Semi-detached home reno sparks bitter Beaches feud
CBC
When retirees Kathy and Pat Button started renovation plans for their Beaches home, they reached out to their neighbours in hopes of avoiding construction conflict.
Instead, the amicable relationship has soured.
Alex and Tata Shifrin, whose Waverley Road house was separated from the Buttons' by a shared party wall, initially supported the project, which the city approved in 2022-23.
But after construction started last fall, the Shifrins say it went beyond what they thought they'd agreed to, jeopardizing their own plans to sell their house and sense of safety — something the Buttons dispute, though the project has failed two city inspections and was hit with a permit violation.
"When you get into a semi, this is the worst-case nightmare that you can imagine," Alex Shifrin said in an interview.
The conflict is now heading to court, offering a cautionary tale of the potential pitfalls of undertaking extensive renovations in close proximity to neighbours.
A property lawyer who isn't involved in the case says she's seeing more neighbourly disagreements in Toronto's real estate market.
"Due to the prices of homes in Toronto, people are electing to renovate their home instead of selling and purchasing a new one," said Tanya Walker.
"Or people are sometimes relocating … and then undertaking a significant amount of work … that might cause tension with their neighbour."
City records show the renovations included altering the Buttons' existing one-storey home by constructing second-storey and rear additions, a new front porch and a new ground floor deck with a basement walkout.
Alex said he provided a letter of support and another consenting to a permit after the Buttons agreed to keep them informed and address safety concerns for his three young children, including blocking access during construction.
The Toronto and East York committee of adjustment approved the Buttons' plans in August 2022, and the city issued building permits seven months later.
Tata said she was shocked when she came home one day in October 2023 to find most of her neighbour's house being torn down.
"What we were sold on and what happened are very different things," Alex said.
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