSMENT, PERSECUTION, AND VIOLENCE =- all for the sake of the petty pride of a few lowly municipal public servants!!
THE QUESTION REMAINS: IF WE CANNOT SAVE A DOG, WHAT GOOD ARE WE AS HUMAN BEINGS?
iF WE CANNOT SAVE A WOMAN WHO SAVED HER DOG, WHICH OF US IS NEXT??
DESCRIPTION
****************************** ********************
Our goal is to save the life of a rescue dog, a mutt named Brindi. We want to see her returned to her rightful owner and beloved human companion, Francesca Rogier.
Brindi has been locked up on death row for TWO YEARS. YET:
She never attacked or threatened a person.
She never killed or caused serious injury to a dog.
Her owner has been denied due process, even to this day.
She is a good-natured mutt, six years old, rescued from a shelter in 2007. A few run-ins with other dogs were reported, but apparently never serious enough to lead to charges. On July 24, 2008, a few days after a minor encounter, animal control officers armed with a warrant and a euthanization order seized Brindi from her home without notice. Since then she’s been on death row at a city pound. Because it is run by the SPCA, Francesca could not even gain their assistance.
Our pets mean the world to us, and vice versa. Their only legal protection is through our rights. But in Halifax, it seems even owners' rights are in peril, as there is no appeal process in place. This forced Francesca, Brindi's owner, to file a lawsuit to keep her alive; she then succeeded in quashing an unfair by-law, voiding the euthanization order. But Halifax kept Brindi locked up. In retaliation, it charged Francesca with three by-law violations in a bid to get a judge to issue a new euthanization order. These charges stem from a six-month old incident and were the first ever laid. The trial has been scheduled for October 13.
Meanwhile, the city's legal basis for holding Brindi is doubtful without a valid order in place. No new warrant was issued.
Brindi was evaluated as "not dangerous" and highly trainable. During eight weeks of obedience class, which she passed with ease, she had no issues with other dogs. Trainers say her errant behavior might relate to her early days on a reserve, where dogs run in packs and guard their territory. They say it can be corrected with training. This is exactly what Francesca wants. She is willing to meet other conditions as well, if only the city return her dog - alive!
Recently, Brindi needed biopsy surgery and may have cancer because the SPCA vet found a lump near her spine. Her teeth are in bad shape as well, and it is incomprehensible that the shelter won't give her her favorite "chew", raw beef bones, that her owner and friends bring her regularly.
Please donate if you can to help with the huge legal bills! And stay tuned for requests for letters and calls!!!
FOR MORE OF THE STORY:
See under Discussion Topics.
Keeping a dog in a pound indefinitely is detrimental to its health. Killing a dog that is not dangerous goes against the principle of protection of animal welfare. Yet the SPCA is participating in this abuse. It is willing to kill this dog, while earning money for it (no less than $414,000 a year, at present). Having kept silent for six months, ignoring her owner's pleas for help, last January the Nova Scotia SPCA began repeatedly asking the city to "re-home" Brindi. Not only is this something the city cannot legally do (without a judge's order); it would be a wrong and cruel thing to do to an owner who has sacrificed so much for the sake of her beloved pet - and it would be cruel to a dog that was neglected for years and has never known any other home.
Brindi has already spent half her life behind bars. She may lose her life altogether unless somebody does something to let Brindi go home where she belongs!!!
HALIFAX DOG OWNERS: SPEAK UP FOR FRANCESCA AND BRINDI! OTHERWISE, YOUR DOG COULD BE NEXT!!
The fact is, if the city “wins”, EVERYBODY loses: an innocent dog will die, and a very dangerous precedent is set.
************************************************************ *************
************************************************************ *************
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ON THIS URGENT PLIGHT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW: MEDIA COVERAGE IS ESSENTIAL!
BEFORE YOU JOIN: "Save Brindi" is a CALL TO ACTION GROUP!
We need you to send letters, make calls, gather signatures, help with
fundraisers, and participate in local events and demonstrations.
************************************************************ ************
• For more information, and the trainer’s assessment, see http://freebrindi.blogspot.com/
• See letters of support at: http://supportbrindi.blogspot.com/
• Sign the Free Brindi ipetition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/FREEBRINDI/
• Care2 Alert: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/free-brindi-this-dog-must-not-be-euthanized
• Write to public officials – see the discussion topics
• If you're able, you may donate to help pay for legal costs. Go to http://freebrindi.blogspot.com/ and click on the DONATE button. or click here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=9595134
• Participate in an auction at: http://www.epier.com/auctions.asp?franya
• Buy a FREE BRINDI t-shirt at http://www.cafepress.com/freebrindi
See More
August 10 at 1:36am
Note the above date ,appox 1 month ago.......
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
IRS vs American citizens living in Canada
Here is some information that SFB better listen to as the IRS now has her name I made sure of that:
ext + -
Americans in N.S. warned to file taxes
By BRUCE ERSKINE Business Reporter
Tue, Jul 26 - 4:54 AM
Americans living in Nova Scotia can’t afford to ignore the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, says a tax specialist with Grant Thornton LLP in Halifax.
"U.S citizens and U.S. green card holders have to file U.S. federal income tax returns regardless of where they live in the world and they have to report their worldwide income," Jason Hale said Monday said in an interview.
"American citizens living in Nova Scotia who aren’t filing tax returns with the IRS could be risking significant penalties."
Filing a United States tax return has always been mandatory for Americans living in Canada or for Canadians who hold U.S. citizenship. The combined total for both groups is estimated to top one million.
But Hale said the IRS has increased its scrutiny in recent years with help from U.S Customs and Border Protection.
"When the identification requirements changed for entry into the U.S., the simple act of crossing the border became an opportunity for the U.S. government to identify Americans and dual citizens living abroad," he said in a recent news release.
"U.S. Customs agents became, in effect, one of the IRS’s front-line assets."
The United States has also enhanced the tools the IRS uses to enforce American tax laws through measures such as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which takes effect in 2013.
Under the act, Canadian banking institutions will be required to report details on all Canadian accounts held by U.S. citizens.
Institutions that fail to do so will face a 30 per cent tax on all U.S. investment income and gross sale proceeds from U.S. stocks and securities.
"That’s a significant development," Hale said.
An IRS amnesty program offered under the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative, which expires in August, sets a maximum 25 per cent penalty on foreign account balances.
Grant Thornton has fielded dozens of calls in advance of the amnesty deadline.
Many were from long-term Canadian residents unaware of their U.S. tax filing obligations since they pay taxes in Canada and hadn’t been targeted previously by the IRS.
Hale didn’t know how many Americans there are living in Nova Scotia who may be affected by the tighter U.S. regulations, but he suggested the number was significant.
"It would be in the thousands," he said, noting there was an influx of Americans to Canada in the 1970s and during the George W. Bush era.
A spokeswoman with the U.S. consulate in Halifax said Monday there are an estimated 25,000 U.S. citizens living in Atlantic Canada.
No provincial breakdown was available and the consulate said inquiries about the tax issue haven’t been out of the ordinary compared with inquiries about other issues.
( berskine@herald.ca)
ext + -
Americans in N.S. warned to file taxes
By BRUCE ERSKINE Business Reporter
Tue, Jul 26 - 4:54 AM
Americans living in Nova Scotia can’t afford to ignore the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, says a tax specialist with Grant Thornton LLP in Halifax.
"U.S citizens and U.S. green card holders have to file U.S. federal income tax returns regardless of where they live in the world and they have to report their worldwide income," Jason Hale said Monday said in an interview.
"American citizens living in Nova Scotia who aren’t filing tax returns with the IRS could be risking significant penalties."
Filing a United States tax return has always been mandatory for Americans living in Canada or for Canadians who hold U.S. citizenship. The combined total for both groups is estimated to top one million.
But Hale said the IRS has increased its scrutiny in recent years with help from U.S Customs and Border Protection.
"When the identification requirements changed for entry into the U.S., the simple act of crossing the border became an opportunity for the U.S. government to identify Americans and dual citizens living abroad," he said in a recent news release.
"U.S. Customs agents became, in effect, one of the IRS’s front-line assets."
The United States has also enhanced the tools the IRS uses to enforce American tax laws through measures such as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which takes effect in 2013.
Under the act, Canadian banking institutions will be required to report details on all Canadian accounts held by U.S. citizens.
Institutions that fail to do so will face a 30 per cent tax on all U.S. investment income and gross sale proceeds from U.S. stocks and securities.
"That’s a significant development," Hale said.
An IRS amnesty program offered under the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative, which expires in August, sets a maximum 25 per cent penalty on foreign account balances.
Grant Thornton has fielded dozens of calls in advance of the amnesty deadline.
Many were from long-term Canadian residents unaware of their U.S. tax filing obligations since they pay taxes in Canada and hadn’t been targeted previously by the IRS.
Hale didn’t know how many Americans there are living in Nova Scotia who may be affected by the tighter U.S. regulations, but he suggested the number was significant.
"It would be in the thousands," he said, noting there was an influx of Americans to Canada in the 1970s and during the George W. Bush era.
A spokeswoman with the U.S. consulate in Halifax said Monday there are an estimated 25,000 U.S. citizens living in Atlantic Canada.
No provincial breakdown was available and the consulate said inquiries about the tax issue haven’t been out of the ordinary compared with inquiries about other issues.
( berskine@herald.ca)
ME..ME...ME its all about ME!!
Well it appears that Miss Franie has stepped it up a bit,and has dared HRM to tear her shack down the following is a letter that she sent to the media,since no major media really gives a rats ass and would sooner just ignore her thought I would give the writer a hand in getting her BS out there. Now there are a few things that Miss Almost a PHD, (Frannie)left out of her BS letter,the key thing that she failed to state is that,she only has 1/2 half a foundation as is obvious by the photos she has plastered all over the net taken 21 July 2011; ok so 1/2 of shack has foundation the other 1/2 will be held up by a sky hook I suppose.
I suspect that Miss Shit For Brains, (Frannie) wasn't getting the response she expected off Facebook by using phony accounts ie Tad,Milo and countless more phony names;so now she has at least 5 twitter accounts spewing her garbage all over the net;I suspect that it is harder to suck in people to send her money on twitter than it was,(is),on Facebook.
Now she has pissed off the vast majority of local residents,residents of HRM,in fact most people in Nova Scotia. Therefore many complaints about her have been filed with HRM re. shack,the dept of Health,re septic,Rev. Canada re Income from begging; now drum roll....... the IRS it appears that they are hunting down free loaders that are American citizens,living in Canada; now rev. Canada will assist the IRS in any investigation, I would dare say its going to be an interesting 6 months ahead for Shit For Brains.
Shit For Brains by now must know that a come from awayer should not bad mouth our Gov.,our legal system,our neighbors. Because it will come back to bite you in the ass.
Here is the letter from SFB:
Sent to local media. We'll see what they do.
From: Francesca Rogier
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2011 02:31:09 -0300
Subject: I insist Halifax tear down my house!
I put it to you: are you tough enough to ask these questions?
- Why has Halifax pretended to be concerned about public safety about my house falsely claiming my house is dangerous, when any fool can see that it was not, since it was perfectly fine for THREE YEARS on temporary supports? And right next door to me a house vacant for 20 years that is truly dangerous and unsightly somehow escaped HRM attention until very recently – only after several more calls were made by a local man? The road to my house is dotted with structures falling down. But my house was singled out. Why?
- Why has Halifax pretended my dog is too vicious to live, when she never bit a human – even when she was being kicked in the head and stomach repeatedly? That happened on the two occasions that led to her seizure! In the first one, there was no injury to the other dog! Now Halifax has not seized two large dogs who were at large when they killed a shih tzu – the same kind of dog that Brindi was friends with right here, down the road. I used to walk her together with Teddy with no problem at all.
Halifax knows exactly where those dogs are: at home with their owner. Yet NO violations, no muzzle order, no seizure, no euthanization. And they are not the only ones. Why?? How can the mayor talk about keeping Brindi off the streets, and say nothing about these killers?
Halifax issued an order to demolish my house on June 9. It was supposed to be done within 30 days. My house is a Heritage property, protected under the Heritage Act of Nova Scotia. Only if there are building code violations, and there is irreparable damage, can the city legitimately call for demolition. But there were no building code violations. No inspector ever stated that my house should be torn down. The most he ever said was that it needed a foundation! Yes, that is why I have a valid building permit good till 2012. No city dreams of demolishing a house that is under construction with a valid permit! No honest city councilor would believe the lies told in the hearings – lies, like wooden cribbing is only good for four weeks. Four weeks! Or, “A slanted roof or a crooked wall is irreversible structural damage.” Not only are there abundant examples of both; both can be easily fixed. Irreparable damage?
The fact is, the municipal staff and councilors have made a mockery of the Heritage Law, the building laws, and their own charter, in order to cooperate in a cruel and vicious undertaking to harm me more and stop me from seeking justice and the return of my innocent dog. Heritage staff, who had previously supported me with grants, told me in so many words that they were forced to participate in the charade. It all began the very week I notified HRM that I was going to court to get Brindi out, last October. To the day. Eviction followed a bogus order by the building inspector; I was denied the right of appeal, and then denied the right to appeal the demolition order that was equally bogus. Yet nobody cares. The judge didn’t even care enough to hear my application, claiming he had no jurisdiction. A supreme court justice has jurisdiction over EVERYTHING. Clearly the courts are loathe to make HRM look bad.
Until barely a week ago my house remained supported by virtually the same supports since 2008. Everybody knows the reason the foundation was not completed: the contractor went bankrupt, and then HRM seized Brindi, and refused to give her back for two years. There was no time for me to resume construction. I endured the hardship and was called crazy for it.
Just as I was starting to resume work on my house, Halifax took Brindi again, when one of its own employees, married to a member of the same local family who first reported Brindi to HRM, called Animal Control after a minor incident – in front of my own home. That couple admitted to police that they were constantly walking by my house with their dog. The man works for the Planning Department. The woman, a social worker, bragged that she was trying to get friends to report Brindi all summer, so she could be killed. She swore loudly at me that night, without even glancing at her dog, “I don’t give a fuck about Brindi, I only care about my dog!”
As far as the house goes, HRM staff and councilors have not only denied reality; they had no right to set an arbitrary completion deadline for construction being done on private property by private owners. Apparently nobody noticed this. They erroneously and illegally gave me 30 days under threat of demolition, misusing the Charter in word and deed, and abusing my rights. Furthermore, demolition orders are not meant to be conditional. They are supposed to be carried out, period. When councilors vote for demolition, demolition is what is supposed to happen. They can no longer even be challenged by an appeal to a council committee thanks to a clever move – there is no more Dangerous & Unsightly Premises Committee. There is only an Appeals Committee. You’d think it is there to hear appeals. But it is not: it issues demolition orders and these orders can only be challenged at the supreme court, at the cost of the property owner, of course.
