Investigation Report: Ombudsman Act – RM of Hanover
investigations & monitoring
municipal / local body
Summary
A property owner complained to us about the Rural Municipality of Hanover’s decision to enforce an emergency clean-up of her property and bill her for the cost. Debris had been piled on the municipal road by a landscaping company hired by the property owner. The municipality considered the debris a hazard that needed to be immediately removed, and as such, we found that it was authorized to charge the property owner for removal of the debris. However, under the municipality’s litter by-law an individual was only liable to a fine upon a summary conviction. In this case, the time frame to take such legal action had expired. We recommended that the municipality rescind the offence notice fine, which it agreed to do.
Case 2015-0094