Flooded and fed up: St-Leonard homeowners file class-action suit over heavy rain damages
A group of homeowners in St-Leonard has filed a class-action lawsuit against their borough and the City of Montreal, claiming municipal authorities are to blame for repeated floodings during heavy rain.
When streets in the Montreal borough flooded after rainfall in July 2019, residents on de Belmont Street were once again complaining about storm sewers backing up and flooding their basements. It's been a recurring problem going back decades.
Homeowners say these floods are happening more and more often and are pointing their fingers at the city for not upgrading their drainage system as the borough continues to authorize new developments.
"A storm that is a little bit over and above — bang — you have water in your basement, water in your garage. You can't live like that," said plaintiff Frankie La Giorgea.
The alleged victims are now taking St-Leonard and Montreal to court, through a class-action lawsuit seeking unspecified damages.
"It's happening more often is the issue, it's the recurrence of the issue," said Charles O'Brien, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
"Floods are coming every two or three years and I'm worried that if we don't deal with the infrastructure, it's only gonna get worse."
There have been meetings with the borough council, but it claims work was done in the past to ease the pressure on its sewers in case of heavy rain. The homeowners say they're told it's their problem and not the city's.
"They've asked us to put in more clapets, to fill in our garages so the water doesn't seep in," said Pat Monaco, another homeowner.
"We're told the problem is theirs. They're told to have to install backflip preventers, or that they have to condemn their driveways, they should have better insurance or that it's global warming," their lawyer said. "It's never the city taking its responsibility for the conditions of their infrastructure."
Lawyers for the city argued that the current laws for cities and towns protects them from such legal actions. They declined our request for an interview Wednesday.
The judge heard the arguments from both sides at the courthouse. He now has to rule whether a case has been made to authorize a class-action suit.
A decision is expected in the coming months.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Trudeau's latest pre-budget pledge targets millennial moms, vowing $1B in loans for more child-care spaces
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
Calgary officer charged after allegedly assaulting handcuffed man
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
How do you navigate the social media minefield with your kids?
Growing fears about social media's harm have sparked lawsuits against social media companies from hundreds of school districts in the United States and now Canada. CTVNews.ca wants to know whether your children are addicted to social media or if you have concerns about their usage of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and X.