So I demand that Halifax tear down my house. So what if there is a foundation in place now? That has no meaning when there is a demolition order. Why would any city issue a demolition order and then tell the owner to go ahead and invest $30,000 to complete it?? It’s insane. Or, it’s malicious, unethical, and illegal conduct, deserving of a major investigation.
As you all know, Halifax has locked up my dog for nearly three years. It refuses all reasonable options to keep her alive, including adoption, leaving the country, etc. Why? Because it is determined to kill her. I don’t know why it wanted to at the start, because Brindi never killed a dog, never even injured a dog in two out of four reported incidents! In the other two, the injuries were too minor to require vet treatment beyond first aid. Until I won against HRM in court, I was never charged for the three incidents leading to her seizure – charges would have put me in front of a judge within a few weeks. They lay charges all the time. But HRM did not want that. It was all calculated to thwart my efforts to save her life. A plan to kill Brindi was hatched months before the seizure, between another dog owner and an animal control officer; they cooked up the muzzle order with the explicit intent to seize and kill my poor dog. All this was shown in court. Nobody cared.
HRM still has a woefully bad by-law on animal control. Written by a cop and never read through by councilors, it is dangerous; it can be perverted by staff at will, and is. Three years on, it has still never fixed A300. And HRM still lacks any legal authority to continue holding a dog after the moment of seizure. Look it up. You will not find any law, provincial or local, that provides that power. They held her illegally for two years, and they have nearly held her for another year. The law is very clear on detention of seized property: without a court order, which cannot be given if the property is not evidence, which Brindi is not, they must return the property.
Oh, rest assured, HRM Legal Services is very aware of this problem. That is exactly why they started going after my house and evicted me. Their legal brief that sought to block the injunction I wanted was shocking, claiming that they should be allowed to keep her even if there was no law authorizing it, just because they wanted to kill her.
HRM is hoping that you don’t notice this. Or how much tax revenue they are wasting. But there can be no more doubt that it is in the wrong on Brindi and on my house. And that it is fully aware of how wrong it is. There can be no doubt of the malice and hypocrisy involved here. Just because I am an immigrant and a single woman does not mean Halifax should be allowed to get away with this cruelty and damage to property.
I am heartsick for Brindi, and I am horrified and saddened about what happened to Otis. I cannot imagine the pain his owners feel. I do know, however, how betrayed and outraged they must feel. Betrayed by HRM, and betrayed by the media. Nobody has covered the story in over a week. Those two dogs are still at large, a proven deadly menace, while my Brindi remains caged up every day and night. It doesn’t matter where she is kept, although I cannot say that Wyndenfog is a very nice place: no kennel is good for a dog to be locked up for months and years – and no self-respecting kennel owner would agree to do that! I am not allowed visits, and her health has been suffering.
The death of Otis cannot be hidden under the carpet.
This thinly veiled persecution and outright cruelty to my dog has gone on far too long. IT HAS BEEN THREE YEARS TO THE DAY.
Why have you local media turned a blind eye? Because it is too complicated, or because you don’t want to embarrass HRM? Are you that afraid? Or is this place truly a good ole boy regime, as many have told me?
The public wants to know. I want to know. Sporadic reporting that leaves the public with misconceptions is no longer acceptable; in fact, it can be fairly called propaganda.
DO YOUR JOB.
Francesca Rogier
I suspect that Miss Shit For Brains, (Frannie) wasn't getting the response she expected off Facebook by using phony accounts ie Tad,Milo and countless more phony names;so now she has at least 5 twitter accounts spewing her garbage all over the net;I suspect that it is harder to suck in people to send her money on twitter than it was,(is),on Facebook.
Now she has pissed off the vast majority of local residents,residents of HRM,in fact most people in Nova Scotia. Therefore many complaints about her have been filed with HRM re. shack,the dept of Health,re septic,Rev. Canada re Income from begging; now drum roll....... the IRS it appears that they are hunting down free loaders that are American citizens,living in Canada; now rev. Canada will assist the IRS in any investigation, I would dare say its going to be an interesting 6 months ahead for Shit For Brains.
Shit For Brains by now must know that a come from awayer should not bad mouth our Gov.,our legal system,our neighbors. Because it will come back to bite you in the ass.
Here is the letter from SFB:
Sent to local media. We'll see what they do.
From: Francesca Rogier
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2011 02:31:09 -0300
Subject: I insist Halifax tear down my house!
I put it to you: are you tough enough to ask these questions?
- Why has Halifax pretended to be concerned about public safety about my house falsely claiming my house is dangerous, when any fool can see that it was not, since it was perfectly fine for THREE YEARS on temporary supports? And right next door to me a house vacant for 20 years that is truly dangerous and unsightly somehow escaped HRM attention until very recently – only after several more calls were made by a local man? The road to my house is dotted with structures falling down. But my house was singled out. Why?
- Why has Halifax pretended my dog is too vicious to live, when she never bit a human – even when she was being kicked in the head and stomach repeatedly? That happened on the two occasions that led to her seizure! In the first one, there was no injury to the other dog! Now Halifax has not seized two large dogs who were at large when they killed a shih tzu – the same kind of dog that Brindi was friends with right here, down the road. I used to walk her together with Teddy with no problem at all.
Halifax knows exactly where those dogs are: at home with their owner. Yet NO violations, no muzzle order, no seizure, no euthanization. And they are not the only ones. Why?? How can the mayor talk about keeping Brindi off the streets, and say nothing about these killers?
Halifax issued an order to demolish my house on June 9. It was supposed to be done within 30 days. My house is a Heritage property, protected under the Heritage Act of Nova Scotia. Only if there are building code violations, and there is irreparable damage, can the city legitimately call for demolition. But there were no building code violations. No inspector ever stated that my house should be torn down. The most he ever said was that it needed a foundation! Yes, that is why I have a valid building permit good till 2012. No city dreams of demolishing a house that is under construction with a valid permit! No honest city councilor would believe the lies told in the hearings – lies, like wooden cribbing is only good for four weeks. Four weeks! Or, “A slanted roof or a crooked wall is irreversible structural damage.” Not only are there abundant examples of both; both can be easily fixed. Irreparable damage?
The fact is, the municipal staff and councilors have made a mockery of the Heritage Law, the building laws, and their own charter, in order to cooperate in a cruel and vicious undertaking to harm me more and stop me from seeking justice and the return of my innocent dog. Heritage staff, who had previously supported me with grants, told me in so many words that they were forced to participate in the charade. It all began the very week I notified HRM that I was going to court to get Brindi out, last October. To the day. Eviction followed a bogus order by the building inspector; I was denied the right of appeal, and then denied the right to appeal the demolition order that was equally bogus. Yet nobody cares. The judge didn’t even care enough to hear my application, claiming he had no jurisdiction. A supreme court justice has jurisdiction over EVERYTHING. Clearly the courts are loathe to make HRM look bad.
Until barely a week ago my house remained supported by virtually the same supports since 2008. Everybody knows the reason the foundation was not completed: the contractor went bankrupt, and then HRM seized Brindi, and refused to give her back for two years. There was no time for me to resume construction. I endured the hardship and was called crazy for it.
Just as I was starting to resume work on my house, Halifax took Brindi again, when one of its own employees, married to a member of the same local family who first reported Brindi to HRM, called Animal Control after a minor incident – in front of my own home. That couple admitted to police that they were constantly walking by my house with their dog. The man works for the Planning Department. The woman, a social worker, bragged that she was trying to get friends to report Brindi all summer, so she could be killed. She swore loudly at me that night, without even glancing at her dog, “I don’t give a fuck about Brindi, I only care about my dog!”
As far as the house goes, HRM staff and councilors have not only denied reality; they had no right to set an arbitrary completion deadline for construction being done on private property by private owners. Apparently nobody noticed this. They erroneously and illegally gave me 30 days under threat of demolition, misusing the Charter in word and deed, and abusing my rights. Furthermore, demolition orders are not meant to be conditional. They are supposed to be carried out, period. When councilors vote for demolition, demolition is what is supposed to happen. They can no longer even be challenged by an appeal to a council committee thanks to a clever move – there is no more Dangerous & Unsightly Premises Committee. There is only an Appeals Committee. You’d think it is there to hear appeals. But it is not: it issues demolition orders and these orders can only be challenged at the supreme court, at the cost of the property owner, of course.
So I demand that Halifax tear down my house. So what if there is a foundation in place now? That has no meaning when there is a demolition order. Why would any city issue a demolition order and then tell the owner to go ahead and invest $30,000 to complete it?? It’s insane. Or, it’s malicious, unethical, and illegal conduct, deserving of a major investigation.
As you all know, Halifax has locked up my dog for nearly three years. It refuses all reasonable options to keep her alive, including adoption, leaving the country, etc. Why? Because it is determined to kill her. I don’t know why it wanted to at the start, because Brindi never killed a dog, never even injured a dog in two out of four reported incidents! In the other two, the injuries were too minor to require vet treatment beyond first aid. Until I won against HRM in court, I was never charged for the three incidents leading to her seizure – charges would have put me in front of a judge within a few weeks. They lay charges all the time. But HRM did not want that. It was all calculated to thwart my efforts to save her life. A plan to kill Brindi was hatched months before the seizure, between another dog owner and an animal control officer; they cooked up the muzzle order with the explicit intent to seize and kill my poor dog. All this was shown in court. Nobody cared.
HRM still has a woefully bad by-law on animal control. Written by a cop and never read through by councilors, it is dangerous; it can be perverted by staff at will, and is. Three years on, it has still never fixed A300. And HRM still lacks any legal authority to continue holding a dog after the moment of seizure. Look it up. You will not find any law, provincial or local, that provides that power. They held her illegally for two years, and they have nearly held her for another year. The law is very clear on detention of seized property: without a court order, which cannot be given if the property is not evidence, which Brindi is not, they must return the property.
Oh, rest assured, HRM Legal Services is very aware of this problem. That is exactly why they started going after my house and evicted me. Their legal brief that sought to block the injunction I wanted was shocking, claiming that they should be allowed to keep her even if there was no law authorizing it, just because they wanted to kill her.
HRM is hoping that you don’t notice this. Or how much tax revenue they are wasting. But there can be no more doubt that it is in the wrong on Brindi and on my house. And that it is fully aware of how wrong it is. There can be no doubt of the malice and hypocrisy involved here. Just because I am an immigrant and a single woman does not mean Halifax should be allowed to get away with this cruelty and damage to property.
I am heartsick for Brindi, and I am horrified and saddened about what happened to Otis. I cannot imagine the pain his owners feel. I do know, however, how betrayed and outraged they must feel. Betrayed by HRM, and betrayed by the media. Nobody has covered the story in over a week. Those two dogs are still at large, a proven deadly menace, while my Brindi remains caged up every day and night. It doesn’t matter where she is kept, although I cannot say that Wyndenfog is a very nice place: no kennel is good for a dog to be locked up for months and years – and no self-respecting kennel owner would agree to do that! I am not allowed visits, and her health has been suffering.
The death of Otis cannot be hidden under the carpet.
This thinly veiled persecution and outright cruelty to my dog has gone on far too long. IT HAS BEEN THREE YEARS TO THE DAY.
Why have you local media turned a blind eye? Because it is too complicated, or because you don’t want to embarrass HRM? Are you that afraid? Or is this place truly a good ole boy regime, as many have told me?
The public wants to know. I want to know. Sporadic reporting that leaves the public with misconceptions is no longer acceptable; in fact, it can be fairly called propaganda.
DO YOUR JOB.
Francesca Rogier
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Frannie's Response to Demo Order..its pure BS.
