Toronto City Inspectors "warn" the homeowner about the inspections, he's given prior notice and covers up the missing windows with tarp. But the property is open to the elements and vermin. It stinks like stagnant sewage and rotting garbage. The owner has never allowed inspectors inside the structure. It's a health hazard and the city doesn't do anything about it. All complaints have just been closed because the city let the complaint time run out before anything was ever remedied. No one on the street can believe it's been left to rot. If anyone wants to identify the owner, do it.

I'm pretty sure they have power of entry. Have a look at the City of Toronto Act, § 378:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/Statutes/English/elaws_statutes_06c11_e.htm#BK470

You should consider contacting 311 with specific by-law complaints. Here are some ideas:

Toronto Municipal Code:
§ 629-21 Exterior openings, doors, windows and skylights: Subsection A.
§ 629-24. Vacant buildings and property.
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_629.pdf

§ 632-3 Vacant buildings: Subsections B,C & D.
§ 632-4. Fencing of hazardous property.
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_632.pdf

If you think the smell is being caused by garbage, see:
§ 629-22. Garbage and debris storage and disposal.
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_629.pdf

I'm not familiar with sewer standards, but have a look at § 681 ( http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_681.pdf ) to see if anything might apply.

Either way, you should report that there's a noxious odour emanating from the property.

Keep us posted!

Hi Seekaybee,

We need the fixer to do something before anything else happens. The fixer has to come out to see this place and how bad it is.

My neighbours and I have tried to do the right thing, but the city inspectors aren't moving on taking any action.

I've read the same bylaws, and cited those sections of the City of Toronto Act for the inspectors. Complaints have been reported by me and my neighbours countless times.

It seems that the inspectors don't abide by the bylaws. They give the owner time to "cover up" the problems and the complaints are left to run out time. This is frustrating.

The city should have power of entry, but hasn't gained entry, even with the horrible conditions. The homeowner refuses over and over again. Have asked for an inspector to enter for years, but it looks like the owner has the inspectors in his pocket (time and time again, no one has ever entered that house). Once saw the owner and an inspector walking together and laughing. I knew nothing changed.

The house has no heat, and no electricity. It is open to the elements.

I feel sick for the people living in the adjoining semi.

Hi, Reggie. Oh, I hadn't noticed you submitted through The Fixer

Didn't submit it to the Fixer. Submitted it to the City... a few times. They've done nothing. Next is to submit it to the Fixer. You seem interested, you might want to submit it to the Fixer or visit the site yourself to see what's going on.

10 years! That's both crazy and unacceptable. Wow, and I thought my Kensington complaint was a bad scene. I hope you get satisfaction and I will be watching just to steal your tactics ;-)

Hi, Reggie. Did I miss something? At the top of this page it says "Reported via: http://www.thestar.com". Are you not the person who submitted this report?

Yes, I reported on this website. But haven't contacted The Fixer by phone yet. I hope that this written report can get attention before I have to phone.

Just walked by the site. The tarp is now ripped on the College Street side, too. Shows openings (no glass) where windows should be. The picture above was taken in the summer. The tarps look worse now, and there are no tarps where the roofing should be. COMPLETELY OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS and no inspector in the city seems to care enough to do anything.

I think I have his email somewhere. I'll try emailing him, directing his attention to this thread.

OK, done.

seekaybee,

THANKS SO MUCH for sending this post by email to The Fixer.

My heart goes out to the people in the semi, that's the part of the building not covered up by the tarps. The present rotting state of 221 Roxton Road isn't allowing for the people in the adjoining semi to have a decent quality of life.

If you pass by, you can also see that the building is open on the side next to the new condo, a steel ladder is pushed up against the condo from an open window!

THE FIXER, please do something. INVESTIGATE THIS SITE!

FEATURED ARTICLE!!!

To the Fixer, THANKS SO MUCH!

Waiting anxiously to see what's going to happen now. Hope this gets results and the answers to why the inspectors ignore this property and allow the owner to skirt the bylaws. (Get a quote from the owner?)

Link for the story: http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer/2014/01/07/derelict_house_at_college_and_roxton_drags_down_the_neighbourhood_fixer.html

Hi seekaybee,

Thanks for the link! Here's another:

City of Toronto Investigations main page: http://app.toronto.ca/InvestigationActivity/setup.do?action=init
info for search: 221 Roxton Road, Tor & EY, Trinity Bellwods Ward 19

2 most recent investigations:

Dec 18, 2013, Property standards, abandoned structure infested - CLOSED
Dec 9, 2013, Property standards, Exterior - building element in disrepair - CLOSED

HOW ARE THESE BEING CLOSED? Unbelievable? YES.

