No place like home

A year and a half ago, neighbours in a condo building overlooking Westmount Park — yes, the very same playing fields currently being viciously defended by anti-synthetic turf advocates — were suddenly forced from their comfortable homes when a major fire tore through the building. Windows and doors in the most heavily damaged units were promptly boarded up as stunned residents went off in different directions to live in borrowed, rented or otherwise procured temporary accommodations while waiting for the high sign to return.

That sign never came.

From the bone-chilling days of late-November 2005 to the oppressive heat of mid-June 2007, these people have yet to be able to go home — all because of a legal hiccup that precludes adequate payment from the insurance company to cover the cost of renovating the damaged units. It is said to be a question of codes — the need to rebuild to meet the standards of a municipal code that was considerably modified since the building was first erected. The insurance will cover the replacement of the original features, but not the improvements now required by the updated code. This may sound simple, but it amounts to a horrible catch-22 for the victims, who have been betrayed by the system. Not only have they been out of a home for all this time, but what about their investment? Even the savviest real estate agent in Westmount would have a hard time selling a condo unit in a burned-out building, despite its view of the park and proximity to the bike path.

There are no real villains in this case. The insurance company is conducting itself according to standard procedure, while the innocent condo owners continue to be victimized by circumstances beyond their control.

Any lawyer will tell you there are plenty of cracks and loopholes in our complex legal system, but this is one big crack that must be filled immediately. Whether this will happen is anyone's guess, and in the meantime all we can do is follow this terrible stalemate with mounting disgust and the bitter realization that yes, this kind of thing can happen in Westmount.