Response to HRM Demolition Report
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK ROAD Francesca Rogier, May 11,
2011
OVERVIEW I have reviewed the materials provided by HRM staff supporting a request for demolition of my home at the above address. With sincere apologies for the late timing, I wish to submit the following for consideration: I . The Reports submitted are intended to provide reasonable basis for a Committee decision regarding an order for immediate demolition. However, close review of the issues they raise suggests strongly that they stem in large part from the fact that the foundation hasn’t been completed. I intend to complete the basement in a timely manner, and thus eliminate these concerns. 1. Set down on a permanent foundation, the electrical, plumbing, and septic systems of the house would no longer be exposed; all standing water would be removed; and the area around the foundation would be drained and backfilled. The chimney would be stabilized, and the house would be permanently supported. The property would could easily be deemed safe for occupancy. This is my goal. 2. I am committed to making this house a home. It is an attractive Cape Cod, and it has a very good layout, a great view, and a great location. It has historic value to the community. I love living in it and intend to make it something to be admired. I have the skills needed to do it. I designed the foundation to be efficient and sturdy, with a useful basement and garage. I spent many hours of my time on this project and am prepared to spend many more. 3. All I am asking for is a fair chance to make it happen. My construction permit is valid until June 2012. If the Committee would grant me four months time to set the house down on a new foundation, the Halifax Regional Municipality can avoid having to demolish this Heritage property. For Heritage information, please see: http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/placelieu.aspx?id=8046 and https://eapps.ednet.ns.ca/HPIPublic/PropertyDisplay.aspx?Fid=23MNS5016 DELAY While it is always advisable and reasonable for work to proceed at a planned and purposeful pace, I never expected it to take this long to complete the foundation. It was delayed by unforeseen events. The house may show some added wear, but it remains intact: it is still a viable candidate for renovation. The plumbing, electrical, and sanitary systems are all functioning. 1. Regarding the initial reason for delay, the foundation work began in the summer of 2008 under a signed contract that included specifications, construction drawings, and an agreed finish date. The, abandoned the project after failing to meet the initial deadlines, and went out of business altogether. I could not find a replacement right away. Up until Easter, the weather did not provide ideal conditions for pouring and curing concrete. (I am not of the opinion that it is a good idea to use additives in the mix, and prefer warmer temperatures.) COMMITMENT TO PROCEED WITH WORK 2. I have invested approximately $35,000 to date toward the foundation alone, over and above the purchase price of this house and other upgrades and repairs. Custom wood windows and doors have been fabricated to match the existing ones lie in storage and await installation, thanks to help from the Heritage grant I received.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
3 I am prepared at this time to move forward on the foundation with a local concrete contractor, Wayne Johnson, and a second contractor, Kirk Slade, has agreed to install the new windows, siding, and roof. I have others ready as needed. REQUEST I am seeking a reasonable amount of time to complete the major work of setting the house down and address concerns raised in the Reports.. If the Committee is amenable to four months, I would be very grateful. CONTENT OF REPORTS II. Having stated my goals and made a request for more time, I wish to address the contents of the Reports. I am greatly concerned because they appear to lack precision. They do not prioritize which of the issues raised constitute reasonable grounds for demolition, apart from issues that can, or could have been, confirmed and/or resolved prior to this date by municipal staff and the owner, or, for that matter, by completion of the foundation. I am very concerned that the Report creates a confusing and false impression of both the house and myself as its owner, occupant, and architect. It implies that I have been unresponsive and irresponsible without showing exactly how or why. It also lacks empirical information that could easily be obtained to allay speculative concerns that it raises, (many for the first time since the eviction, others since May 4). , I am more than committed to finishing construction properly and in a timely manner. I would ask the Committee to carefully review the Reports submitted by Ms. Phillips and Mr. Morgan accordingly. I am concerned that they do not bring forward information on file a reasonable person would find necessary to make an informed decision regarding demolition of my house. I have made a detailed response to the Reports to the best of my ability within the time allowed. I will attempt to follow-up with documentation here and in following submissions. I requested more time but was told it was not possible due to safety concerns- concerns which were never specifically articulated to me or ordered to be remedied, and, in my opinion, do not exist, but if they do, can be remedied by a completed foundation. III. Taking first Ms Phillip’s statement titled “DEMOLITION REPORT”, I note that the Property History in particular appears incomplete and because of this, casts the matter in an unfavorable light with regard to my actions as owner. 1. Of greatest concern in this regard is the statement ending: “…and the required work to make this building safe has not taken place since the Order to Vacate was issued on November 19, 2010.” The work referred to as “required” is not specified as to whether it was “required” before or after Nov. 19, or by whom. If the work recommended by my engineer as precautionary measures in October is meant, the fact is that this work was not made a requirement by either a municipal or a provincial official at any time. The Oct. 8 Order neglected to require any actual work other than the construction fence (which I erected; see below.) 2. No order to remedy specific conditions on the building or supports was issued at any time before or after the Order to Vacate or prior to the Notice to Appear.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 2
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
3. I believe there is genuine cause for concern that the Municipality may have therefore failed to meet its statutory obligations and is now acting unfairly and without legal authority by moving to order demolition without properly establishing grounds for such a decision. The owner should be told what needs to be done, given adequate time to carry out the work, and/or respond with an appeal. This is for the common good, as otherwise, demolitions would occur with alarming frequency and cause environmental problems 4. Statutes are typically organized in a way that implies a sequence of procedures to be followed. Sections 354 to 363 of the HRM Municipal Charter are titled “Part XV: Dangerous or Unsightly Premises”. After the requirement to maintain property and the authority to delegate are established, Section 356 clearly sets out the steps to be followed when a condition is in need of remedying: Order to remedy condition 356 (1) Where a property is dangerous or unsightly, the Council may order the owner to remedy the condition by removal, demolition or repair, specifying in the order what is required to be done. (2) An owner may appeal an order of the Administrator to the Council or to the committee to which the Council has delegated its authority within seven days after the order is made. (3) Where it is proposed to order demolition, before the order is made not less than seven days notice must be given to the owner specifying the date, time and place of the meeting at which the order will be considered and that the owner will be given the opportunity to appear and be heard before any order is made. (4) The notice may be served by being posted in a conspicuous place upon the property or may be served upon the owner. 2008, c. 39, s. 356. 5. The sequence indicates that the proper process is for the municipality to issue an Order to Remedy that specifies exactly what is to be done to comply with the Order – rather than, for instance, an engineer’s report to be paid for by the owner (whereas a request of this kind may be made by the Building Inspector, under the Building Code). 6. While I was never issued an order under section 356 prior to the Notice to Appear, I was evicted under Sections 359(1) and 360, yet applying those sections implies that the municipality had already evoked the preceding section. 7. With regard to the use of building inspector Michael Morgan’s reports as grounds for demolition, I refer to the decision in Sydney Precision Machining Ltd. v. Cape Breton (Regional Municipality), 2003: [24] The definition of “dangerous and unsightly” in section 3 of the Municipal Government Act does not say that a building is dangerous or unsightly if it fails to meet the standards of the National Building Code. The Municipal Government Act makes no reference whatsoever to the National Building Code. The National Building Code is a complex set of prescriptions adopted in Nova Scotia by regulations under the Building Code Act. 8. This Notice to Appear is pursuant to the Municipal Government Act /and the Charter. It has not been issued by the building inspector, who acts under provincial authority. In all instances where Mr. Morgan raises concerns about the building code – albeit without citing a violation – his
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 3
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
power to enforce the code derives from the province, not the municipality. Therefore the municipality cannot transfer his authority to its own. 9. By reviewing the Orders from Oct. 8, Nov. 18, April 29, and May 4, the Council Committee members may easily confirm for themselves the lack of any notice of specific building code violations and that they contain no orders to remedy any violations or suspected violations with regard to the building (as opposed to the property).
10. For instance, none of these orders requires specific work on the house or supports in order to remove “unsafe” conditions on the structure. I was ordered to erect a construction fence, which I did by the Oct. 15, and Mr. Morgan inspected and passed on that day. At no time did Mr. Morgan inform me of specific ways that I failed to meet the Oct. 8 order. 11. Had I received specific Orders to secure the building itself in a specific way, I would have complied, as I have always complied in the past, and as it would have been in my interest to do so. 12. It is not clear to me why the Oct. 8 Order in particular did not require me to act on the recommendations of the engineer, as it would have been a logical step. There is no point in requiring me to obtain an engineer’s recommendations on securing the structure unless I am also required to follow them. The standard procedure is to require compliance with the engineer’s recommendations. 13. It is not clear whether “the required work” phrase above refers to the new construction, or to issues arising from the Oct. 8 Order. In any case, neither formed the basis of an Order requiring me to repair or remedy anything on the building or supports. 14. Elsewhere, the Demolition Report neglects to refer to or specify what work was required and thus presumably not completed. The pages preceding the above phrase make no reference to anything in this regard. Nor can I find specifics in the reports that follow, to the extent that demolition would seem necessary and advisable, against all other evidence and circumstances. 15. In Mr. Morgan’s reports, the only direct building code reference I find applies to the standards applicable to the completion of a permanent foundation (entered Nov. 17, email Nov. 25 eviction effectively obstructed for the remainder of 2011.) This is not a violation citation. And, rather than grounds for demolition, this should be considered a compelling argument for allowing me sufficient time to complete the foundation. a. With reference to the foundation, It was my goal to proceed last fall, and get the house down by Christmas. By August I had taken steps toward resuming foundation work by hiring an excavator to prep the area and updating drawings. My time and energy were abruptly diverted by the Oct. 8 order, and the eviction without notice prevented me altogether from resuming work, as I was confronted with nowhere to live. The locks on my house separated me from my home office, the use of my five-foot long drawing board, and needed tools and equipment I need, plus my fax, copier, scanner, internet service, and phone. The cost of moving these possessions and paying rent on a new residence was prohibitive.
p. 4
b.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
16. I note that on p. 2 of Ms. Phillips’s letter, she states: “the essential work identified by the Engineer’s Report was not complete” suggesting this is a legitimate basis to claim the building is structurally unsound. 17. This misrepresents the Order and the situation entirely. First, the Order did not require me to complete any work recommended to by the engineer, and that it was recommended on a precautionary basis (not required). Secondly, contrary to the implication that I failed to comply with requirements, though not required to, I voluntarily acted on his recommendations for essential work on the temporary supports and provided documentation of it immediately. 18. Furthermore, a review of the documents shows that the engineer was never required to make a determination as to whether the work I did to follow his recommendations was “complete”. Therefore, Ms. Phillips’ statement is inaccurate and should not be taken as meaningful grounds for demolition. 19. The engineer Steve Brockman did not find the house to be structurally unsound, nor did he state in clear terms that the temporary supports were unsound as a whole. He did recommend that permanent construction start as soon as possible – and I was lining up a contractor to do this very thing (Scott Shearer) when the eviction was carried out. 20. Thus the Demolition Report fails to make it known that the Oct. 8 Order contains no requirement to do any work identified by the engineer, essential or otherwise, yet implies that this lack or failure exists and compliance was lacking. 21. Having omitted this reasonable and expected step to address unsafe conditions, the Oct. 8 called for me to vacate the premises by the 31st based on the existence of the presumed unsafe conditions – begging the question of why the engineer’s report was required in the first place. Mr. Morgan has never cited any Canadian, provincial, or municipal statute prohibiting a person from living in a house during this or any kind of work. 22. Therefore I carried out the recommended work voluntarily by Oct. 29, at an expense of close to $5,000. In doing so, I acted in good faith, believing that in the work would remove all doubt about the building’s safety in the inspector’s mind, and I would be able to continue living in my home safely, then move on to do the permanent foundation work. I was in the process of doing this when I was evicted on Nov. 19. 23. Again with regard to the damning statements in the Demolition Report, it neglects to mention further that on completion of work recommended by “my” engineer, I took the initiative to ask him to inspect it, which was not required by the Oct. 8 Order. As he was not able to visit the house before the Oct. 31 deadline, I provided full documentation via digital photos. He agreed to review them. Had further work been necessary to secure the building at that time, it was his duty to inform me (see correspondence attached Appendix A). He did not do so. His last communication referred only to moving ahead with the permanent foundation to please HRM 24. Mr. Morgan and Ms. Phillips are both well aware of these developments. Our correspondence is not mentioned in the report in full and I wonder if the Committee has access to it.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 5
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
25. After I complied with and exceeded the Order issued Oct. 8, Mr. Morgan continued to insist the “house was unsafe” but declined to state specifically how and why. When I evicted without notice, I specifically requested information from him and the by-law officials to tell me what they were finding unsafe, and offered to immediately address it. I made these requests by phone, in person, and in written form. (email) I directed them to Mr. Jeff Rogers, Mr. Scott Hill, Mr. Morgan, and others in the various HRM departments. I also consulted a second engineer to inspect the temporary supports. He did not advise any corrections or replacements, or deem the house itself to be unsound. In fact, he and I stood and talked at length beneath the house, and took measurements. 26. In response to my persistent questions of “What is unsafe?” and “How can I fix it?”, Mr. Rogers and Mr. Hill said I must ask Mr. Morgan. He in turn repeatedly declined to answer what was unsafe, by not responding to calls. a. In a Nov. 25 email, he cited the building code as a whole that would apply to the permanent new construction. He did not specify how existing conditions may have failed to meet the code, and then order them to be repaired. b. Though he had not apparently found specific conditions in violation and required them to be addressed, he nevertheless insisted that the house could not be occupied and that it had to be completely finished and inspected before it could be reoccupied, though he did not cite any statute that supported this, in the event all other conditions are otherwise satisfactory. 27. The Order to Remedy Dangerous Conditions issued April 29 by HRM by-law officials under Municipal statute required that I secure against public access to the property, not the building itself, nor that I carry out work on the latter. a. It has already been secured by a fence erected and locked by HRM. This fence replaced one that I had erected in compliance with the Oct. 8 order, which was passed by Mr. Morgan. I was not told why. b. This April 29 Order appears to have justified the boarding up of the windows on my house. However, no mention is made of the fact that the windows cannot be accessed without great effort and a very long ladder to reach them from the ground, sitting about 14 feet up. c. The subject of public access to the site is not directly related to the question of demolition, unless an owner refuses to carry out work to make a building safe. I have never refused. d. This April 29 Order has been presented as a “final step” leading up to the request for a Demolition Order. e. However, given its content, it is quite clearly not a part of a statutory sequence of undertakings intended to bring about compliance in a reasonable way.
28. It must be pointed out that the concluding statements in both Ms. Phillips’ and Mr. Morgan’s Reports fail to clearly distinguish my house from the temporary supports. Yet the request under consideration involves permanently demolishing the house along with the temporary supports, overriding the Heritage statutes necessary to process demolition requests. a. At no time has any engineer or other qualified expert or building official deemed the building – i.e., my house, a Heritage property – structurally unsound.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 6
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
b. As well, the requests calls for the new footings to be backfilled. Yet the footings have not been deemed structurally unsound. In fact, they passed inspection by Mr. Kevin Scudder. c. I have never encountered a case where temporary supports are given as a reason to permanently demolish a building. The appropriate thing to do would be to require – by order – specific work be done on the temporary supports, or, as I ask, to allow time to complete the permanent foundation. REPORTS BY BUILDING INSPECTOR: entries dated Oct. 7, Nov. 17, and March 4 As mentioned, I requested information as to what was deemed unsafe from Nov. 1 on. I pointed out that I dwelled in my house from the summer of 2008 to Nov. 19, 2011 unimpeded by building authorities. But at no time did any building official flatly state, as Mr. Morgan has done on occasion, that I cannot live in my house while it is being worked on, simply because it is being worked on. 1. These Reports and the specific statements in them were withheld from me until May 6, 2011. I now discover them to contain few if any genuine statements about safety concerns. A number of statements are either inconsistent with facts, misrepresentations, or exaggerations of fact, and thus can lead to false conclusions based on no evidence at all. There are a number of questions raised that could have been answered by direct communication with me, an inspection of the interior, or an empirical test, not to mention consulting a qualified professional. 2. Mr. Morgan’s report entries seem to say that the house cannot be lived in due to structural issues. But he has not based this directly on comments from my engineer - nor could he, as the engineer was not asked the question. Mr. Brockman has not addressed the structural concerns since before I installed extra supports in October 2010. Notwithstanding his remarks about installing a permanent foundation in 4-6 weeks (which were never updated following the added supports), Brockman’s reports cannot credibly be used to support any of Mr. Morgan’s claims regarding structural safety, in particular, the soundness of the cribbing and cables as grounds for demolition. Mr. Morgan does not cite a report made by any other engineer since Oct. 29 or specify himself at any time what is to be remedied. I would ask that the Committee keep in mind that, though empowered by statute, Morgan is not himself qualified to make such determinations. 3. Beyond statutory requirements of specificity, it would be improper to “attempt to combine a requirement to repair with a requirement to demolish,” as in (Sydney Precision Machining Ltd. v. Cape Breton (Regional Municipality) [2]. Thus, an owner cannot be given a conditional order to repair “or else” a building will be demolished. The owner has the right to appeal an order to remedy.
