By Ellen Roseman
A house buyer learned her parking spot was illegal after closing the deal. She will pay $15,000 to replace it if she can even get a legal spot.
Buying a house or condo is a complex process, and many purchasers make decisions under deadline pressure.
Vanessa Herman wrote to me about her mistakes buying a house in Toronto’s Corso Italia area near St. Clair Ave. W. She had been living in Thornhill.
“I am a widow whose husband died just over five years ago. I wanted to start a new life,†she says. “My kids had all moved into the city and I wanted to make it easier for us to get together.â€
Her top priority was parking. Not until after closing the $520,000 house deal did she learn that her concrete parking pad was illegal.
“The day I moved in, the neighbours told me that the parking was not legal. Later, I found that a work order had been issued by the city to investigate the unpermitted parking at my house. 
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