Latest news with #rent
CTV News
3 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Scales of Justice: Lawsuits between Reptilia and Westmount Shopping Centre concern animal welfare group
The embattled reptile zoo in Westmount Mall has landed in court over a rent dispute with its landlord. CTV London's Daryl Newcombe explains. The claws are out in a legal dispute over Reptilia's 20-year lease at Westmount Shopping Centre and allegations that the reptile zoo owes the mall unpaid rent. In February, a Statement of Claim was filed by 785 Wonderland Road Inc. (Westmount Shopping Centre) against Reptilia that alleges, 'The tenant failed to pay the full rent to the landlord for the months of October, November and December 2024, as well as January and February 2025.' The mall is seeking rent arrears of $153,348 plus interest, and a $100,000 payment based on a Minutes of Settlement reached in August 2024. On June 20, Reptilia responded in a Statement of Defence that denies the allegations. The indoor reptile zoo also launched a Counterclaim against the mall for more than a million dollars. Reptilia's filing refers to its lengthy legal dispute with the City of London about whether the provincially licensed reptile zoo must comply with London's Animal Control By-Law that forbids displaying exotic species. Specifically, Reptilia refers to a clause in its lease agreement, 'In the event that the City of London or any other authority having jurisdiction requires any amendments to the zoning by-laws or regulations to permit the Tenant's use set out in this Section 9.01 (a) of this Lease, the Landlord shall be responsible, at its sole cost and expense' Reptilia's Counterclaim against Westmount Shopping Centre alleges it has suffered 'significant operational losses' directly resulting from the property not being zoned for its use. The reptile zoo is seeking $1 million for negligent misrepresentation and $275,000 for breach of contract. 'The decision from the City of London and the application commenced by the City of London garnered significant media attention, which negatively impacted Reptilia London's operations including the number of visitors to its facilities,' the Counterclaim states. 'Additionally, as the result of the decision by the City of London, many educational facilities, including School Boards, refused to work with Reptilia London based on concerns of Reptilia London's operations being in contravention of the Animal Control By-Law. Reptilia's educational programs usually make up a significant portion of its revenues.' Zoocheck Canada says the legal documents are another cause for concern among animal welfare advocates. 'Our biggest concern is the animals that are located at that facility,' said Julie Woodyer of Zoocheck Canada. 'Obviously that's a great concern to us whenever we start hearing that there's these ongoing battles in court and assertions that the finances just aren't there.' Reptilia continues to operate its zoo inside the mall. John Winston, who has been engaged with Reptilia since the business arrived in London tells CTV News in a statement, 'This is a landlord/tenant dispute. Rest assured that care of the animals is not, and would never be, compromised.' Winston emphasizes, 'Ontario Animal Welfare Services has inspected the facility three times since opening and determined it was operating to provincial standards.' Zoocheck Canada obtained emails between the Thames Valley District School Board and representatives of Reptilia through a Freedom of Information Request. The correspondence focusses on the school board's resistance to bringing students to Reptilia based on concerns about accreditation and the dispute with city hall regarding the Animal Control By-Law. 'The school boards, rightly so, do not consider it a proper way to educate children,' added Woodyer. CTV News has yet to receive a response from the operator of Westmount Shopping Centre about the court documents filed by Reptilia. Allegations made in the Statement of Claim, Statement of Defence, and Counterclaim have not been tested in court.
Irish Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Bewley's seeks Grafton St rent reduction from Johnny Ronan company
Bewley's Cafe and a company owned by property developer Johnny Ronan have gone to the High Court in a row over €747,000 per-year rent for the Grafton Street outlet. Mr Ronan's RGRE Grafton Limited has said the rent should actually be €1 million, while a valuer called by the famous coffee company said it should be €518,000. The High Court heard that prior to October last year, Bewley's had been paying €1.46 million for the same premises but that figure was reduced following a rental valuation by the Circuit Court. The High Court appeal was taken by Bewley's Café Grafton Street Ltd (BCGSL) through Beauchamps solicitors, led by Simon Murphy, against the rent granted to RGRE Grafton Limited, which owns the building located at 78-79 Grafton Street, Dublin 2. READ MORE RGRE Grafton has cross-appealed the decision. The difference between the two sides' figures over a five-year rental period amounts to over €2.5 million. The case centres on the methods behind the valuations of both sides. The court has been told that BCGSL held the lease on the building from 1987 for 35 years, a deal that expired in August 2022. BCGSL then received a new tenancy under Part II of the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Act 1980. In October, the cafe had its annual rent halved following a ruling by Judge Jennifer O'Brien, who said it should have to pay a rent of more than €738,000 per year. That figure was later adjusted to €747,000 – still a 50 per cent drop from the previous €1.46 million being paid. The Circuit Court found that this fairly represented what a willing tenant would pay and a willing landlord would take for the premises as of August 2022 over a five-year lease term and that BCGSL was entitled to almost €1 million for rent paid since the expiry of the previous lease. Both sides are appealing the decision of the Circuit Court. Fergus Crosse, an expert valuer retained by BCGSL, told the High Court that improvements to the Bewley's building made by BCGSL also meant that the gross rent should be reduced. Mr Crosse was of the opinion that the statutory rental value of the property was €518,000. David Potter, a valuer with Savills, was retained by RGRE Grafton. He said the statutory rent should be €1 million annually. Mr Crosse told David Whelan SC, for BCGLS, that he employed a 'zoning' of arrears of the floor space at the cafe which meant that Zone A, closest to the entrance, would be the most valuable. Each tranche of zones was measured at 20 feet from the entry. Mr Crosse said he used comparator properties on Grafton Street in his analysis and that Zone B would be valued at 50 per cent of Zone A and that Zone C would be valued at 50 per cent of Zone B. Mr Potter said an 'overall' view was more effective in determining the rent and that the use of the zoning model in this case led to a 'misvaluation'. Mr Potter said the use of the zoning model meant the restaurant floor space far from the door was now valued at a lower rate by Mr Crosse which 'undervalued' the restaurant area. 