TIMELINE: 1. After Mr. Morgan appeared on Nov. 1, reviewed the temporary supports, and declined to evict me, I received no communication from him or HRM regarding my property. However, it appears the eviction on Nov. 19 was based on an inspection he did on the 17th without my knowledge. I find this confusing as well, as he was entitled to enforce an eviction under his provincial authority as of the Oct. 8 order, if he found cause in structural safety lacking. But he did not.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 7
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
2. The eviction was executed by the municipal by-law officials, who did not issue any prior order to remedy unsafe conditions. They thus circumvented the Charter section 356 available to them to issue an Order to Remedy, and moved immediately to sections 359 and 360, which are provisions to issue an “order to vacate unsafe property”, and to take “immediate action”. 3. Starting immediately after Nov. 19, I requested to appeal the eviction on several occasions. My requests were denied, though the legislation provides for appeals. My property suffered damage as a result of being unheated and unattended. I found it necessary to return on a few occasions to secure the property, make repairs, and, rescue my cat Amelia, who the officials apparently locked inside the house more than once. This did compromise the eviction order or public safety. 4. While details are scant on how the building might be structurally unsound, the Demolition Report goes on at length about alleged violations of the Order, in search of grounds for demolition. Officials have not charged me or anyone else with a violation of the eviction order, so legally speaking, these must remain at the level of allegations. Nevertheless, the Demolition Report construes these alleged “breaches” as grounds for demolition. Parallel to this, the same officials blocked my attempts to appeal the eviction so that no violations would be incurred. 5. The May 4 Report entries were written the same day as the Notice to Appear on May 12. They seem to repeat many comments from earlier reports verbatim without indicating them as such. The May 4 report also carries forward errors and misrepresentations, leaving key questions unanswered that could have been easily addressed to and answered by me or others. GROUNDS FOR ORDERING REPAIR/COMPLETION VS. GROUNDS FOR DEMOLITION 1. Again, I note that these Orders and Notice are in lieu of an Order to Remedy specific repair or remedial work, giving adequate time to carry it out, and a period for filing an appeal. 2. At no time was I given an order to complete the new foundation by a given deadline. I am not sure this is possible under the statute. My discussions with the HRM lawyer Andrea Jones-Rieksts indicated that the municipality would find it reasonable to wait for warmer weather. 3. As grounds for demolition, then, the Report offers mainly “breaches”, blanket statements that the house is structurally unsound, and some speculative comments. It does not offer empirical grounds (a recent structural report, photos, or environmental tests, etc.). Therefore, citing “breaches” as grounds for demolition seems frivolous at best. 4. I feel it is in the public interest to distinguish issues about safety and habitability from bona fide grounds to demolish a building. The former can be resolved by allowing an owner to complete a project as planned, without incurring the loss of a valued Heritage property.
SPECIFICS: Regrettably Morgan’s reports are not indexed, nor are the pages numbered. This makes it difficult for me to reference specific passages and entry dates. I do not have time to set up a system for this. I can only list the following, in somewhat random order.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 8
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
1. The engineering report by Steve Brockman referred to from March 2010 was written before cable tie-downs were installed. HRM by-law officer Scott Hill passed the cables after they were installed in June 2010. If Mr. Morgan deemed them inadequate on Nov. 17, as well as the pier or column below the kitchen, and was certain they were in immediate danger of collapse, it was his duty to inform me specifically, and allow me time to remedy the situation, before evicting me, let alone calling for demolition. 2. As it happens, five months later, the cables and the column remain, along with the rest of the supports and the house above. I note that Morgan’s May 4 report does not revisit the issue. 3. Brockman’s second report from Oct. 2010 was written before I acted upon the recommendations in it. It is a preliminary report, and it required a few corrections and clarifications, which followed in the course of subsequent correspondence between Mr. Brockman and myself (Appendix A). 4. Morgan was mistaken in stating that the water pump is powered by an extension cord. It has a easily recognizable direct line to a metal switchbox above it, protected inside a rated enclosure (metal). This is directly connected to the circuit panel (photo). The extension cord mentioned leads to a lamp. a. I was advised by Scott Hill on May 11 that the extension cord is not a building code violation. b. The lamp is not needed during the non-heating months 5. With regard to pipes and plumbing, contrary to statements in the Report, a. The plumbing system is working. b. The cold and hot water supply pipes underneath the house are wrapped and lined with heat tape to protect them against freezing. The heat tape lines are quite easily seen (photos). c. The pump is protected from the elements together with the water tank. d. The supply line to the well is exposed but the majority of the length consists of a pipe within a pipe, as is the norm. Where it is not a double pipe, it is insulated along its length. Any gaps in insulation can be repaired. 6. With regard to ground water and drainage: a. The excavation reached the water table, which is the reason for pools forming. b. The report neglects to cite any kind of empirical test results to substantiate concerns raised. c. Absent any findings of objectionable substances or smells, the growth of algae in the water draining from the water table appears fairly harmless. (photo) d. A perimeter drain around the footings, a floor drain, and a sump pump are items that have always been listed in the scope of work, specs, and construction plans. e. The driveway will be sloped to the southwest corner of the property, in line with the existing site contours, thus following the natural drainage patterns. 7. With regard to the septic system:
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 9
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
10
a. The system itself is safeguarded. The tank sits securely a good distance away and above the water draining from the footings (photo). There is no standing water around it. The footings separate it from the ground water rising from the enclosed area. b. It appears to have been dry on all inspection dates including May 4, as no mention is made to the contrary. (see photos) c. Guy Pettipas emptied the whole tank in June 2008, so there is no danger of it overflowing. d. The Report suggests the septic tank and pipes from it are in danger. However, they are never really in danger of freezing, as warm gases from the effluent provide adequate protection. e. Bryan Perrier, an experienced excavating contractor, did work on the excavations last summer. He insured against any potential leakage by shoring up the tank and the area around it. HRM is aware this was done as I informed them in October. Mr. Perrier spoke with Mr. Morgan in person on Nov. 1. Mr. Morgan omitted this information from his report. f. Mr. Perrier also assisted in the installation of the extra structural supports, and assured Mr. Morgan he had no concerns about working under the house before or after that work was done. 8. Also in terms of proximity to public uses, the plan provided in the report is very misleading. It appears to show three objects labeled “Nathan Smith Recreation Center” behind and south of my home. The aerial photograph and the site plan will confirm that: a. There are no structures or indoor public facilities at these locations, or anywhere near them. b. The clubhouse for the baseball field is the only indoor facility in the area, and it stands at a significant distance from my home. c. The basketball court has no indoor facility, and it is separated from my land by a drainage culvert that passes under East Chezzetcook Road and is sloped toward the overgrown pond on the Nathan Smith park property. 9. The degree to which the plans and the report misrepresent distances and proximities is alarming. A glance at an accurate plan or an aerial photograph will allay any fears of threats to public safety. a. The distance from my house to the inlet: thousands of feet, possibly two football fields. From my house to the clubhouse in Nathan Smith Park – easily a football field. b. From my house to the road easement: about 43 feet. The corner of the house closest to the road (northeast corner) is 62 feet from the centerline of the roadway. c. The southwest area referred to in the report is located significantly further from the street, between 80 and 100 feet total down the slope. 10. I note, however, that the report neglects to firmly identify bona fide threats to public safety with regard to drainage, sewage, and the like. 11. With regard to the debris at the rear of the property: a. Please note that the issue of debris is not pertinent to the request to order demolition.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 10
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
11
b. Note also that if the adjacent area belongs to HRM – something I cannot determine accurately under the circumstances - the public has no reason to access HRM property adjacent to this area. It is not an area one can easily walk through. (see survey map) c. The material is there because it was my intention to re-use construction material from the original house as much as possible. d. The dismantled ductwork is made of galvanized metal, as all ductwork is required to be rustproof/moisture proof to avoid mold. Had a photo been provided, it would show that there is no rust on these components. I intended to recycle the ductwork as far as possible in the new heat pump system, to cut down on waste and economize on cost. e. There are no toxic materials there. The report does not identify toxic materials or emissions in this area. f. The report does not appear raise issues of unsightliness in regard to the debris and I have never been ordered to remedy it. g. It seems reasonable to dispose of this material in a timely manner once construction is complete, unless ordered to do so earlier. 12. With regard to what the construction permit covers: a. Again, this does not really belong in this report as it is not related to the question of the house being structurally unsound as grounds for demolition is necessary. There are different procedures in place to address this issue. b. Secondly, the report is not accurate on the permits, or my plans to repair the roof. Regrettably, this is an example of where Morgan has omitted key information from the file. This is very troubling, as Ms. Phillips’ relies on his reports for her Demolition Report. c. I duly obtained a separate permit for the exterior work referred to in the report (roof, siding), prior to applying for a matching Heritage grant in 2009. That permit would have run out this past March. d. I was required to obtain the roof and siding permit along with two bids for the work when submitting the Heritage application. My awareness of the work needed and my intent to undertake are thus well-documented. e. When I renewed the permit and paid the fee for the foundation in spring 2010, Mr. Scudder and the building permit department said it would apply to all the work planned, rather than issue two new permits. Again, HRM staff is in possession of this information. It should have been mentioned in the report and made available to the Committee, along with correspondence and the engineer’s report. 13. With regard to the siding and roof: a. The old wood siding has been exposed to the elements much longer than planned. When the vinyl was removed, I anticipated completion of the entire project within four months, maximum. b. In terms of potential moisture, rot, or mold, it is more advantageous to remove the vinyl siding to provide more ventilation to the layers enclosing the house. The vinyl siding trapped moisture for years, which damaged the wood beneath. c. During its removal, we found rotted posts below the kitchen window. The contractor cut the rotted segments, replaced them with a 2x6 grid, and covered the area with the
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 11
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
12
d. e.
f. g.
h.
building membrane. All around HRM, I have seen houses sitting for years entirely covered in this membrane. The wall will be clad with cedar shingles acc. to code when the foundation is completed and backfilled, as stated in the scope of work and the Heritage application. The growth of mold on the roof shingles has been slow and is kept in check by heating the house –compare to the neighboring abandoned house. Because the officials who evicted me shut off the heat, this may have led to increased mold. However, there are no leaks in the upstairs rooms Sagging is not necessarily an indication of imminent failure. Many, many houses in the area have sagging roofs. The report lacked a structural report showing whether the roof is in immediate danger, and I have not been asked to commission such a report. The roof is part of the planned renovations and will be replaced to meet code, as indicated in the Heritage application. I look forward to having it completed by Kirk Slade.
14. With regard to temporary supports: a. These offer the greatest flexibility in terms of options to remedy unsafe conditions. b. The chimney is held by a separate steel section. Apparently this has raised no concerns. c. The supports can and will be relocated during construction to free up the footings for pouring the walls. d. The Report does not mention that there is a pair of steel jackposts on the footings adjacent to the new (as of October) northeast cribbing pier. To my recollection, they were not recommended by the engineer and are there purely a precaution. They can take the load distributed to them as needed. e. It appears steel beams were never an issue, as the report confirms by not questioning their placement or number. There are two 1 foot deep long beams and five cross-beams. Rust is not likely to cause failure in the foreseeable future. f. Similarly, the steel jackpost adjacent to the newly installed northeast pier was installed as a precaution. I have a fourth jackpost that can be paired with it if requested. g. While Mr. Morgan claims the jackposts are installed improperly, I can only say that they were installed as directed by the packaging. I do not know any other way to do it. No contractor has commented to this effect. h. Mr. Morgan certainly had a legal responsibility to inform me if they were creating an unsafe condition, I hope that he will now advise me accordingly so that I can correct the situation immediately that he perceives. 15. It should be kept in mind when reviewing all comments on the temporary supports by Mr. Morgan, that at no time before or after Oct. 8 did he actually order me to supplement, move, or replace them. His Oct. 8 Order omits any “order to remedy” an unsafe condition on the house or its support system, in specific or general terms. For instance, he could have included a order to follow the engineer’s recommendations by a certain date, and made the order to vacate conditional upon doing so. This is the typical procedure. He never made such a provision or explained why he did not. 16. Similarly, all subsequent Orders lacked specific requirements to remedy specific structural conditions – or any other condition raised, contrary to the impression created by the Reports.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 12
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
13
Despite this glaring omission, the officials moved to evict me without notice as an emergency measure. I feel it important for the common good to point out that this overstepping of procedure raises serious concerns in terms of procedural fairness towards myself as a property owner. Above and beyond this, the omission of an order to remedy specific issues with specific remedies ought to be of concern to this Committee vis a vis the duties and responsibilities of the both the by-law officials and building inspectors to property owners and the public at large, as, had an unsafe condition existed between Oct. 31 and Nov. 19, people might have been harmed 17. I must stress again in this regard that I voluntarily carried out the additional work to the temporary after complying with the Oct. 8 Order by Mr. Morgan to obtain the engineer report of Oct. 20. a. The materials and labor cost me close to $5,000 which would be better spent on the concrete. b. It was completed by Oct. 29. I provided photos to Mr. Brockman at his request. He did not respond with any further recommendations. (see below) 18. Around the same time, I met and negotiated with contractors for completion of the foundations. Scott Shearer, a contractor in the valley area, was interested, and I prepared a scope of work for him. I provided it to Mr. Morgan on or around Oct. 15. Mr. Morgan spoke to the former by phone. Up to and after Christmas, however, Mr. Shearer was still occupied with an ongoing project. He was not able to start work right away, and by then it was too cold for pouring concrete properly for this project. Nevertheless, in response to the promptings of HRM officials, I continued on and interviewed two other contractors in December (StevieCrete and Treviso). Both were interested in doing the job. Again, with the weather dipping below acceptable temperatures (and roads closed to trucks), I could not proceed. Also, any and all communication and work was impeded greatly by the lack of an office at my disposal. I was also no longer on site to be able to supervise work, which is absolutely necessary for this project. I was no longer in the immediate area at all and this was an enormous impediment all around. These were all huge obstacles to the project. 19. To return to the Report’s comments on these temporary supports: a. The older piers adjacent to new were simply left in place because there was no need to remove them at the time. b. The concern raised that some columns and piers are now resting on the footings – which are 24 inches wide in preparation for 10-inch wide foundation walls - is not relevant to the issue of demolition. They can be moved to clear the footings. The contractor will either install adjacent cribbing or pour a few pads for steel columns to transfer the load. c. With regard I must also state – and I am sure I stated this in my communication to Mr. Morgan if not also to Ms. Phillips, Mr. Hill, Mr. Rogers, and probably also the mayor – I was willing and able to add more supports on request. This would include lateral bracing or any other item. i. On Nov. 1, with Mr. Perrier close at hand, I showed Mr. Morgan the extra cribbing and jackposts I had on hand. I offered to add them to the support system. Yet he continued to say the house was unsafe. I made the same offer to Mr. Rogers on Nov 19 when he brought the RCMP to my house and evicted me. Neither of them asked me to install extra cribbing or an extra column. Yet the report raises alarms about the piers and the jackposts. Why did these men not simply issue me an order or instruction to add or
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 13
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
14
d.
e.
f. g.
relocate supports? Clearly, there was no need to go the drastic step of eviction and demolition when an owner has already been compliant to date with every Order, and is prepared and willing to take steps to insure safety going forward. ii. I similarly pointed out the extra support material to Mr. Rogers the morning he evicted me on Nov. 19 and offered to install them wherever he required. He did not respond and evicted me. Further, I must note that over time, a number of contractors have visited the site as it stands – before and after the added/replaced supports – and not one of them has ever shown any reluctance to stand underneath the house. Nor has any HRM building official. To my knowledge, the phrase “practical life expectancy” refers to usage, not structural integrity. If it did, I dare say my entire post and beam house would have collapsed long ago. The new cribbing piers have been in place only six months. If it were true that wood cribbing is in danger of immediate collapse now or at any time in the past, Mr. Morgan had the duty to specifically require that I take step to replace them or add them. At one point he declares the cribbing a public safety hazard.