Who is constantly and continually approving that this building falls under acceptable municipal guidelines and bylaws? INVESTIGATE THE INVESTIGATORS.

There are infestations. The property stinks mostly in slightly humid weather at all times of the year. The windows and openings have no glass or boards so this is open to the elements and now that the tarps are ripped, you can see that the back of the building against the new condo is completely open to the elements, too (you can see a ladder that's fallen through the opening and it's resting against the wall of the condo from a second or third story ledge).

Boards protecting the property are graffiti and poster covered. (Minor eyesore compared to all the other things that are wrong.)

Safety issue: There's a very low fence (not even a construction fence) that separates the property from the other part of the semi, and anyone can easily walk over that fence to gain access to this unsafe property.

What this is doing to the people living in the semi against the shared wall is criminal. It is irresponsible that the city can allow a building owner to ruin his own property and at the same time, ignore how this is affecting the people trying to enjoy their lives while living up against the rot and dilapidation that's been allowed to continue and has gotten to this state after 10 years. Unbelievable.

Hoping for results.

UPDATE on Feb. 11, 2014:

My neighbour told me that 221 Roxton's owner was contacted by the city and has been ordered to board up the structure to make it safe and secure from entry, the elements and wildlife; and remove the shredded and unsightly tarps. As of right now, I don't see any boarding up happening.

I learned that the city is taking this property issue very seriously and that the negative publicity from THE FIXER's articles played a key role in the action the city is now taking.

The second article mentioned the owner's issues about the lawsuits on the property. These have no bearing on any work or remedy that needs to be done on 221 Roxton Road.

If the owner doesn't remedy the property in reasonable time, the city will do it for the owner then add the costs to his house taxes.

Will update when I see boards are up!

To The Fixer: THANKS SO MUCH for bringing this issue so much attention.

Still waiting for the boards to go up as of Sunday, February 16, 2014. So far, looks like nothing has been done. Will check with the city in a week or so.

Hi, Reggie. Thanks for the updates. Good on you for getting action on this. It'll be interesting to see what the final outcome is. Thanks to The Fixer for featuring it.

Hi Seekaybee. Thanks for following this matter. The Fixer's articles caught the attention of the very people authorized to make decisions and action has begun.

The city's building department ordered the owner to complete remedying the structure immediately. If not done in a reasonable and timely manner this winter (and it must be done this winter), they'll complete the work for the owner.

I'd like to see this progress to the completion point no matter who remedies this building.

Update February 19, 2014:

Some boards are up and installed where openings had been. Can still see some openings that are not boarded up.

Heard people inside. Heard some equipment in use. The fence was unlocked and opened up.

Don't know how much has been done, the tarp is still covering the building.

Don't know who is doing the work (owner's contractor or the city's contractor).

Update March 18, 2014:

There are some shredded pieces of the tarp still attached to the building (I guess the contractors didn't bother removing them?). The building has been boarded up, but there's still lots of garbage plus some pieces of wood with bared nail points on the property.

The smell is still there and nicer weather is on its way (will complain to building standards or some other department).

I talked to a neighbour who suggested that the work isn't finished yet and said that he heard that there's more work that needs to be done to satisfy the city. No idea what that is or when it has to be done. Follow up by The Fixer needed?

Boards used as the fence got covered in posters, tags and graffiti. Incredibly ugly.

221 Roxton Road needs a follow up to see what's happening next.

There's now garbage around the property and the fence is covered in graffiti and tagging.

Same neighbour reported garbage and graffiti around the property. Nothing has been done or picked up. Still same situation with structure, no more work has been done to get the property up to the standards expected for an unfinished building (abandoned) under construction.

July 16, 2014: Closing the issue:
The building has been boarded up. The scaffold structure that was on the College Street sidewalk has been removed.

The property (lawn and the hoarding covered in graffiti and posters) could be cleaned up, but the main complaints about this property have been (for the most part) addressed.

Other neighbours can call Toronto 311 about the graffiti and the state of the lawn.

Many thanks to The Fixer for publishing the article on this property in December 2013.

THE FIXER'S ARTICLE WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF ALERTING THE CITY TO THIS PROBLEM! After which, the city took measures for the owner to remedy a number of problems with the property. The article had the power to effect change. So very appreciated!

(Signing off)