Cornwall Ontario – Some people are friendlier and more considerate than others. Some make good neighbors, and then there seems to be one Natalie B Trottier, a lawyer with Federal Crown Tilton T Donihee, the local law firm that purchased Diane Lahaie’s old practice after she became a judge.
Where this story began is a bit fuzzy, but there is already a lawsuit active after Ms Trottier attacked her neighbors very rare Black Walnut Tree, causing damage while allegedly trying to have it removed from her neighbors property.
I guess some lawyers may be better at the law than writing letters….or they may be not. I can’t imagine anyone ever being hurt or wounded by a single acorn falling, but then I’m not a doctor or lawyer. For now the tree has been damaged, and may not survive.
Cornwall lawyer Andre Bourgon will be facing Ms Trottier over that particular issue.
For Geraldine Fitzpatrick, who’s lived in the house her deceased husband built over 30 years ago, Ms Trottier building a house just within a few feet of her property line has been a nightmare. First the attack on her beloved Black Walnut tree, and now the reality that Ms. Trottier’s house was allowed to be built by the township so close to her home that it’s now causing flooding and damage to her foundation.
In the picture at the top of this story she’s standing in nearly six inches of rain water that is seeping into her foundation. The drain spouts from the Trottier home clearly aimed at hers.
The day I attended the stairs from Ms Trottier’s new house were touching the rope and pegs(under water in the top pic) used to demark the property line!
As you can see from the photo above the new house had some room on the lot rather than dwarf the older home.
When I reached out to Ms Trottier to offer her a chance to answer some questions or issue a statement (standard practice for real journalists) she took a Rob Ford strategy and contacted the OPP. A Cst Sean Amelotte, who’s on the Sunshine List, attended Ms Fitzpatrick demanding to know why she was talking to this writer. When Ms Fitzpatrick stated that she’d called me because I was a journalist with this newspaper he allegedly stated that I wasn’t a journalist and implied that what she was doing was criminal harassment.
Not sure what they are teaching in Police courses now, but this seems very outside of the box. Frankly it seems like an officer in uniform intimidating someone that pays his salary, and defaming a working journalist who’s written and published over 10,000 pieces in less than ten years.
For Ms Fitzpatrick, who worked for CAS for decades with numerous letters of recommendation and accolades it was a slap in the face. She’s met with a bewildering lack of support in her opinion from the township who have refused to take action and allowed the building in the manner which it’d been done to occur. She shared with this writer that she’s asked them to come to see the flooding repeatedly and what’s going on, but to no avail.
She’s also filed a complaint with the law society which resulted in a letter arriving just before Ms Trottier filed her complaint with the OPP which resulted in Cst Amelotte’s visit.
Did the OPP become a police force for hire? This reminds me of when South Stormont Deputy Mayor Tammy Hart had two OPP cruisers visit me here in Cornwall because she too didn’t appreciate media scrutiny when she was clearly over the line.
The letter from LSUC clearly did not clear Ms Trottier of wrongdoing rather citing potential legal action and their role, as opposed to the complaints filed by same Ms Hart and her friends against Paralegal Jim Moak that resulted in a Conspiracy Lawsuit award to Mr. Moak against the South Stormont Deputy Mayor, Ruth Currier, and Bob Noble.
For Ms Fitzpatrick her battle is only beginning and as a retiree she’s actually considering leaving her home of over 30 years because it’s draining to have to fight against lawyers, OPP, a seemingly uncaring township, and the court system. Can you believe the nightmare of having to leave your home because of this abuse?
Which begs the question as to why these entities are allowing this to happen to any resident? Is South Glengarry that corrupt a place to live? Do the OPP bully for politicians and legal friends systemically? Does the township nod zoning and permits to “friends in high places” while zapping wedding tents?
Sadly it looks like the court system may have to sort out this injustice, but having been to a few rodeos locally the odds of Geraldine Fitzpatrick being made whole in this might be a daunting challenge. As challenging as holding Natalie Trottier, or any of those involved in fuzzy line crossings accountable.
The bottom line is why the township allowed Ms Trottier’s house to be built so closer to Ms Fitzpatrick’s? Why allow it to be built higher so as to cause water damage? Why haven’t they taken prompt action after being contacted repeatedly by Ms Fitzpatrick? Why Cst Amelotte felt the need to give her grief for talking to this journalist and intimidating her after Ms Trottier contacted the OPP?
It should be interesting to see which, if any, of those questions get answered eventually…
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Editor’s note. We have updated this story to correct the tree variety.
In Cornwall there is at least one area that does not have a grading plan. I live in that area. Without a grading plan a situation similar to the one in this story would be difficult to remedy. The result is obvious however no violation may actually have occurred. Something to consider when purchasing a home.
I work in Planning and Development and by the looks of it, the municipality will be on the line for this as they are responsible for development approval; unless, the homeowner had made modifications to what the city has approved and those changes resulted in the adverse impacts… where was the tree inventory study? Municipality was probably trying to save her some money by waving req’d studies
Hi Chelsea and welcome to CFN. For those of us lay people can you explain what a tree inventory study is? Aren’t there also grading reports etc that would have to be signed off on before construction started or finished?
Thanks
We could never go through the hell of having a bad neighbor ever again. Cornwall sucks and I see the same in Lancaster, etc. No tanks my little hovel in the sky is heaven compared to what we went through. What is wrong with a black walnut tree dropping a nut here and there on the ground. OH MY GOD I get down on my knees thanking him that I live in a civilized place.
Jules, for someone who despises Cornwall so much you sure love to keep up with the news about the area. It’s funny yet pathetic at the same time. Please dont come back!
When those black walnuts fall from the tree, collect them and make a fruit cake for Christmas coming up for all the fruit loops at the table. LOL LOL. Nuts are very expensive and if you have any intelligence then you would use it to make good bake goods. You can make cookies as well. Why complain when you get a free nut here and there. People are really a bunch of fruit loops in Cornwall.
Jules to be fair this occurred in Lancaster.
I know Jamie I didn’t have enough space to type in Lancaster so I was short in a few words to add in. It only allowed me to go as far as Cornwall. One time I said that if I were to live in the Cornwall it would have to be outside and now I see that the outside is just as insane as Cornwall itself. LOL LOL. ROLF! You couldn’t imagine the laughter coming from me now. lOL LOL ROLF!
Jamie I am laughing so much at this end that I am fit for the Royal Ottawa nut house. You see I put NUT HOUSE for this article. I am in a fit of laughter. Your paper is the best and you are a journalist a real good one. The only noise in this building is he traffic outside on the main roads and now my laughter. I am picturing what hubby and I went through down there and never again. OMG No.
If things get too complicated then we will have to ask the tree on which lot it wishes to be. I never heard of such an insane, wacky place in my life. I am also laughing at Furtz who mighty change his name to Furtz De Wit since everyone (almost) working for Cornwall is named De Wit. The same problem when we lived down there with the name Samson and hubby is full of jokes on that one.
The water is going to damage the foundation of that house and yes I can sympathize with the woman wanting to leave the house after 30 years. After what we went through and what we paid for that house it was worth selling at a loss and getting out of the trap with horrible neighbors. I only miss hanging clothes on the line and gardening but I garden in pots on the balcony.
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