You will be asked to pay for the parking lot of his store

Photo Camille Garnier
Richard Desjardins, the owner of the store of water-sports Desjardins Marine, is outraged that the MTQ claims to pay a license of occupation and to take out additional insurance for the land on which is located for decades for parking.

Camille Garnier

Friday, 14 July 2017 06:30

UPDATE
Friday, 14 July 2017 06:30

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The owner of a store of water sports installed since a half-century on the edge of route 117, Sainte-Adèle, in the Laurentians, can’t believe that the ministry of Transportation of Quebec claims suddenly paying an annual fee to maintain the parking lot in front of his shop.

This imbroglio administrative between the owner of the store Desjardins Marine MTQ since last fall has started with a simple permit application for the development of a strip of grass at the rear of his store, three years ago.

“Last October, I received an email from a fellow who explained to me that the result of this request, the MTQ had discovered that the parking lot in front of my store was located on the right of way of highway 117, that the land belonged to them and that I had to pay them a permission of occupancy,” said Richard Desjardins. It didn’t make sense : it has been 50 years that we are here and no one has ever asked for anything. “

The permission of occupation claimed by the ministry amounted to approximately $ 800 per year over a period of five years, with the possibility of renewal. It is also asked Mr. Desjardins to hold an insurance policy of at least $ 3 million relating to this field.

Lack of respect

“It is out of the question that I pay for a field that we use and that we have enjoyed for over half a century, indignant Richard Desjardins. It teaches me that with a letter of intern, without me even making a call, and in addition, the city indicated on the e-mail is not even good : for me, it’s a lack of respect. “

Mr. Desjardins, whose shop employs the high season more than 30 people, is concerned that the requested amount increases in the future. He refuses to leave this burden to her children.

“I have a son and a daughter both in their twenties. This store is also their legacy, ” he said. Today, it claims me 800 $, but that tells me that this will not be the triple in five years ? “

Notice

Despite many calls, the man fails to find a ground of agreement with the MTQ.

“I thought we would talk and they would understand the situation, but no one has accepted to come and meet me “, he laments.

The MTQ was instead sent to Mr. Desjardins is a series of demands which he refuses to fold. The last, dated 16 June, gives him 90 days to pay the amount requested or replace its parking lot by a band of grass.

If he does not obey, the work of replacement of the parking lot by a strip grassed could be carried out by the department and be charged.

New methods

Contacted by The Newspaper, the MTQ explains that these are the new methods used to verify the location of rights-of-way on the road that have attracted the attention of his services on this case.

The ministry added that a highway is a public utility on which any commercial use is in principle allowed and that the amount to be charged to Desjardins Marine is established by a licensed appraiser who takes into account the type of encroachment and the number of square metres occupied.

Richard Desjardins says his side to consider all the possible remedies in this case.