20. With regard to the existing floor structure: a. I am fully aware that the existing (historic) joists are not spaced properly. Since the very beginning of this project, as my drawings and sketches indicate, I have been planning to reinforce the floor support system with additional 2x8 joists throughout, in between the existing joists, which are large, but spaced too widely, especially in the living room. I also planned a new cross-beam to support the living room. I have a framing plan that indicates this. I would have prepared a graphic version of it for this hearing, but I have nowhere to set up my drawing board because I was evicted. b. However, this work is itemized in the specs I drew up for the original foundation contractor and was part of his Scope of Work. They are now part of the Scope of Work moving forward. c. I mentioned this to various HRM officials along the way. d. I provided Mr. Morgan a “scope of work” on October 15, which included these items. e. As a provincially empowered building inspector, Mr. Morgan may withhold an occupancy permit on these issues, but to my knowledge, they are not grounds for a municipality to order demolition. (This applies to much of the above and below.) f. Nor, as the courts have found, can a municipality combine an requirement to repair with an requirement to demolish. 21. With regard to the chimney, at several junctures the report suggests that it might be a concern going forward. This therefore does not appear to be a significant reason for demolition. Please note: a. I have never indicated that I plan to re-use the chimney as is, nor has anyone ever asked me. b. I removed a Franklin stove from the house right after I moved in, because it did not meet the fire code. Similarly, I removed a pot belly wood stove from the kitchen for the same reason. I note that it shared a flue with the oil furnace (for decades). c. The chimney is part of the appearance of the house and its removal would require approval from the Heritage advisory board.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 14
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
15
d. I have designed a new fireplace for the living room and hope to someday revive the chimney, most likely by installing a properly rated flue insert. The heat pump will be the primary source of heat, but a centrally located fireplace is a good supplemental source. 22. In the Oct. 7 report, heating, water supply, and sanitation are referred to under “Public Safety” and the house is deemed unfit for habitation due to lack of potable water and heat. a. To my knowledge, municipal officials have never conducted an interior inspection prior to requesting demolition. No reports are provided. b. All systems are functioning. I have adequate heat and water, and have had at all times while living in the house. I replaced the old oil-fired water heater with an electric heater in 2006. c. The above statement thus has no value, especially absent any evidence of an inspection, and findings that somehow make a remedy impossible. All services are easily remedied in such a small house. d. I checked the installations below the house and repaired leaks after the winter ended. I repaired the vandalized water heater. I secured the pump. e. The use of an electric oven is not identified as a code violation. Nor is it grounds for demolition. f. Electric heaters are commonly used without violating building codes. g. All other statements on habitability contained these reports are not reliable as they do not provide proof of inspections. They are also not grounds for demolition. 23. Mr. Morgan states in his unnumbered Nov. 17 report: “The building is not structurally sound due to the lack of a foundation in accordance with Part 9 of the National Building Code and due to the requirements and limitations set by the owner’s professional engineer.” My response: a. Part 9 applies to code on the construction of foundations. Morgan’s statement would imply that at no time are temporary supports sufficient structural support for a building. But if a building is under a construction permit for a new foundation, obviously the code requiring a permanent foundation in Part 9 cannot be complied with at all times, as it is not logically possible for a building to have a permanent foundation while one is being built. b. The lack of a permanent foundation alone is thus not indication of a building being structurally unsound, to the extent that demolition is necessary. c. A temporary structure can and will provide adequate support to ensure safe occupancy during construction. And it has done, in my case, for over two years without raising legitimate concerns that would support eviction and demolition. d. With regard to “my” engineer, please note again that Mr. Morgan is basing this statement on two letters from my engineer that were written prior to work done in each case, one from March 2010, before I installed lateral bracing at his recommendation, which was approved; the second written Oct. 20, before I installed additional temporary supports, which were documented. e. And again, I must point out that neither Mr. Morgan nor anyone else ever ordered me to meet the requirements and limitations set by any engineer that he refers to here. I did so voluntarily. f. I have shown that I am prepared to reinforce the supports as required upon request.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 15
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
16
g. I want to complete a permanent foundation. I have already spent $35,000 towards this goal, have footings in place, and therefore have every incentive and every right to finish it. 24. Mr. Morgan’s final comment dated May 4 is: “Structure as-is is not designed to provide habitation on an ongoing basis and is likely destined for structural failure.” a. What is meant by “structure”? If Mr. Morgan means the temporary supports, I assure the Council that there are in fact more supports than necessary; the steel will not rust to the point of failure for along time; the cribbing is not going to disintegrate. The building continues to be supported contrary to the men’s fears. It has withstood several hurricanes prior to the addition of supports last fall. b. However, if Mr. Morgan wishes, I will gladly add more. c. If “structure” refers to the building, the fact is that that this is a house. It was designed for living on an ongoing basis. It has served as a dwelling since the 19th century. d. “Likely destined for structural failure” might seem a strong statement at first, but it again is not substantiated by statements preceding it to identify specific structural issues. e. Nor is this a reason for demolishing a building owned by someone who is prepared to renovate it. 25. Finally: on further analysis of his statement, it emerges that the Building Inspector, Michael Morgan, is not recommending demolition. a. In his May 4 report he states, “The structure is not designed to provide habitation on an on-going basis and is destined for structural failure.” <----------- Is destined -- not imminent b. To protect the life safety of persons entering on this property, I recommend that the building is vacated and secured from any occupancy. <----------- completed c. To protect the life safety of persons entering on this property, I recommend that the property is secured with a construction fence that complies with National Building Code. <----------- completed d. Failure to install a foundation and all related columns and beams required to support the dwelling will result in a structural failure of this building.” <---- thus, a foundation is an appropriate remedy in his opinion. 26. Mr. Morgan is not saying that my house has passed the tipping point of salvageability. He appears to find that if a foundation is not installed, the structure will fail - eventually. He is not stipulating as to when this might happen. That suggests there is time to install a foundation and all required columns and beams. Therefore, demolition is not recommended or necessary in the opinion of the building inspector. 27. I have contacted Mr. Brockman to notify him of this request to demolish and forwarded him the Report. He replied that he was not aware of the request, and that “The best step would be proposal of a well defined plan to complete the construction.” (Appendix E) 28. The foundation is weeks away from completion. I am providing a plan to complete the foundation. I wish to assure the Committee that my professional background is such that I am cognizant of, and in favor of, all permitting and code requirements, and I take care to comply with them and all requirements and requests made by the building authorities. I have complied with all requests to date, in timely manner and as completely as possible.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 16
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
17
29. I regret that the hearing date was within just one week of the Notice to Appear. This did not permit adequate time to organize and provide documentation in full on all points raised, yet this is necessary given the decision at hand. 30. Though the HRM staff have a good deal of this material on file, they have not presented it. I will do my best to locate it and reproduce it in time for the hearing. 31. I note with great alarm that there is no report or statement prepared by the Heritage authorities. I understand they will attend the hearing. 32. In that regard, I note that p. 4 of the Demolition Report does not make an overall statement on why this particular Heritage property can be sacrificed. 33. The Demolition Report goes on to offer statutes indicating that the requirements and procedures stated by Heritage law with regard to demolition requests may be superseded if – and apparently only if - there are violations of the building code or regulations. a. Again I note that the building inspector’s Reports do not cite specific building code violations that were issued to me, nor has he issued any to date. b. If code violations are now present, they are not known to me. c. At this date, references to earlier reports by the engineer cannot be said to constitute violations absent an updated report; nor do present allegations of non-compliance with earlier Orders constitute building code violations. d. Violations must be addressed in a timely manner with time allowed to remedy them, prior to requesting demolition, as legislation and procedure require. e. Thus, as I do not find specific code violations in the Reports, it is reasonable to assume that demolition requests must comply with the Heritage Act and the Heritage department should be consulted on the proper procedure to follow. f. The consideration given in the Reports to the building, independently of the temporary supports was incomplete and not up to date with regard to services and work required and planned. I attempted to correct this in the above statements. g. Again, the HRM officials have also not issued specific Orders to Remedy that relate to the concerns raised in these reports. 34. Notwithstanding the above, it seems quite clear that any and all reasonable concerns raised can be eliminated by the completion of a foundation. 35. In Sydney Precision Machining Ltd. v. Cape Breton (Regional Municipality), the Court noted that a municipality has an “Obligation of Strict Compliance with Statutory Requirements”: “It is settled law that legislation like the dangerous or unsightly premises provisions of the Municipal Government Act should be strictly interpreted. The legislation confers drastic powers to affect individuals’ property. Courts have repeatedly held that there must be strict and formal compliance with statutory requirements. As stated in Rogers, The Law of Canadian Municipal Corporations (2d ed.), Vol. 1 at 488.6, “Where a local authority is vested with power to order the destruction of property which may be a nuisance..., the power must be exercised strictly in compliance with the statute.” [30]
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 17
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
18
Accordingly, In Riopelle v. City of Montreal (1911), 44 S.C.R. 579, “the Court held that the municipality acted unlawfully in demolishing a building without first giving the owner clear notice of the specific defects that he was required to remedy.” [31] In my case, drastic action was taken on two occasions, i.e., in advance of the Order to Vacate, as well as the Notice to Appear, without issuing notice of specific defects to remedy. Reports that have been copied to me after the commencement of this application fail to comply with the legislation. “Unless they establish that they have strictly complied with statutory prerequisites, municipalities are not entitled to use powers such as those conferred by Part XV of the Municipal Government Act. For example, both in Saint John (City of) v. Burke and Carpenter reflex, (1986), 68 N.B.R. (2d) 348 at 354-356 (Q.B.), and in Mount Pearl (City) v. East Coast Fleet Repair Ltd. reflex, (1990), 86 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 57 at 60-63 (Nfld. T.D.), municipalities that had failed to give notice with the specification required by statute were held to be precluded from proceeding.” [32] 36. In the period leading up to the demolition request, I was never given an Order to Remedy under Section 356 of the Charter that could have either been complied with or appealed. Prior to this period, I complied fully with an Order to Remedy in the spring of 2010, mention of which is omitted in the Report. 37. After a series of unavoidable delays beyond my control, I have demonstrated my commitment to complete this project. I feel my cooperation and voluntary response to the engineer’s recommendations should be given greater weight than allegations of violations of an Order to Vacate. 38. The temporary supports should not be confused with the house itself; the same is true of all issues not directly related to it. 39. I lived in Berlin during the ten years following the fall of the Wall, when scores of buildings – many “loaded” with unpleasant collective memory - were considered for demolition. I participated in the debates on a daily basis and wrote about some of them. I have always felt that it is important to base any decision regarding demolition on a complete and objective assessment of the building and the feasibility of restoration/repair and further use, in order to avoid the appearance of an arbitrary and punitive measure – against those who previously used it. Here, I feel that a decision to demolish risks the appearance of a punitive measure against a single individual who has ongoing differences with the municipality on a separate matter. 40. Therefore, if it is determined that restoration and repair are indeed feasible, I sincerely appeal to the Committee to conclude that the best course of action to address the concerns raised is not demolition, but to allow me to complete the work already begun on the permanent foundation. 41. As I am happy to report that I seem to have finally found the right contractor for this project in the person of Mr. Wayne Johnson, I respectfully ask that the Committee grant him and his associates
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 18
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
19
a period of maximum four months to move forward with the work needed in compliance with applicable statutes. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Francesca Rogier
Attachments: Appendix A, Scope of Work / Schedule 2011 Appendix B, Photos of house and surroundings (at hearing) Appendix C, Work completed to date Appendix D, Sample drawings (hearing) Appendix E, Correspondence with M. Morgan Appendix F, Correspondence with S. Brockman
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 19
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK ROAD Francesca Rogier, May 11,
2011
OVERVIEW I have reviewed the materials provided by HRM staff supporting a request for demolition of my home at the above address. With sincere apologies for the late timing, I wish to submit the following for consideration: I . The Reports submitted are intended to provide reasonable basis for a Committee decision regarding an order for immediate demolition. However, close review of the issues they raise suggests strongly that they stem in large part from the fact that the foundation hasn’t been completed. I intend to complete the basement in a timely manner, and thus eliminate these concerns. 1. Set down on a permanent foundation, the electrical, plumbing, and septic systems of the house would no longer be exposed; all standing water would be removed; and the area around the foundation would be drained and backfilled. The chimney would be stabilized, and the house would be permanently supported. The property would could easily be deemed safe for occupancy. This is my goal. 2. I am committed to making this house a home. It is an attractive Cape Cod, and it has a very good layout, a great view, and a great location. It has historic value to the community. I love living in it and intend to make it something to be admired. I have the skills needed to do it. I designed the foundation to be efficient and sturdy, with a useful basement and garage. I spent many hours of my time on this project and am prepared to spend many more. 3. All I am asking for is a fair chance to make it happen. My construction permit is valid until June 2012. If the Committee would grant me four months time to set the house down on a new foundation, the Halifax Regional Municipality can avoid having to demolish this Heritage property. For Heritage information, please see: http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/placelieu.aspx?id=8046 and https://eapps.ednet.ns.ca/HPIPublic/PropertyDisplay.aspx?Fid=23MNS5016 DELAY While it is always advisable and reasonable for work to proceed at a planned and purposeful pace, I never expected it to take this long to complete the foundation. It was delayed by unforeseen events. The house may show some added wear, but it remains intact: it is still a viable candidate for renovation. The plumbing, electrical, and sanitary systems are all functioning. 1. Regarding the initial reason for delay, the foundation work began in the summer of 2008 under a signed contract that included specifications, construction drawings, and an agreed finish date. The, abandoned the project after failing to meet the initial deadlines, and went out of business altogether. I could not find a replacement right away. Up until Easter, the weather did not provide ideal conditions for pouring and curing concrete. (I am not of the opinion that it is a good idea to use additives in the mix, and prefer warmer temperatures.) COMMITMENT TO PROCEED WITH WORK 2. I have invested approximately $35,000 to date toward the foundation alone, over and above the purchase price of this house and other upgrades and repairs. Custom wood windows and doors have been fabricated to match the existing ones lie in storage and await installation, thanks to help from the Heritage grant I received.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
