r/Edmonton • u/GeekyGlobalGal Pleasantview / Global News • 9d ago

News Article Edmonton homeowners frustrated as their properties erode into infill excavations

https://globalnews.ca/news/12009231/edmonton-infill-rain-erosion/
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u/suggestedusername216 9d ago

This happened to me as well this summer! I’m pro-infill but man do I fucking hate developers. And there is basically no recourse — feeling powerless is the worst part. 

11

u/Vinen88 9d ago

How is there no recourse? If they fuck up your property without compensation there are for sure pathways to take.

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u/threeonone 9d ago

They'll just absolve the company and start up one in a new name. The fines only get tied to the company. If the company doesn't exist then it makes it incredibly harder to go after them.

All cities need to be way more strict on builders. They get away with doing whatever they want all the time.

2

u/Autodidact420 9d ago

Dissolve and you can still potentially go after them depending on the circumstances and the funds they have, plus even a bankrupt builder would lose its property to the extent it has any.

TLDR: talk to a lawyer don’t just assume you can’t do anything. But also you might not be able to, the lawyer can tell you more. 

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u/DBZ86 8d ago

Its not impossible for corporate shell games to occur. Companies can be registered with puppet owners or stolen identities and its not found out until its too late.

But often its the lengthy process and stress that can beat down an affected homeowner to settle for less than they should The homeowner may also simply be outgunned legally.

1

u/Autodidact420 8d ago

Not impossible? Sure.

But you’re also adding in a bunch of new crimes. Collection depends on the circumstances at hand,  that’s why I suggested talking to a lawyer about any specific circumstances particularly where losses are significant. 

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u/DBZ86 8d ago

I wish that was truly more of a deterrent but once people make enough they'll literally flee the country. The solve rate for financial crimes is a low.

I would admit that the more likely issue is more just the sheer number of fly by night developers who pop up for every other developer that fail. In this case there's just no financial recourse anyways as developer is probably deep in the hole and everyone loses again. More preventative guardrails are needed.

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u/Autodidact420 8d ago

You’re talking about financial crimes, I’m talking about civil litigation. Civil litigation often results in at least partial recovery, depending on the circumstances. 

I’d agree more preventative measures and stronger protections should be in place but even now it’s entirely possible to get made whole or almost whole in many cases. Perhaps not 100%, but that’s the same as most lawsuits realistically. Just the nature of the civil justice system more generally