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 Holding a damaged piece of plywood that he says he used to replace rotting wood, Paul Guyot kneels next to what used to be a covered basement on his lot. The Village of Fort Simpson gave him 14 days to fix the site, then had it filled in and levelled. - Derek Neary/NNSL photo |
Resident Paul Guyot's open basement on an empty lot, covered only by rotting wood, was filled in and levelled by the village two weeks ago.
Addressing council, Guyot claimed that two weeks ago he used new plywood to replace the deteriorating stuff, so there was no need for the village to take such action.
Senior administrative officer Bernice Swanson countered that the bylaw officer examined the site and found it was still in a state of disrepair. That was 16 days after the village sent a letter to Guyot, giving him 14 days notice to address the unsafe conditions on his property, she said.
"If a child had fallen in there and died, the village would have been liable," Swanson told council, adding that a village bylaw gave her the authority to act.
The basement, built in the mid-1980s, was nearly three metres deep. The wood covering it was full of holes.
"I agree it was a problem and I repaired the problem," Guyot said, adding that he has at least one witness who saw him screw the new 5/8-inch plywood in place.
"This seems like an extreme, drastic measure unlike I have ever seen in this town before... I feel my rights are being bulldozed as well."
Guyot argued that he should not be responsible for the contractor's bill, amounting to more than $2,000. He said he'd be willing to pay $1,000, an amount he figured another contractor would have charged to do the job, which he was considering having done anyway. Councillors Sean Whelly and Dennis Nelner agreed that sounded reasonable.
Swanson said council should not be negotiating the price. If Guyot fails to pay the full invoice, the amount would be added to his tax bill, she noted.
He does have the right to appeal to a Supreme Court judge.
"In any case we legally did nothing wrong... I wouldn't be afraid to go to court on this," Swanson said, noting that if Guyot did in fact make any repairs, it was after the time he was allotted.
The verdict in this case will have to wait. The issue has been tabled until the next meeting when the bylaw officer can make a report to council.
