Councillor fined over $12K in property fines for abandoned house in Brampton

Brampton City Council wants to crack down on unsightly homes and problem property owners in the city, but one repeat offender is one of their own.

From property standards, parking, licensing and more, Brampton’s 311 complaint line is getting more complaints than it can manage, with 93 enforcement officers responsible for over 100,000 calls last year.

And while the city is working on a plan to get the critical situation under control, one Brampton City Councillor reportedly managed to rack up more than $12,000 in property standards fines for a direct and dangerous home.

The home on Queen Street belongs to a numbered company with two directors, one of which is rookie Brampton Coun. Gurpartap Singh Toor, according to reports.

The boarded-up property is just blocks from Brampton City Hall and has become a dumping ground, a nest for rats, and is sometimes used as a homeless encampment, according to CTV.

In 2021, Toor was hit with 29 tickets related to the property over about eight months, adding up to $12,500 in fines.

Videos

Read More

An enforcement officer reportedly went back and forth with Toor on the complaints, and the councillor promised “complete remediation” in September 2021. But after years of delay, Toor only paid the fines last week after being contacted by reporters.

An integrity commissioner complaint was reportedly filed against Toor by the officer, who was taken off the file which was then assigned to a supervisor.

A development application for an 11-storey building at the site was filed in 2019 but has reportedly been paused.

Toor did not respond to an interview request for this story.

A report from AtFocus found the city’s rapid growth is causing “a significantly increased demand for enforcement.”

Staffing levels have dropped 4.5 per cent while calls have gone up 22 per cent, and the report is calling on Brampton to move to “a more proactive approach.”

Council is looking to revamp bylaw enforcement with a set of 28 recommendations and Mayor Patrick Brown is expected to give an update on the city’s next steps on Monday.