3 I am prepared at this time to move forward on the foundation with a local concrete contractor, Wayne Johnson, and a second contractor, Kirk Slade, has agreed to install the new windows, siding, and roof. I have others ready as needed. REQUEST I am seeking a reasonable amount of time to complete the major work of setting the house down and address concerns raised in the Reports.. If the Committee is amenable to four months, I would be very grateful. CONTENT OF REPORTS II. Having stated my goals and made a request for more time, I wish to address the contents of the Reports. I am greatly concerned because they appear to lack precision. They do not prioritize which of the issues raised constitute reasonable grounds for demolition, apart from issues that can, or could have been, confirmed and/or resolved prior to this date by municipal staff and the owner, or, for that matter, by completion of the foundation. I am very concerned that the Report creates a confusing and false impression of both the house and myself as its owner, occupant, and architect. It implies that I have been unresponsive and irresponsible without showing exactly how or why. It also lacks empirical information that could easily be obtained to allay speculative concerns that it raises, (many for the first time since the eviction, others since May 4). , I am more than committed to finishing construction properly and in a timely manner. I would ask the Committee to carefully review the Reports submitted by Ms. Phillips and Mr. Morgan accordingly. I am concerned that they do not bring forward information on file a reasonable person would find necessary to make an informed decision regarding demolition of my house. I have made a detailed response to the Reports to the best of my ability within the time allowed. I will attempt to follow-up with documentation here and in following submissions. I requested more time but was told it was not possible due to safety concerns- concerns which were never specifically articulated to me or ordered to be remedied, and, in my opinion, do not exist, but if they do, can be remedied by a completed foundation. III. Taking first Ms Phillip’s statement titled “DEMOLITION REPORT”, I note that the Property History in particular appears incomplete and because of this, casts the matter in an unfavorable light with regard to my actions as owner. 1. Of greatest concern in this regard is the statement ending: “…and the required work to make this building safe has not taken place since the Order to Vacate was issued on November 19, 2010.” The work referred to as “required” is not specified as to whether it was “required” before or after Nov. 19, or by whom. If the work recommended by my engineer as precautionary measures in October is meant, the fact is that this work was not made a requirement by either a municipal or a provincial official at any time. The Oct. 8 Order neglected to require any actual work other than the construction fence (which I erected; see below.) 2. No order to remedy specific conditions on the building or supports was issued at any time before or after the Order to Vacate or prior to the Notice to Appear.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 2
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
3. I believe there is genuine cause for concern that the Municipality may have therefore failed to meet its statutory obligations and is now acting unfairly and without legal authority by moving to order demolition without properly establishing grounds for such a decision. The owner should be told what needs to be done, given adequate time to carry out the work, and/or respond with an appeal. This is for the common good, as otherwise, demolitions would occur with alarming frequency and cause environmental problems 4. Statutes are typically organized in a way that implies a sequence of procedures to be followed. Sections 354 to 363 of the HRM Municipal Charter are titled “Part XV: Dangerous or Unsightly Premises”. After the requirement to maintain property and the authority to delegate are established, Section 356 clearly sets out the steps to be followed when a condition is in need of remedying: Order to remedy condition 356 (1) Where a property is dangerous or unsightly, the Council may order the owner to remedy the condition by removal, demolition or repair, specifying in the order what is required to be done. (2) An owner may appeal an order of the Administrator to the Council or to the committee to which the Council has delegated its authority within seven days after the order is made. (3) Where it is proposed to order demolition, before the order is made not less than seven days notice must be given to the owner specifying the date, time and place of the meeting at which the order will be considered and that the owner will be given the opportunity to appear and be heard before any order is made. (4) The notice may be served by being posted in a conspicuous place upon the property or may be served upon the owner. 2008, c. 39, s. 356. 5. The sequence indicates that the proper process is for the municipality to issue an Order to Remedy that specifies exactly what is to be done to comply with the Order – rather than, for instance, an engineer’s report to be paid for by the owner (whereas a request of this kind may be made by the Building Inspector, under the Building Code). 6. While I was never issued an order under section 356 prior to the Notice to Appear, I was evicted under Sections 359(1) and 360, yet applying those sections implies that the municipality had already evoked the preceding section. 7. With regard to the use of building inspector Michael Morgan’s reports as grounds for demolition, I refer to the decision in Sydney Precision Machining Ltd. v. Cape Breton (Regional Municipality), 2003: [24] The definition of “dangerous and unsightly” in section 3 of the Municipal Government Act does not say that a building is dangerous or unsightly if it fails to meet the standards of the National Building Code. The Municipal Government Act makes no reference whatsoever to the National Building Code. The National Building Code is a complex set of prescriptions adopted in Nova Scotia by regulations under the Building Code Act. 8. This Notice to Appear is pursuant to the Municipal Government Act /and the Charter. It has not been issued by the building inspector, who acts under provincial authority. In all instances where Mr. Morgan raises concerns about the building code – albeit without citing a violation – his
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 3
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
power to enforce the code derives from the province, not the municipality. Therefore the municipality cannot transfer his authority to its own. 9. By reviewing the Orders from Oct. 8, Nov. 18, April 29, and May 4, the Council Committee members may easily confirm for themselves the lack of any notice of specific building code violations and that they contain no orders to remedy any violations or suspected violations with regard to the building (as opposed to the property).
10. For instance, none of these orders requires specific work on the house or supports in order to remove “unsafe” conditions on the structure. I was ordered to erect a construction fence, which I did by the Oct. 15, and Mr. Morgan inspected and passed on that day. At no time did Mr. Morgan inform me of specific ways that I failed to meet the Oct. 8 order. 11. Had I received specific Orders to secure the building itself in a specific way, I would have complied, as I have always complied in the past, and as it would have been in my interest to do so. 12. It is not clear to me why the Oct. 8 Order in particular did not require me to act on the recommendations of the engineer, as it would have been a logical step. There is no point in requiring me to obtain an engineer’s recommendations on securing the structure unless I am also required to follow them. The standard procedure is to require compliance with the engineer’s recommendations. 13. It is not clear whether “the required work” phrase above refers to the new construction, or to issues arising from the Oct. 8 Order. In any case, neither formed the basis of an Order requiring me to repair or remedy anything on the building or supports. 14. Elsewhere, the Demolition Report neglects to refer to or specify what work was required and thus presumably not completed. The pages preceding the above phrase make no reference to anything in this regard. Nor can I find specifics in the reports that follow, to the extent that demolition would seem necessary and advisable, against all other evidence and circumstances. 15. In Mr. Morgan’s reports, the only direct building code reference I find applies to the standards applicable to the completion of a permanent foundation (entered Nov. 17, email Nov. 25 eviction effectively obstructed for the remainder of 2011.) This is not a violation citation. And, rather than grounds for demolition, this should be considered a compelling argument for allowing me sufficient time to complete the foundation. a. With reference to the foundation, It was my goal to proceed last fall, and get the house down by Christmas. By August I had taken steps toward resuming foundation work by hiring an excavator to prep the area and updating drawings. My time and energy were abruptly diverted by the Oct. 8 order, and the eviction without notice prevented me altogether from resuming work, as I was confronted with nowhere to live. The locks on my house separated me from my home office, the use of my five-foot long drawing board, and needed tools and equipment I need, plus my fax, copier, scanner, internet service, and phone. The cost of moving these possessions and paying rent on a new residence was prohibitive.
p. 4
b.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
16. I note that on p. 2 of Ms. Phillips’s letter, she states: “the essential work identified by the Engineer’s Report was not complete” suggesting this is a legitimate basis to claim the building is structurally unsound. 17. This misrepresents the Order and the situation entirely. First, the Order did not require me to complete any work recommended to by the engineer, and that it was recommended on a precautionary basis (not required). Secondly, contrary to the implication that I failed to comply with requirements, though not required to, I voluntarily acted on his recommendations for essential work on the temporary supports and provided documentation of it immediately. 18. Furthermore, a review of the documents shows that the engineer was never required to make a determination as to whether the work I did to follow his recommendations was “complete”. Therefore, Ms. Phillips’ statement is inaccurate and should not be taken as meaningful grounds for demolition. 19. The engineer Steve Brockman did not find the house to be structurally unsound, nor did he state in clear terms that the temporary supports were unsound as a whole. He did recommend that permanent construction start as soon as possible – and I was lining up a contractor to do this very thing (Scott Shearer) when the eviction was carried out. 20. Thus the Demolition Report fails to make it known that the Oct. 8 Order contains no requirement to do any work identified by the engineer, essential or otherwise, yet implies that this lack or failure exists and compliance was lacking. 21. Having omitted this reasonable and expected step to address unsafe conditions, the Oct. 8 called for me to vacate the premises by the 31st based on the existence of the presumed unsafe conditions – begging the question of why the engineer’s report was required in the first place. Mr. Morgan has never cited any Canadian, provincial, or municipal statute prohibiting a person from living in a house during this or any kind of work. 22. Therefore I carried out the recommended work voluntarily by Oct. 29, at an expense of close to $5,000. In doing so, I acted in good faith, believing that in the work would remove all doubt about the building’s safety in the inspector’s mind, and I would be able to continue living in my home safely, then move on to do the permanent foundation work. I was in the process of doing this when I was evicted on Nov. 19. 23. Again with regard to the damning statements in the Demolition Report, it neglects to mention further that on completion of work recommended by “my” engineer, I took the initiative to ask him to inspect it, which was not required by the Oct. 8 Order. As he was not able to visit the house before the Oct. 31 deadline, I provided full documentation via digital photos. He agreed to review them. Had further work been necessary to secure the building at that time, it was his duty to inform me (see correspondence attached Appendix A). He did not do so. His last communication referred only to moving ahead with the permanent foundation to please HRM 24. Mr. Morgan and Ms. Phillips are both well aware of these developments. Our correspondence is not mentioned in the report in full and I wonder if the Committee has access to it.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 5
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
25. After I complied with and exceeded the Order issued Oct. 8, Mr. Morgan continued to insist the “house was unsafe” but declined to state specifically how and why. When I evicted without notice, I specifically requested information from him and the by-law officials to tell me what they were finding unsafe, and offered to immediately address it. I made these requests by phone, in person, and in written form. (email) I directed them to Mr. Jeff Rogers, Mr. Scott Hill, Mr. Morgan, and others in the various HRM departments. I also consulted a second engineer to inspect the temporary supports. He did not advise any corrections or replacements, or deem the house itself to be unsound. In fact, he and I stood and talked at length beneath the house, and took measurements. 26. In response to my persistent questions of “What is unsafe?” and “How can I fix it?”, Mr. Rogers and Mr. Hill said I must ask Mr. Morgan. He in turn repeatedly declined to answer what was unsafe, by not responding to calls. a. In a Nov. 25 email, he cited the building code as a whole that would apply to the permanent new construction. He did not specify how existing conditions may have failed to meet the code, and then order them to be repaired. b. Though he had not apparently found specific conditions in violation and required them to be addressed, he nevertheless insisted that the house could not be occupied and that it had to be completely finished and inspected before it could be reoccupied, though he did not cite any statute that supported this, in the event all other conditions are otherwise satisfactory. 27. The Order to Remedy Dangerous Conditions issued April 29 by HRM by-law officials under Municipal statute required that I secure against public access to the property, not the building itself, nor that I carry out work on the latter. a. It has already been secured by a fence erected and locked by HRM. This fence replaced one that I had erected in compliance with the Oct. 8 order, which was passed by Mr. Morgan. I was not told why. b. This April 29 Order appears to have justified the boarding up of the windows on my house. However, no mention is made of the fact that the windows cannot be accessed without great effort and a very long ladder to reach them from the ground, sitting about 14 feet up. c. The subject of public access to the site is not directly related to the question of demolition, unless an owner refuses to carry out work to make a building safe. I have never refused. d. This April 29 Order has been presented as a “final step” leading up to the request for a Demolition Order. e. However, given its content, it is quite clearly not a part of a statutory sequence of undertakings intended to bring about compliance in a reasonable way.
28. It must be pointed out that the concluding statements in both Ms. Phillips’ and Mr. Morgan’s Reports fail to clearly distinguish my house from the temporary supports. Yet the request under consideration involves permanently demolishing the house along with the temporary supports, overriding the Heritage statutes necessary to process demolition requests. a. At no time has any engineer or other qualified expert or building official deemed the building – i.e., my house, a Heritage property – structurally unsound.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 6
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
b. As well, the requests calls for the new footings to be backfilled. Yet the footings have not been deemed structurally unsound. In fact, they passed inspection by Mr. Kevin Scudder. c. I have never encountered a case where temporary supports are given as a reason to permanently demolish a building. The appropriate thing to do would be to require – by order – specific work be done on the temporary supports, or, as I ask, to allow time to complete the permanent foundation. REPORTS BY BUILDING INSPECTOR: entries dated Oct. 7, Nov. 17, and March 4 As mentioned, I requested information as to what was deemed unsafe from Nov. 1 on. I pointed out that I dwelled in my house from the summer of 2008 to Nov. 19, 2011 unimpeded by building authorities. But at no time did any building official flatly state, as Mr. Morgan has done on occasion, that I cannot live in my house while it is being worked on, simply because it is being worked on. 1. These Reports and the specific statements in them were withheld from me until May 6, 2011. I now discover them to contain few if any genuine statements about safety concerns. A number of statements are either inconsistent with facts, misrepresentations, or exaggerations of fact, and thus can lead to false conclusions based on no evidence at all. There are a number of questions raised that could have been answered by direct communication with me, an inspection of the interior, or an empirical test, not to mention consulting a qualified professional. 2. Mr. Morgan’s report entries seem to say that the house cannot be lived in due to structural issues. But he has not based this directly on comments from my engineer - nor could he, as the engineer was not asked the question. Mr. Brockman has not addressed the structural concerns since before I installed extra supports in October 2010. Notwithstanding his remarks about installing a permanent foundation in 4-6 weeks (which were never updated following the added supports), Brockman’s reports cannot credibly be used to support any of Mr. Morgan’s claims regarding structural safety, in particular, the soundness of the cribbing and cables as grounds for demolition. Mr. Morgan does not cite a report made by any other engineer since Oct. 29 or specify himself at any time what is to be remedied. I would ask that the Committee keep in mind that, though empowered by statute, Morgan is not himself qualified to make such determinations. 3. Beyond statutory requirements of specificity, it would be improper to “attempt to combine a requirement to repair with a requirement to demolish,” as in (Sydney Precision Machining Ltd. v. Cape Breton (Regional Municipality) [2]. Thus, an owner cannot be given a conditional order to repair “or else” a building will be demolished. The owner has the right to appeal an order to remedy.
