Residents in one Montreal neighbourhood told they can't park in their own driveways
An old bylaw has come back to haunt a neighbourhood in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.
Some residents have been notified that they can no longer park in their own driveway.
For more than 40 years, Nicole Gagnon has been parking in her driveway. When she bought the house, the garage had been turned into a living space.
But now, the borough says it's illegal for her to park there.
"When we bought the house in 1981, it was like this," she said in an interview steps from her driveway on Wednesday. "Why is this a problem now?"
The problem now, according to the borough, is that because a neighbour complained it has the legal obligation to enforce a decades-old bylaw that prohibits parking in front of a living space.
It sent a letter to residents this summer telling them the rule.
In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough said, "The regulation is still relevant today, to protect green spaces, prevent floodings and increase pedestrian security.
We are actively evaluating the possibility to modify the regulation, especially to better include issues related to electric vehicles, without generating new problems."
- READ THE UPDATE: Montreal mayor wants review of old bylaw banning residents from parking in their own driveways
Monique Voyer is another one of the 11 residents affected by the regulation.
"They say it's a question of safety for pedestrians," she said, "but if we back out of a garage, or a driveway, it doesn't make a difference."
Voyer has lived there for more than 40 years and said she was stunned to receive the letter.
"I understand that there are laws, but it's our house," she said. "We should be able to do what we want."
In the meantime, the residents are being encouraged to park on the street for free or risk getting a fine.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
EXCLUSIVE | Security increased for prime minister's advisers after break-and-enter incidents
Ottawa Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the residence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser, the second such incident involving one of his top aides in recent months.

'Nova Scotians' sense of safety was rocked': RCMP failures dominate inquiry's final report into 2020 mass shooting
A long list of failures by Nova Scotia RCMP leadership and policing systems dominate the final report into Nova Scotia's April 2020 mass shooting.
Memes, ski etiquette and that missing GoPro video: Highlights from the Gwyneth Paltrow trial
When two skiers collided on a beginner run at an upscale Utah ski resort in 2016, no one could foresee that seven years later, the crash would become the subject of a closely watched celebrity trial.
House abandoned by couple who 'disappeared' years ago nightmare for neighbour on upscale street
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
UCP candidate, slammed for comments on pornography in schools, quits
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
Here's how to know if someone is struggling with a video game addiction: Expert
A scientist at CAMH says video games have similar addictive features to gambling which cause social isolation of the individual and dependency on the activity.
'No question there need to be changes': PM responds to Nova Scotia mass shooting commission report
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a brief initial response to the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) into Canada's worst mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. Vowing changes will come, here's what Trudeau said in Truro, N.S.
TREND LINE | Poilievre surpasses Trudeau when it comes to preferred prime minister: Nanos
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
Coroner rules against officer's 'suicide by cop' theory for Sammy Yatim inquest
A Toronto police officer's request to explore a theory that a distraught teen he shot was trying to die by "suicide by cop" has been rejected by a coroner overseeing an inquest into the youth's death.