Toronto 25 Mabelle | 159.05m | 49s | Tribute | BDP Quadrangle

[Northern Light]

The Tenants in the neighboring tower are PISSED. The Landlord gave them 3 weeks notice the parking garage was being permanently decommissioned to build this beast.

With the upfront proviso that I am neither a lawyer nor a paralegal......

If the parking is in the lease agreement, I would love to see any language about a right to discontinue provision and a notice period.

Obviously, I haven't seen these people's leases, but I have to say, such language isn't that common in my experience.

If parking was 'free' (ie. embedded in the rent), then any withdrawal of service is definitely grounds for a rent abatement application to the OLT.

The value of that abatement would be at least what the landlord charges new tenants for parking; but might be successfully argued as replacement cost (what do you have to pay to park elsewhere).

If the parking is an expressly paid service, obviously that charge has to be removed; Still, as I would think that parking would be a 'material' part of the tenancy agreement, I don't see how it could be altered without at least the same notice that would be required for a major renovation altering one's living conditions or requiring relocation. But perhaps my understanding of the law is incorrect in that regard.

 

[Northern Light]

CBC story on the parking loss issue here:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/angry-tenants-say-they-have-nowhere-to-go-as-landlord-moves-to-cut-parking-spaces-1.6390028

 

[sixrings]

Pretty sure the apartment would be ok with everyone moving out and then they could build another two towers.

 

[Towered]

CBC story on the parking loss issue here:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/angry-tenants-say-they-have-nowhere-to-go-as-landlord-moves-to-cut-parking-spaces-1.6390028

I'm really struggling to muster a ton of sympathy for these people whining about losing parking spots who literally live on top of a subway station.

 

[picard102]

I live next to a subway station, my job is in Brampton.
Should I be taking the subway to Brampton because I live next to Wilson?

 

[junctionist]

I live next to a subway station, my job is in Brampton.
Should I be taking the subway to Brampton because I live next to Wilson?

We should have fare integration between the TTC and GO and all-day GO service. That way, you could take the subway to a station that interchanges with the GO system and then take a train or bus to Brampton for a reasonable price.

 

[nfitz]

I'm really struggling to muster a ton of sympathy for these people whining about losing parking spots who literally live on top of a subway station.

It's still a 6-7 minute walk, through a concrete jungle, and a sketchy underpass to Islington station. There's talk in the thread of a new tunnel to the station - but I'm not seeing that in the planning documents, other than protection for the decades-old unused easement to the station.

Am I missing something? I'd have thought implementation of that pedestrian connection would have been a key condition of the development.

 

[AnnetteMeetsJane]

I live next to a subway station, my job is in Brampton.
Should I be taking the subway to Brampton because I live next to Wilson?

Yup, allowing someone who actually wants to use Transit to live next to the subway station. This would be a better use of the taxpayers subsidy.
Have you considered living closer to Brampton, or next to a parking lot?

 

[picard102]

Yup, allowing someone who actually wants to use Transit to live next to the subway station. This would be a better use of the taxpayers subsidy.

Ah, so transit is only for people who take it to their jobs and have nowhere else to go otherwise. Got it.

Have you considered living closer to Brampton, or next to a parking lot?

No need to decrease my quality of life like that. My apartment provides parking as part of my lease. If they decide to change that, I have the right to oppose unilateral changes in the agreement, like those people in these apartments do, despite being next to a subway station.

 

[picard102]

We should have fare integration between the TTC and GO and all-day GO service. That way, you could take the subway to a station that interchanges with the GO system and then take a train or bus to Brampton for a reasonable price.

Price isn't only one issue. It also represents over twice the time required.

 

[AnnetteMeetsJane]

If you insist on living in a location which increases your at-peak daily commute so that you can occasionally use transit to travel off-peak to other stuff, then you should pay for the privilege. You know it makes more sense to live close to your job, and use transit for occasional ad-hoc journeys.

Road tolls metered by road use and a transit tax supplement to property tax using a sliding scale based on proximity to transit would encourage more rational behaviour.

 

[picard102]

If you insist on living in a location which increases your at-peak daily commute

Except they didn't. They chose to live in a location that had a reasonable commute time, until the landlord changed the agreement unilaterally. They are entitled to compensation or accommodation. Period.

 

[justatenant]

good drone footage , i wonder how many parking spots will be lost in that rental building , I would be pissed if I had no place to park.... , i wonder what legal rights do the tenants have in this case

We have the legal rights but NEPM is freaking out and trying to get us to sign off our rights with "lottery parking spots". There's a fine print that says that they can take away the parking anytime for any reason and the tenant still has to pay for it.

 

[justatenant]

With the upfront proviso that I am neither a lawyer nor a paralegal......

If the parking is in the lease agreement, I would love to see any language about a right to discontinue provision and a notice period.

Obviously, I haven't seen these people's leases, but I have to say, such language isn't that common in my experience.

If parking was 'free' (ie. embedded in the rent), then any withdrawal of service is definitely grounds for a rent abatement application to the OLT.

The value of that abatement would be at least what the landlord charges new tenants for parking; but might be successfully argued as replacement cost (what do you have to pay to park elsewhere).

If the parking is an expressly paid service, obviously that charge has to be removed; Still, as I would think that parking would be a 'material' part of the tenancy agreement, I don't see how it could be altered without at least the same notice that would be required for a major renovation altering one's living conditions or requiring relocation. But perhaps my understanding of the law is incorrect in that regard.

If you were a lawyer or paralegal, I'd love to show you.

It's all within the lease but they're "ignoring it" and trying to get people to sign a new agreement that signs away all the rights. They tried to gaslight me by email saying that it was a separate agreement (insistently) until I showed them the terms on my lease. Then they just don't reply to any questions I have about the lease and keep telling me to sign the new one.

 

[justatenant]

Pretty sure the apartment would be ok with everyone moving out and then they could build another two towers.

I'm really struggling to muster a ton of sympathy for these people whining about losing parking spots who literally live on top of a subway station.

It's not about sympathy but legal rights and expectations. We wouldn't live here if we didn't have parking. We have a car because there's more than one person in our household and we don't all have access to the car whenever we need it... unless you're assuming one car per person??