HawthorneVillager.com

Hey all,

Just needed some advice as I recently encountered a bylaw officer who was checking our ac. Upon inquiry, we discovered that our ac unit may be passing our given property area - my ac unit is installed in the side of my house (in front of it is the wall of my neighbours' house).

I measured the total distance between the wall my house & my neighbours' - which is 75". My ac unit takes up 33". I also took out my property survey, which states that our property boundary is 27". Our neighbours' is also 27".

I am concerned how this matter will be resolved. I am also wondering - since the total distance is 75", and the boundary of mine & my neighbours' adds up to 54" - what happens to the remaining area in between?

Thanks

You can't have the A/C up close to the property line, I believe 16" buffer between your A/C and the line. You may have no choice but to remove it and put it at the back of your home or on the other side of the house if you have more room on the other side. It may cost you more to run the extra gas line to the other side. Unless you can get your neighbour to sign an agreement that they have no concern with your A/C and try to negotiate with the town.

LOL!

The real issue is the builders in Milton cramming lots like sardines in a can. Don't know how you even get privacy with the houses so close as you must hear any loud noises from your neighbors. It's sad when you can't even put an AC unit on the side wall of your house without encroaching on your neighbor's property line!

The town of Milton should have bylaws in order to prevent excessive cramming of detached houses from builders. Residents should start complaining before it gets worse!

A thread from 2010 discusses the issue.

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Dr. Sat - The Satellite Doctor
Servicing Milton and the entire Halton region
505 Pinegrove Rd.
Oakville, ON
(416) 301-8SAT
http://www.drsat.ca/milton

In the future, it will be less space. That is. All condos. Owning a home with land is going to be a rarity.

You see that's the issue... most people just don't care so builders will keep cramming houses more and more! With today's social media, it's not that hard to make your voice heard so people need to take the initiative now before it's too late and Milton is fully developed.

_________________
Dr. Sat - The Satellite Doctor
Servicing Milton and the entire Halton region
505 Pinegrove Rd.
Oakville, ON
(416) 301-8SAT
http://www.drsat.ca/milton

its not the builders that decide. Its the town. The town wont make a decision to have less houses and less tax from a plot of land. No chance.

It's all of the above.

In fact, it mostly falls on us, the consumer. If Mattamy were to release a phase with 30 foot detached homes and no one showed up, or camped out to buy them, they would change their plans pretty quick - but we all know that won't happen. So in lieu of us not being able to help ourselves, it would be nice for the government to intervene a bit.

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why would they intervene? it means less tax for them. Not sure you're aware how this government thing works.

I said it would be nice....

Clearly no one is going to step in to save us from ourselves at any level. Until we stop buying homes that are built with disdain for the owners we'll continue to have a million threads about stuff like this.

No one wants their 2 tonne air conditioner sitting on their backyard patio while trying to enjoy a summer BBQ. So why do we put up with it?

Single file parking.
Garages that can barely hold an SUV.

The list goes on and on.

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Target densities are set by the Province (under places to grow), and then are expected to be implemented by the Municipalities in their Official Plans. There is great emphasis in increasing density (more people per Hectare of land), with minimum targets set, and, interestingly enough if a municipality meets or exceeds the targets, they automatically move higher.

The builders aren't crying to the bank that they have to put more homes / families into a set parcel of land... but with the current legislation in place they are going to be required to continue to put more and more homes into less and less space.

Bylaw was inspecting your ac? Why? Bylaw doesn't just go out inspecting ac's. Some one complained about its location.

+1, I think someone called on you. Unless they were there in the neigbourhood on permit work and saw your A/C.

I think OP is about to have an interesting conversation with the neighbours..... "I invited you to a BBQ and you called bylaw on me? Wtf?"

I understand what you are saying and know these targets exist under the Greenbelt plan. But we're not in China. No one builds a community here and tells you that you're going to live there.

We have choice that we are not exercising.

We hear "granite counter tops" and all rational thinking goes out the window.

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Did you place the AC there without speaking to your neighbour? Looks like its time to reap what you sewed.