'Bewley's space at the back is big money, it's the main restaurant,' said Mr Potter. 'It can't be valued as if it is the cheapest, worst space. Zoning undervalues it significantly, as if the rear is ancillary, but it is not – it is a really attractive restaurant.' Mr Potter said that a valuation of €24 per square foot of the restaurant area – while the staff room in nearby McDonald's restaurant was valued at €60 per square foot – amounted to a 'fundamental misvaluation'. He said he was valuing the property as a restaurant and not a restaurant-retail use agreement and that Dublin City Council previously gave an opinion that it would prefer the use of Bewley's to be maintained as a restaurant and not a retail outlet. The case continues before Ms Justice Sara Phelan.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Montreal asking rents up nearly 71% since 2019, says StatsCan
The average asking price of rent in Montreal has shot up nearly 71 per cent since 2019, according to a rent report released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday. Between 2019 and the first quarter of 2025, asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the country's second-largest city has grown from $1,130 to $1,930, the data agency said in its first-ever quarterly rent statistics report. Elsewhere in Quebec, the cities of Drummondville and Sherbrooke — which had the lowest average asking rents at the start of this year — saw the biggest uptick in average asking rents for two-bedroom apartments since the first quarter of 2019. The report draws from asking rents to illustrate the latest market trends, because "prospective renters typically face higher rents compared with long-term tenants" whose rents reflect past leases, the report said. Some Canadian cities with large renter populations, including Montreal, "have experienced very, very high rent growth" in just a few years, said Mike Moffatt, an assistant professor of business, economics and public policy at Western University's Ivey Business School. Some of those rates are now coming down year-over-year: in Montreal, for example, asking rent for a two-bedroom declined slightly between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025. That drop is more pronounced in places like Ontario's Kitchener-Waterloo region or Kelowna, B.C. While "it's nice to have a decline of three or four per cent, that doesn't necessarily make up for the big changes that we've seen since 2019," said Moffatt. In the rest of Canada, the average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment was highest in Vancouver, where the figure stood at $3,170 in the first quarter of 2025. It was followed by Toronto ($2,690), Victoria ($2,680) and Ottawa ($2,490). Montreal ranks 17th on that list, according to Statistics Canada. Advocates for affordable housing recently told Radio-Canada that they're on high alert in the lead-up to Quebec's July 1 moving day, with the province's housing tribunal having authorized the largest rent increase in at least three decades earlier this year. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Montreal asking rents up nearly 71% in six years, according to Statistics Canada
A new Statistics Canada report says asking rent in Montreal has risen by nearly 71 per cent since 2019. The Montreal skyline as seen from Mount Royal on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz A new Statistics Canada report says asking rent in Montreal has risen by nearly 71 per cent since 2019. Average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $1,930 in the first quarter of 2025, up from $1,130 six years ago. Asking rents have roughly doubled in some other Quebec cities, including Drummondville and Sherbrooke. Montreal ranked 17th for average asking rent among Canadian cities in 2025, well behind Vancouver at $3,170, and Toronto at $2,690. But asking rent has increased by just 27 per cent in Vancouver over the last six years, and only five per cent in Toronto. The report notes that asking rents tend to be higher than rents paid by long-term tenants, and offers a picture of current market trends. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025. offers
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Montreal asking rents up nearly 71% since 2019, says StatsCan
The average asking price of rent in Montreal has shot up nearly 71 per cent since 2019, according to a rent report released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday. Since 2019, asking rent in the country's second-largest city has grown from $1,130 to $1,930 in the first quarter of 2025, the data agency said in its first-ever quarterly rent statistics report. Elsewhere in Quebec, the cities of Drummondville and Sherbrooke — which had the lowest average asking rents at the start of this year — saw the biggest uptick in average asking rents for two-bedroom apartments since the first quarter of 2019. The report draws from asking rents to illustrate the latest market trends, because "prospective renters typically face higher rents compared with long-term tenants" whose rents reflect past leases, the report said. In the rest of Canada, the average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment was highest in Vancouver, where the figure stood at $3,170 in the first quarter of 2025. It was followed by Toronto ($2,690), Victoria ($2,680) and Ottawa ($2,490). Montreal ranks 17th on that list, according to Statistics Canada.
