Failings of the curator

Kristian Gravenor laments that the City of Montreal's system of selling real estate for tax arrears is rigged against bargain hunters ["City sells deadbeats' homes," Oct. 30]. But insiders have long known that without having to go far back in history or search hard under rocks, hidden treasures can be found in a more amenable, less back-breaking way in the unpublicized and less conscious-stricken dispositions by the public curator of property belonging to incompetent people. Although everything is secret, some scores came to light.

In 1993, the public curator undertook court proceedings to sell the residence of the Boeck family after the elderly mother could no longer inhabit it. An historic patrimony gem in St-Eustache dating from 1837 assessed at $235,000, it was disposed of by judicial sale for $76,000.

In 1994, Fanny Kogan's country waterfront estate, complete with two-car garage and tennis court in chi-chi Esterel, evaluated by the municipality in excess of $455,000, was sold for $230,000. To make sure the buyer was comfortable with the acquisition, all the contents of the home - seven rooms of furniture, furnishings, appliances, Persian carpets, linen, china, cutlery, maintenance equipment and outdoor recreation equipment, such as boats and skidoos - were thrown in at no extra charge. The ward was never asked beforehand nor informed afterward, as required by law. When the outraged family learned of what was going on, it objected, but the public curator unleashed its team of lawyers to obtain a court order compelling the sale. The legal fees for this hijacking were charged to the ward in addition.

Lucie Ouellet's father's fiveplex in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve sector of town, assessed at $126,700 by the city, was put up for sale by the private curator at a repeatedly lowering price. To prevent a total squander, the daughter had to purchase it herself for a lowly $75,000 in 1997 when she would have inherited it for nothing anyway when her father passed away a few months later.

Francesco Romeo owned a double-duplex in south-shore St-Hubert evaluated by the municipality at $164,660 and by a Caisse Populaire at $200,000. In July 2001, the public curator encouraged the sale by the private guardian for the price of $120,000 to his savvy consort, a real estate agent in her own right, obviously adept in simple arithmetic.

There were many more such examples, to the point that already in 1997, the Quebec ombudsman looked into the public curator's handling of its wards' real estate. The results were given to the public curator but, too hot to handle, the report was classified as confidential and hidden from public access. It's understandable that such a sweet thing had to be kept secret, otherwise prices might go up to fair market value.

All these transactions preceded the boom in real estate prices, so imagine the losses in today's terms suffered by these hapless families. But then, acting under government authority, nothing ever happens to bureaucrats.

When real estate speculators state that, like in treasure hunting, the three most important factors affecting price are location, location and location, they are not far off the mark. Over the years, the best location for favourable property deals has proven to be, uncontestably, at the public curator, public curator, public curator.

» Ura Greenbaum, Association pour la défense des personnes et biens sous curatelle publique

Band not resentful

This is Jason Hattem from Higher to Fall. I would just like to make it clear that Higher to Fall had nothing to do with the posting of the "Sound Check Gripes" complaint [Letters, Nov 20]. Pat Rossi is the singer for One Away and posted this comment without consulting any members of Higher to Fall. We were fully aware of the way that the "The Montreal Music Directory" operates, and therefore are not resentful for not being included.

» Jason Hattem

Sticking up for strikers

Yes, usually we crab when a strike puts us out, and in the Kristian Perspective last week [Nov. 20] there are a bunch of reasons, but I feel the issue is always much simpler.

Even if a $100-per-hour pay-hike and prima noctes are on the table, at the very bottom the workers are negotiating their contract. We should try to empathize. People who verbally and even physically abuse the drivers (who are not striking) probably would never thank them for providing the service the rest of the time.

But what was this: "…when wages get too high, investors plant their cash elsewhere, so the whole economy sags"? That is the very argument "bad globalizationists" use against worker rights, anti-pollution laws, and restrictions on the plundering of the environment. They believe that those in the lower echelons absolutely must suck up3 to those higher up. Is this the Kristian perspective?

» Steven Douglas

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