A citizen contested the fact that the Home Ownership Program requires that the document confirming the citizen’s Commitment to remain the owner/occupant for at least three years be notarized, which generated unforeseen professional costs for him.
Following our investigation, we have come to the conclusion that this requirement is not unreasonable. Indeed, the fact that the document is notarized helps to ensure the respect of the commitment: if the beneficiary of the subsidy sells his property before the three years period has elapsed, the notary instrumenting the sale would note the existence of this notarized commitment and inform the City representatives accordingly.
We noticed, however, that the information available on Ville de Montréal Web site with regard to this program was not clear in regards to this requirement. Following our intervention, the City modified its Web site to specify clearly the requirement for the purchaser to produce a notarized document for this commitment, at his/her own expense.
