Émile Benamor, the owner of the two buildings in Old Montreal where nine people lost their lives in fires in 2023 and 2024, was fine last week for neglecting the maintenance outings in another of his buildings.
Inspectors having visited one of its properties in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce district, in March 2023, a week after a first fire in one of its buildings had seven victims, found that two doors leading to the outside presented irregularities
.
The first had no handle, while the second was sealed with adhesive tape and retained by a chain.
Mr. Benamor, who acquired the building in 2019 or 2020
says that the tenants of apartments 6 and 7, where the offenses were noted, did not allow him to enter their accommodation.
The owner maintains that he regularly performed visual inspections
and that he could not see these anomalies
From the outside, we can read in the judgment of the Montreal Municipal Court dated June 19.
And Risk of serious damage
In her decision, judge Johanne Duplessis stresses that Mr. Benamor is a lawyer and has experience in real estate matters; He has owned many buildings for several years. He should know that there are mechanisms with the administrative housing court (TAL) when a tenant prevents him from complying with his obligations.
She recalls that the requirement to maintain the evacuation means in good condition and free from any obstruction
is essential for the evacuation of occupants and the circulation of first respondents in an emergency.
The judge concludes that a reasonable person placed in the same circumstances would not have been satisfied with a visual inspection and that The risks of serious damage that these shortcomings cause are raised in the event of a fire since they jeopardize the security and the life of residents
.
Who is Émile Benamor?
A lawyer and Montreal businessman, Émile Benamor saw two of his buildings in Old Montreal Being the target of deadly criminal fires in 2023 and 2024.
This is the William-Watson-Ogilvie building, Place d’Youville, where seven people lost their lives in March 2023, and 400, rue Notre-Dame Est, where two people died in October 2024.
The fire that got started in the William-Watson-Ogilvie building on March 16, 2023 cost seven people.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Simon-Marc Charron
These buildings also had security gaps. Certain rooms rented in the building in the Place d’Youville, for example, had no windows.
Mr. Benamor himself was the target of two attacks. His car was burnt down in front of his Dorval residence and his Old Montreal office was riddled with bullets shortly after the second fire.