TIMELINE: 1. After Mr. Morgan appeared on Nov. 1, reviewed the temporary supports, and declined to evict me, I received no communication from him or HRM regarding my property. However, it appears the eviction on Nov. 19 was based on an inspection he did on the 17th without my knowledge. I find this confusing as well, as he was entitled to enforce an eviction under his provincial authority as of the Oct. 8 order, if he found cause in structural safety lacking. But he did not.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 7
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
2. The eviction was executed by the municipal by-law officials, who did not issue any prior order to remedy unsafe conditions. They thus circumvented the Charter section 356 available to them to issue an Order to Remedy, and moved immediately to sections 359 and 360, which are provisions to issue an “order to vacate unsafe property”, and to take “immediate action”. 3. Starting immediately after Nov. 19, I requested to appeal the eviction on several occasions. My requests were denied, though the legislation provides for appeals. My property suffered damage as a result of being unheated and unattended. I found it necessary to return on a few occasions to secure the property, make repairs, and, rescue my cat Amelia, who the officials apparently locked inside the house more than once. This did compromise the eviction order or public safety. 4. While details are scant on how the building might be structurally unsound, the Demolition Report goes on at length about alleged violations of the Order, in search of grounds for demolition. Officials have not charged me or anyone else with a violation of the eviction order, so legally speaking, these must remain at the level of allegations. Nevertheless, the Demolition Report construes these alleged “breaches” as grounds for demolition. Parallel to this, the same officials blocked my attempts to appeal the eviction so that no violations would be incurred. 5. The May 4 Report entries were written the same day as the Notice to Appear on May 12. They seem to repeat many comments from earlier reports verbatim without indicating them as such. The May 4 report also carries forward errors and misrepresentations, leaving key questions unanswered that could have been easily addressed to and answered by me or others. GROUNDS FOR ORDERING REPAIR/COMPLETION VS. GROUNDS FOR DEMOLITION 1. Again, I note that these Orders and Notice are in lieu of an Order to Remedy specific repair or remedial work, giving adequate time to carry it out, and a period for filing an appeal. 2. At no time was I given an order to complete the new foundation by a given deadline. I am not sure this is possible under the statute. My discussions with the HRM lawyer Andrea Jones-Rieksts indicated that the municipality would find it reasonable to wait for warmer weather. 3. As grounds for demolition, then, the Report offers mainly “breaches”, blanket statements that the house is structurally unsound, and some speculative comments. It does not offer empirical grounds (a recent structural report, photos, or environmental tests, etc.). Therefore, citing “breaches” as grounds for demolition seems frivolous at best. 4. I feel it is in the public interest to distinguish issues about safety and habitability from bona fide grounds to demolish a building. The former can be resolved by allowing an owner to complete a project as planned, without incurring the loss of a valued Heritage property.
SPECIFICS: Regrettably Morgan’s reports are not indexed, nor are the pages numbered. This makes it difficult for me to reference specific passages and entry dates. I do not have time to set up a system for this. I can only list the following, in somewhat random order.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 8
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
1. The engineering report by Steve Brockman referred to from March 2010 was written before cable tie-downs were installed. HRM by-law officer Scott Hill passed the cables after they were installed in June 2010. If Mr. Morgan deemed them inadequate on Nov. 17, as well as the pier or column below the kitchen, and was certain they were in immediate danger of collapse, it was his duty to inform me specifically, and allow me time to remedy the situation, before evicting me, let alone calling for demolition. 2. As it happens, five months later, the cables and the column remain, along with the rest of the supports and the house above. I note that Morgan’s May 4 report does not revisit the issue. 3. Brockman’s second report from Oct. 2010 was written before I acted upon the recommendations in it. It is a preliminary report, and it required a few corrections and clarifications, which followed in the course of subsequent correspondence between Mr. Brockman and myself (Appendix A). 4. Morgan was mistaken in stating that the water pump is powered by an extension cord. It has a easily recognizable direct line to a metal switchbox above it, protected inside a rated enclosure (metal). This is directly connected to the circuit panel (photo). The extension cord mentioned leads to a lamp. a. I was advised by Scott Hill on May 11 that the extension cord is not a building code violation. b. The lamp is not needed during the non-heating months 5. With regard to pipes and plumbing, contrary to statements in the Report, a. The plumbing system is working. b. The cold and hot water supply pipes underneath the house are wrapped and lined with heat tape to protect them against freezing. The heat tape lines are quite easily seen (photos). c. The pump is protected from the elements together with the water tank. d. The supply line to the well is exposed but the majority of the length consists of a pipe within a pipe, as is the norm. Where it is not a double pipe, it is insulated along its length. Any gaps in insulation can be repaired. 6. With regard to ground water and drainage: a. The excavation reached the water table, which is the reason for pools forming. b. The report neglects to cite any kind of empirical test results to substantiate concerns raised. c. Absent any findings of objectionable substances or smells, the growth of algae in the water draining from the water table appears fairly harmless. (photo) d. A perimeter drain around the footings, a floor drain, and a sump pump are items that have always been listed in the scope of work, specs, and construction plans. e. The driveway will be sloped to the southwest corner of the property, in line with the existing site contours, thus following the natural drainage patterns. 7. With regard to the septic system:
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 9
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
10
a. The system itself is safeguarded. The tank sits securely a good distance away and above the water draining from the footings (photo). There is no standing water around it. The footings separate it from the ground water rising from the enclosed area. b. It appears to have been dry on all inspection dates including May 4, as no mention is made to the contrary. (see photos) c. Guy Pettipas emptied the whole tank in June 2008, so there is no danger of it overflowing. d. The Report suggests the septic tank and pipes from it are in danger. However, they are never really in danger of freezing, as warm gases from the effluent provide adequate protection. e. Bryan Perrier, an experienced excavating contractor, did work on the excavations last summer. He insured against any potential leakage by shoring up the tank and the area around it. HRM is aware this was done as I informed them in October. Mr. Perrier spoke with Mr. Morgan in person on Nov. 1. Mr. Morgan omitted this information from his report. f. Mr. Perrier also assisted in the installation of the extra structural supports, and assured Mr. Morgan he had no concerns about working under the house before or after that work was done. 8. Also in terms of proximity to public uses, the plan provided in the report is very misleading. It appears to show three objects labeled “Nathan Smith Recreation Center” behind and south of my home. The aerial photograph and the site plan will confirm that: a. There are no structures or indoor public facilities at these locations, or anywhere near them. b. The clubhouse for the baseball field is the only indoor facility in the area, and it stands at a significant distance from my home. c. The basketball court has no indoor facility, and it is separated from my land by a drainage culvert that passes under East Chezzetcook Road and is sloped toward the overgrown pond on the Nathan Smith park property. 9. The degree to which the plans and the report misrepresent distances and proximities is alarming. A glance at an accurate plan or an aerial photograph will allay any fears of threats to public safety. a. The distance from my house to the inlet: thousands of feet, possibly two football fields. From my house to the clubhouse in Nathan Smith Park – easily a football field. b. From my house to the road easement: about 43 feet. The corner of the house closest to the road (northeast corner) is 62 feet from the centerline of the roadway. c. The southwest area referred to in the report is located significantly further from the street, between 80 and 100 feet total down the slope. 10. I note, however, that the report neglects to firmly identify bona fide threats to public safety with regard to drainage, sewage, and the like. 11. With regard to the debris at the rear of the property: a. Please note that the issue of debris is not pertinent to the request to order demolition.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 10
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
11
b. Note also that if the adjacent area belongs to HRM – something I cannot determine accurately under the circumstances - the public has no reason to access HRM property adjacent to this area. It is not an area one can easily walk through. (see survey map) c. The material is there because it was my intention to re-use construction material from the original house as much as possible. d. The dismantled ductwork is made of galvanized metal, as all ductwork is required to be rustproof/moisture proof to avoid mold. Had a photo been provided, it would show that there is no rust on these components. I intended to recycle the ductwork as far as possible in the new heat pump system, to cut down on waste and economize on cost. e. There are no toxic materials there. The report does not identify toxic materials or emissions in this area. f. The report does not appear raise issues of unsightliness in regard to the debris and I have never been ordered to remedy it. g. It seems reasonable to dispose of this material in a timely manner once construction is complete, unless ordered to do so earlier. 12. With regard to what the construction permit covers: a. Again, this does not really belong in this report as it is not related to the question of the house being structurally unsound as grounds for demolition is necessary. There are different procedures in place to address this issue. b. Secondly, the report is not accurate on the permits, or my plans to repair the roof. Regrettably, this is an example of where Morgan has omitted key information from the file. This is very troubling, as Ms. Phillips’ relies on his reports for her Demolition Report. c. I duly obtained a separate permit for the exterior work referred to in the report (roof, siding), prior to applying for a matching Heritage grant in 2009. That permit would have run out this past March. d. I was required to obtain the roof and siding permit along with two bids for the work when submitting the Heritage application. My awareness of the work needed and my intent to undertake are thus well-documented. e. When I renewed the permit and paid the fee for the foundation in spring 2010, Mr. Scudder and the building permit department said it would apply to all the work planned, rather than issue two new permits. Again, HRM staff is in possession of this information. It should have been mentioned in the report and made available to the Committee, along with correspondence and the engineer’s report. 13. With regard to the siding and roof: a. The old wood siding has been exposed to the elements much longer than planned. When the vinyl was removed, I anticipated completion of the entire project within four months, maximum. b. In terms of potential moisture, rot, or mold, it is more advantageous to remove the vinyl siding to provide more ventilation to the layers enclosing the house. The vinyl siding trapped moisture for years, which damaged the wood beneath. c. During its removal, we found rotted posts below the kitchen window. The contractor cut the rotted segments, replaced them with a 2x6 grid, and covered the area with the
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 11
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
12
d. e.
f. g.
h.
building membrane. All around HRM, I have seen houses sitting for years entirely covered in this membrane. The wall will be clad with cedar shingles acc. to code when the foundation is completed and backfilled, as stated in the scope of work and the Heritage application. The growth of mold on the roof shingles has been slow and is kept in check by heating the house –compare to the neighboring abandoned house. Because the officials who evicted me shut off the heat, this may have led to increased mold. However, there are no leaks in the upstairs rooms Sagging is not necessarily an indication of imminent failure. Many, many houses in the area have sagging roofs. The report lacked a structural report showing whether the roof is in immediate danger, and I have not been asked to commission such a report. The roof is part of the planned renovations and will be replaced to meet code, as indicated in the Heritage application. I look forward to having it completed by Kirk Slade.
14. With regard to temporary supports: a. These offer the greatest flexibility in terms of options to remedy unsafe conditions. b. The chimney is held by a separate steel section. Apparently this has raised no concerns. c. The supports can and will be relocated during construction to free up the footings for pouring the walls. d. The Report does not mention that there is a pair of steel jackposts on the footings adjacent to the new (as of October) northeast cribbing pier. To my recollection, they were not recommended by the engineer and are there purely a precaution. They can take the load distributed to them as needed. e. It appears steel beams were never an issue, as the report confirms by not questioning their placement or number. There are two 1 foot deep long beams and five cross-beams. Rust is not likely to cause failure in the foreseeable future. f. Similarly, the steel jackpost adjacent to the newly installed northeast pier was installed as a precaution. I have a fourth jackpost that can be paired with it if requested. g. While Mr. Morgan claims the jackposts are installed improperly, I can only say that they were installed as directed by the packaging. I do not know any other way to do it. No contractor has commented to this effect. h. Mr. Morgan certainly had a legal responsibility to inform me if they were creating an unsafe condition, I hope that he will now advise me accordingly so that I can correct the situation immediately that he perceives. 15. It should be kept in mind when reviewing all comments on the temporary supports by Mr. Morgan, that at no time before or after Oct. 8 did he actually order me to supplement, move, or replace them. His Oct. 8 Order omits any “order to remedy” an unsafe condition on the house or its support system, in specific or general terms. For instance, he could have included a order to follow the engineer’s recommendations by a certain date, and made the order to vacate conditional upon doing so. This is the typical procedure. He never made such a provision or explained why he did not. 16. Similarly, all subsequent Orders lacked specific requirements to remedy specific structural conditions – or any other condition raised, contrary to the impression created by the Reports.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 12
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
13
Despite this glaring omission, the officials moved to evict me without notice as an emergency measure. I feel it important for the common good to point out that this overstepping of procedure raises serious concerns in terms of procedural fairness towards myself as a property owner. Above and beyond this, the omission of an order to remedy specific issues with specific remedies ought to be of concern to this Committee vis a vis the duties and responsibilities of the both the by-law officials and building inspectors to property owners and the public at large, as, had an unsafe condition existed between Oct. 31 and Nov. 19, people might have been harmed 17. I must stress again in this regard that I voluntarily carried out the additional work to the temporary after complying with the Oct. 8 Order by Mr. Morgan to obtain the engineer report of Oct. 20. a. The materials and labor cost me close to $5,000 which would be better spent on the concrete. b. It was completed by Oct. 29. I provided photos to Mr. Brockman at his request. He did not respond with any further recommendations. (see below) 18. Around the same time, I met and negotiated with contractors for completion of the foundations. Scott Shearer, a contractor in the valley area, was interested, and I prepared a scope of work for him. I provided it to Mr. Morgan on or around Oct. 15. Mr. Morgan spoke to the former by phone. Up to and after Christmas, however, Mr. Shearer was still occupied with an ongoing project. He was not able to start work right away, and by then it was too cold for pouring concrete properly for this project. Nevertheless, in response to the promptings of HRM officials, I continued on and interviewed two other contractors in December (StevieCrete and Treviso). Both were interested in doing the job. Again, with the weather dipping below acceptable temperatures (and roads closed to trucks), I could not proceed. Also, any and all communication and work was impeded greatly by the lack of an office at my disposal. I was also no longer on site to be able to supervise work, which is absolutely necessary for this project. I was no longer in the immediate area at all and this was an enormous impediment all around. These were all huge obstacles to the project. 19. To return to the Report’s comments on these temporary supports: a. The older piers adjacent to new were simply left in place because there was no need to remove them at the time. b. The concern raised that some columns and piers are now resting on the footings – which are 24 inches wide in preparation for 10-inch wide foundation walls - is not relevant to the issue of demolition. They can be moved to clear the footings. The contractor will either install adjacent cribbing or pour a few pads for steel columns to transfer the load. c. With regard I must also state – and I am sure I stated this in my communication to Mr. Morgan if not also to Ms. Phillips, Mr. Hill, Mr. Rogers, and probably also the mayor – I was willing and able to add more supports on request. This would include lateral bracing or any other item. i. On Nov. 1, with Mr. Perrier close at hand, I showed Mr. Morgan the extra cribbing and jackposts I had on hand. I offered to add them to the support system. Yet he continued to say the house was unsafe. I made the same offer to Mr. Rogers on Nov 19 when he brought the RCMP to my house and evicted me. Neither of them asked me to install extra cribbing or an extra column. Yet the report raises alarms about the piers and the jackposts. Why did these men not simply issue me an order or instruction to add or
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 13
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
14
d.
