Drivers who frequent a quiet residential street in Toronto are feeling stranded. A few weeks ago, cars, trucks and motorcycles suddenly started showing up in the parking spots on the street. A quick Google Maps search revealed a map of all the available spots. The almost 8-minute wait to snap a photo of the parking lot revealed that each spot seems to be nearly a minute away from each other, leading the users to conclude that the landlord is keeping customers from leaving their homes while not parking there.
A number of residents have complained, but none have decided to file a formal complaint, so most drivers continue to park illegally and waste valuable time. The problem is most noticeable between 4 and 5 p.m. and also around 11 p.m.
I can see clearly that there are no parking spots on the side of the road that runs along Walbrook Ave and where the building at 25 Walbrook Ave. is. pic.twitter.com/3eK73bXQx2 — Greta Kaler (@GretaKaler) November 28, 2018
Before people are told, The Guardian reports that the building at 25 Walbrook Avenue was rented by Fairhomes Toronto, an operator of residential rental properties in the GTA. A spokesperson for Fairhomes was contacted, and she claims that a number of spaces are allowed to be parked on the side of the street. However, she does not understand how any human can figure out where those spaces are when they can’t see a parking sign. Furthermore, drivers attempting to nab those spots are the majority. Some rate the street lower than dirty when giving it an inspection.
@TheGuardian @VancouverBlue @TheTorontoDrummy Great article. Lots of reasonable questions that need answers from the property owner. Lame that they parked multiple cars at certain times. Again. #21Street — The Ghost of the New Canad — The Ghost of the New Canad (@PaulT (@PaulTotheghost) December 11, 2018
For a while, residents attempted to evict the owners of 25 Walbrook Avenue by actually issuing a court order in a separate jurisdiction. However, the court immediately removed it as unfair. They did indicate the need for immediate action, however, so both sides are not completely satisfied.
A local councillor, Paula Fletcher, said the issue is symptomatic of the kind of landlord-tenant conflicts that urban planners have been grappling with over the years. “This is not just a matter of finding the right spot,” she said. “I expect a building owner to provide a home for all of its tenants. But not when they are keeping the tenant from returning home. That is unbelievable.”
Some residential neighborhoods, such as Ossington Avenue in Toronto, provide a slew of places for drivers to park but they are concentrated in a smaller area and are not nearly as easily accessible as 25 Walbrook Avenue. It’s clear that a lot of people need help to understand their rights.
Read the full story at The Guardian.
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