Builder fined 16 times over rogue construction now faces new violation after city issued permit
A year after a longtime city official called a half-built home on the west Mountain '
one of the most egregious
' cases of noncompliance he'd ever seen, the house now has a fresh façade — and a building permit.
But behind the upgrade is a familiar story.
Another order to comply was issued to the homeowner of
279 Bonaventure Dr.
on April 17 after inspectors found construction occurring inside that didn't match approved building plans, the city said in a statement.
279 Bonaventure Dr., as seen on April 25.
This marks the 16th time Omre Taha has been fined in connection with the build.
All but one of those fines came between December 2023 and February 2024, when Taha began work on the property while his application for a permit was still under review.
At the time, the city said it was met with a 'continued lack of co-operation,' leading staff to issue fines totalling $10,500 and, at some points, make twice-daily visits to the property to ensure compliance.
'(O)ne of the most egregious acts of noncompliance that I've come across in my 20 years as a building official,' Bob Nuttall, manager of the city's building inspections division, said in an interview in February 2024.
The city pursued charges against Taha in provincial offences court after exhausting traditional enforcement measures.
Those charges remain before the courts, according to Rob Lalli, director of the city's building division. An anticipated trial date has been set for May 26.
That means the city's legal challenge against the owner was still ongoing when staff granted him a building permit for a three-storey single-family dwelling with a secondary unit on the main floor and basement.
'Ontario's Building Code does not allow for a building permit to be withheld for pending enforcement,' Lalli said when asked why the city granted a permit for a project that had repeatedly flouted prior municipal orders. He added the city's chief building official can issue permits once 'regulations are met.'
At three storeys, the home towers over a quiet neighbourhood consisting mainly of bungalows.
'It just looks out of place, like it's going to fall over,' Sue Alesi previously told The Spectator. 'I've lived here since 1961 and was one of the first on the street. There have been no other three-storey homes here.'
Despite the recent compliance order, work at the property appears to have continued.
On April 25, part of the home's front siding was covered in what looked like building wrap or insulation sheathing.
By May 5, that spot had been finished with dark black siding, matching the rest of the home's upper portion. Additional upgrades include more detailed stonework around the entrance and balcony, trim around about a dozen windows, and site cleanup around the foundation.
'Building staff continue to communicate the importance of compliance and the potential consequences should the order remain not complied by with the end of next week,' Lalli said. 'Failure to meet the deadline by next week may result in the issuance of a stop-work order, which would remain active until a revised building permit is applied for and issued.'
Taha couldn't be reached for comment for this story.
The order to comply is the latest development in the property's eventful recent history.
Taha first bought the former bungalow in October 2016 for $355,800 before selling it less than a year later in August 2017 for $549,000, according to property records. In March 2021, he re-bought it for $655,000.
The latter purchase came about a month before 279 Bonaventure was reduced to rubble in a massive, late-night explosion Ontario's Fire Marshal attributed to a buildup of natural gas and said was not considered suspicious.
Taha put the property up for sale as a pit of dirt in early 2023.
Then he was slapped with
three civil suits from affected neighbours
who alleged the explosion could've been avoided if not for his negligence, claims that remain active and have yet to be tested in court.
A few months later, Taha took the razed site off the market and started building.
A half-finished home at 279 Bonaventure Dr. pictured in June 2024, when it was listed for sale.
By June 2024, the home — half-finished and built without a permit — was
billed in realtor ads as a promising investment
duplex available for just under $850,000.
Property records show the property hasn't changed hands since then.
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