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Andrew Harbinson, co-owner of Homes by Metro
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years back. Much about the process — from working with the experienced builder to the end result — was just as she’d hoped.
But she hadn’t anticipated the ongoing issues with one of her neighbours — starting with grievances even prior to construction — that culminated in a two- year court battle over a tree that spanned both properties.
The neighbour alleged that the tree’s health was affected by the home’s con- struction and wanted Amber to pay for its removal — with extra money requested for emotional damages.
It was a nightmare.
In the end, the courts denied the need for Amber or the builder — whose lawyer also helped Amber — to pay anything. Meanwhile, the tree remained and kept growing until recently Amber had to send an awkward text to the neighbour asking whether they could hire someone to trim it and split the cost. The cost mostly fell on Amber.
“That text is the only contact we’ve had in years. We don’t make eye contact,” she says.
Rob McAdam, director of Safety Codes, Permits and Inspections for the City of Edmonton, says infill builds can be polar- izing, particularly with neighbours. He’s seen fewer complaints and issued fewer orders over the last couple years. But, when he does get construction complaints, many come from smaller scale residential infill projects.
Infill refers to any new residential construction in an established area. Those who build in greenfield development, which is construction on what once
was literally a field with no significant development, also deal with noisiness and messiness. But the chances for misunder- standings are higher in infill, where people are less used to the cracks of hammers and trucks blocking their driveways,
says McAdam.
mber’s (not her real name) dream of owning a cus- tom-built infill home in a beautiful neighbourhood became reality several
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