e.
f. g.
relocate supports? Clearly, there was no need to go the drastic step of eviction and demolition when an owner has already been compliant to date with every Order, and is prepared and willing to take steps to insure safety going forward. ii. I similarly pointed out the extra support material to Mr. Rogers the morning he evicted me on Nov. 19 and offered to install them wherever he required. He did not respond and evicted me. Further, I must note that over time, a number of contractors have visited the site as it stands – before and after the added/replaced supports – and not one of them has ever shown any reluctance to stand underneath the house. Nor has any HRM building official. To my knowledge, the phrase “practical life expectancy” refers to usage, not structural integrity. If it did, I dare say my entire post and beam house would have collapsed long ago. The new cribbing piers have been in place only six months. If it were true that wood cribbing is in danger of immediate collapse now or at any time in the past, Mr. Morgan had the duty to specifically require that I take step to replace them or add them. At one point he declares the cribbing a public safety hazard.
20. With regard to the existing floor structure: a. I am fully aware that the existing (historic) joists are not spaced properly. Since the very beginning of this project, as my drawings and sketches indicate, I have been planning to reinforce the floor support system with additional 2x8 joists throughout, in between the existing joists, which are large, but spaced too widely, especially in the living room. I also planned a new cross-beam to support the living room. I have a framing plan that indicates this. I would have prepared a graphic version of it for this hearing, but I have nowhere to set up my drawing board because I was evicted. b. However, this work is itemized in the specs I drew up for the original foundation contractor and was part of his Scope of Work. They are now part of the Scope of Work moving forward. c. I mentioned this to various HRM officials along the way. d. I provided Mr. Morgan a “scope of work” on October 15, which included these items. e. As a provincially empowered building inspector, Mr. Morgan may withhold an occupancy permit on these issues, but to my knowledge, they are not grounds for a municipality to order demolition. (This applies to much of the above and below.) f. Nor, as the courts have found, can a municipality combine an requirement to repair with an requirement to demolish. 21. With regard to the chimney, at several junctures the report suggests that it might be a concern going forward. This therefore does not appear to be a significant reason for demolition. Please note: a. I have never indicated that I plan to re-use the chimney as is, nor has anyone ever asked me. b. I removed a Franklin stove from the house right after I moved in, because it did not meet the fire code. Similarly, I removed a pot belly wood stove from the kitchen for the same reason. I note that it shared a flue with the oil furnace (for decades). c. The chimney is part of the appearance of the house and its removal would require approval from the Heritage advisory board.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 14
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
15
d. I have designed a new fireplace for the living room and hope to someday revive the chimney, most likely by installing a properly rated flue insert. The heat pump will be the primary source of heat, but a centrally located fireplace is a good supplemental source. 22. In the Oct. 7 report, heating, water supply, and sanitation are referred to under “Public Safety” and the house is deemed unfit for habitation due to lack of potable water and heat. a. To my knowledge, municipal officials have never conducted an interior inspection prior to requesting demolition. No reports are provided. b. All systems are functioning. I have adequate heat and water, and have had at all times while living in the house. I replaced the old oil-fired water heater with an electric heater in 2006. c. The above statement thus has no value, especially absent any evidence of an inspection, and findings that somehow make a remedy impossible. All services are easily remedied in such a small house. d. I checked the installations below the house and repaired leaks after the winter ended. I repaired the vandalized water heater. I secured the pump. e. The use of an electric oven is not identified as a code violation. Nor is it grounds for demolition. f. Electric heaters are commonly used without violating building codes. g. All other statements on habitability contained these reports are not reliable as they do not provide proof of inspections. They are also not grounds for demolition. 23. Mr. Morgan states in his unnumbered Nov. 17 report: “The building is not structurally sound due to the lack of a foundation in accordance with Part 9 of the National Building Code and due to the requirements and limitations set by the owner’s professional engineer.” My response: a. Part 9 applies to code on the construction of foundations. Morgan’s statement would imply that at no time are temporary supports sufficient structural support for a building. But if a building is under a construction permit for a new foundation, obviously the code requiring a permanent foundation in Part 9 cannot be complied with at all times, as it is not logically possible for a building to have a permanent foundation while one is being built. b. The lack of a permanent foundation alone is thus not indication of a building being structurally unsound, to the extent that demolition is necessary. c. A temporary structure can and will provide adequate support to ensure safe occupancy during construction. And it has done, in my case, for over two years without raising legitimate concerns that would support eviction and demolition. d. With regard to “my” engineer, please note again that Mr. Morgan is basing this statement on two letters from my engineer that were written prior to work done in each case, one from March 2010, before I installed lateral bracing at his recommendation, which was approved; the second written Oct. 20, before I installed additional temporary supports, which were documented. e. And again, I must point out that neither Mr. Morgan nor anyone else ever ordered me to meet the requirements and limitations set by any engineer that he refers to here. I did so voluntarily. f. I have shown that I am prepared to reinforce the supports as required upon request.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 15
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
16
g. I want to complete a permanent foundation. I have already spent $35,000 towards this goal, have footings in place, and therefore have every incentive and every right to finish it. 24. Mr. Morgan’s final comment dated May 4 is: “Structure as-is is not designed to provide habitation on an ongoing basis and is likely destined for structural failure.” a. What is meant by “structure”? If Mr. Morgan means the temporary supports, I assure the Council that there are in fact more supports than necessary; the steel will not rust to the point of failure for along time; the cribbing is not going to disintegrate. The building continues to be supported contrary to the men’s fears. It has withstood several hurricanes prior to the addition of supports last fall. b. However, if Mr. Morgan wishes, I will gladly add more. c. If “structure” refers to the building, the fact is that that this is a house. It was designed for living on an ongoing basis. It has served as a dwelling since the 19th century. d. “Likely destined for structural failure” might seem a strong statement at first, but it again is not substantiated by statements preceding it to identify specific structural issues. e. Nor is this a reason for demolishing a building owned by someone who is prepared to renovate it. 25. Finally: on further analysis of his statement, it emerges that the Building Inspector, Michael Morgan, is not recommending demolition. a. In his May 4 report he states, “The structure is not designed to provide habitation on an on-going basis and is destined for structural failure.” <----------- Is destined -- not imminent b. To protect the life safety of persons entering on this property, I recommend that the building is vacated and secured from any occupancy. <----------- completed c. To protect the life safety of persons entering on this property, I recommend that the property is secured with a construction fence that complies with National Building Code. <----------- completed d. Failure to install a foundation and all related columns and beams required to support the dwelling will result in a structural failure of this building.” <---- thus, a foundation is an appropriate remedy in his opinion. 26. Mr. Morgan is not saying that my house has passed the tipping point of salvageability. He appears to find that if a foundation is not installed, the structure will fail - eventually. He is not stipulating as to when this might happen. That suggests there is time to install a foundation and all required columns and beams. Therefore, demolition is not recommended or necessary in the opinion of the building inspector. 27. I have contacted Mr. Brockman to notify him of this request to demolish and forwarded him the Report. He replied that he was not aware of the request, and that “The best step would be proposal of a well defined plan to complete the construction.” (Appendix E) 28. The foundation is weeks away from completion. I am providing a plan to complete the foundation. I wish to assure the Committee that my professional background is such that I am cognizant of, and in favor of, all permitting and code requirements, and I take care to comply with them and all requirements and requests made by the building authorities. I have complied with all requests to date, in timely manner and as completely as possible.
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 16
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
17
29. I regret that the hearing date was within just one week of the Notice to Appear. This did not permit adequate time to organize and provide documentation in full on all points raised, yet this is necessary given the decision at hand. 30. Though the HRM staff have a good deal of this material on file, they have not presented it. I will do my best to locate it and reproduce it in time for the hearing. 31. I note with great alarm that there is no report or statement prepared by the Heritage authorities. I understand they will attend the hearing. 32. In that regard, I note that p. 4 of the Demolition Report does not make an overall statement on why this particular Heritage property can be sacrificed. 33. The Demolition Report goes on to offer statutes indicating that the requirements and procedures stated by Heritage law with regard to demolition requests may be superseded if – and apparently only if - there are violations of the building code or regulations. a. Again I note that the building inspector’s Reports do not cite specific building code violations that were issued to me, nor has he issued any to date. b. If code violations are now present, they are not known to me. c. At this date, references to earlier reports by the engineer cannot be said to constitute violations absent an updated report; nor do present allegations of non-compliance with earlier Orders constitute building code violations. d. Violations must be addressed in a timely manner with time allowed to remedy them, prior to requesting demolition, as legislation and procedure require. e. Thus, as I do not find specific code violations in the Reports, it is reasonable to assume that demolition requests must comply with the Heritage Act and the Heritage department should be consulted on the proper procedure to follow. f. The consideration given in the Reports to the building, independently of the temporary supports was incomplete and not up to date with regard to services and work required and planned. I attempted to correct this in the above statements. g. Again, the HRM officials have also not issued specific Orders to Remedy that relate to the concerns raised in these reports. 34. Notwithstanding the above, it seems quite clear that any and all reasonable concerns raised can be eliminated by the completion of a foundation. 35. In Sydney Precision Machining Ltd. v. Cape Breton (Regional Municipality), the Court noted that a municipality has an “Obligation of Strict Compliance with Statutory Requirements”: “It is settled law that legislation like the dangerous or unsightly premises provisions of the Municipal Government Act should be strictly interpreted. The legislation confers drastic powers to affect individuals’ property. Courts have repeatedly held that there must be strict and formal compliance with statutory requirements. As stated in Rogers, The Law of Canadian Municipal Corporations (2d ed.), Vol. 1 at 488.6, “Where a local authority is vested with power to order the destruction of property which may be a nuisance..., the power must be exercised strictly in compliance with the statute.” [30]
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11 p. 17
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
18
Accordingly, In Riopelle v. City of Montreal (1911), 44 S.C.R. 579, “the Court held that the municipality acted unlawfully in demolishing a building without first giving the owner clear notice of the specific defects that he was required to remedy.” [31] In my case, drastic action was taken on two occasions, i.e., in advance of the Order to Vacate, as well as the Notice to Appear, without issuing notice of specific defects to remedy. Reports that have been copied to me after the commencement of this application fail to comply with the legislation. “Unless they establish that they have strictly complied with statutory prerequisites, municipalities are not entitled to use powers such as those conferred by Part XV of the Municipal Government Act. For example, both in Saint John (City of) v. Burke and Carpenter reflex, (1986), 68 N.B.R. (2d) 348 at 354-356 (Q.B.), and in Mount Pearl (City) v. East Coast Fleet Repair Ltd. reflex, (1990), 86 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 57 at 60-63 (Nfld. T.D.), municipalities that had failed to give notice with the specification required by statute were held to be precluded from proceeding.” [32] 36. In the period leading up to the demolition request, I was never given an Order to Remedy under Section 356 of the Charter that could have either been complied with or appealed. Prior to this period, I complied fully with an Order to Remedy in the spring of 2010, mention of which is omitted in the Report. 37. After a series of unavoidable delays beyond my control, I have demonstrated my commitment to complete this project. I feel my cooperation and voluntary response to the engineer’s recommendations should be given greater weight than allegations of violations of an Order to Vacate. 38. The temporary supports should not be confused with the house itself; the same is true of all issues not directly related to it. 39. I lived in Berlin during the ten years following the fall of the Wall, when scores of buildings – many “loaded” with unpleasant collective memory - were considered for demolition. I participated in the debates on a daily basis and wrote about some of them. I have always felt that it is important to base any decision regarding demolition on a complete and objective assessment of the building and the feasibility of restoration/repair and further use, in order to avoid the appearance of an arbitrary and punitive measure – against those who previously used it. Here, I feel that a decision to demolish risks the appearance of a punitive measure against a single individual who has ongoing differences with the municipality on a separate matter. 40. Therefore, if it is determined that restoration and repair are indeed feasible, I sincerely appeal to the Committee to conclude that the best course of action to address the concerns raised is not demolition, but to allow me to complete the work already begun on the permanent foundation. 41. As I am happy to report that I seem to have finally found the right contractor for this project in the person of Mr. Wayne Johnson, I respectfully ask that the Committee grant him and his associates
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 18
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
19
a period of maximum four months to move forward with the work needed in compliance with applicable statutes. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Francesca Rogier
Attachments: Appendix A, Scope of Work / Schedule 2011 Appendix B, Photos of house and surroundings (at hearing) Appendix C, Work completed to date Appendix D, Sample drawings (hearing) Appendix E, Correspondence with M. Morgan Appendix F, Correspondence with S. Brockman
RESPONSE TO HRM REPORT ON DEMOLITION OF 782 EAST CHEZZETCOOK RD 5/10/11
p. 19
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
