Targeted by 50 statements of offense over the years for illegal tourist accommodation in Quebec, a building operator recently received a new series of hefty fines, for a total of $185,000.
The company Les Immeubles Murray and the son of the owner of the company, Frédéric Murray, had already pleaded guilty to 32 statements of offense, since 2018, for accommodation on the Airbnb platform, in sectors of the City where the zoning prohibited such a practice. Cost of the invoice: $148,000.
Last December, another $37,000 was added to the family business’s slate. This time, it was the Municipal Court that ruled and ruled in favor of the City’s building technicians who pinned down the recalcitrants.
Frédéric Murray tried, in vain, to challenge 18 other statements of offense related to the rental of housing located in Old Quebec, the Saint-Jean-Baptiste district and a “luxury house” on rue Vaubert in Beauport. The alleged facts date back to the years 2018, 2019 and 2020.
A “stratagem” of nominees
His arguments were not accepted by the court, which even mentioned, in one of the judgments, a “stratagem” of nominees to circumvent the laws and regulations in terms of collaborative tourist accommodation.
“The defendant argues that the multiplication of statements of offense constitutes an abuse of process or an exaggerated sentence. The Tribunal disagrees. […] Despite the notices and statements of offense issued by the municipal authorities, the defendant took no measures to prevent the derogatory situation from continuing over time,” reads another judgment delivered before the holidays.
Councilor Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc, member of Mayor Bruno Marchand’s team and representative of the Cap-aux-Diamants district, highlighted the recent condemnation of Immeubles Murray on Facebook. She praised the work of the City teams who “intervened vigorously” to put an end to their actions.
“Tourist accommodation, when practiced illegally, has a detrimental impact on our neighborhoods, quality of life and social fabric,” she said, adding that City employees remain vigilant.
“It’s from the past”
Joined by The newspaper, Frederic Murray declined to comment. A representative of the public relations agency Brouillard however called us shortly afterwards to assure us that the latter was no longer involved in the management of this type of activity within the Murray group, although he remains a shareholder.
“That story is in the past for them. The group is no longer the same. They changed the group’s image, name and general direction. The administration is completely different. [Et] for two years, nothing has happened,” insisted Marie-Claude Bourque.
