Pop Goes The News – Residents of apartments on a busy block of Notre-Dame St. West in Old Montreal are in a battle to shut down an alleged after-hours club.

Montreal police (SPVM) have responded to numerous noise complaints at 48 Notre-Dame Street West in recent weeks but have been unable to issue warnings or tickets because the occupants refuse entry to officers.

The alleged after-hours club operates from a recording studio located on the second floor of the residential building on weekends. Although the building is busy with short-term rentals, it is believed the person running the club is a full-time tenant. (PopGoesTheNews.com was unable to reach him.)

Residents of at least three buildings adjacent to and across the street have complained for weeks about loud music and the shouting of dozens of patrons who gather outside 48 Notre-Dame St. West to smoke or await Ubers and taxis. Two residents of an adjacent building have said the bass is often so powerful that their windows rattle.

In addition to the noise, residents have witnessed patrons of the alleged after-hours club discarding red cups, bottles and other garbage onto the street.

SPVM officers who arrived at the building in the early morning hours of Aug. 28 and Aug. 29 were thwarted in their attempts to speak to the occupants of the apartment. On Aug. 28, the occupants turned off the music, closed the windows and refused to allow officers entry into the building’s main entrance. On Aug. 29, officers were buzzed into the building by another tenant but the operators of the alleged after-hours club refused to open their door.

Fed up with the weekly disturbances, residents of neighbouring buildings filed complaints with the City of Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough, the SPVM district 21 and the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec, which regulates the sale of alcohol.

Mélanie Faucher, assistant to borough councillor Robert Beaudry, confirmed that his office is aware of the issues.

Ville-Marie officials confirmed they have investigated several complaints about 48 Notre-Dame St. West but do not have inspectors available during the hours of the alleged club’s operation. It said it is up to the SPVM to respond and to impose fines.

The building is owned by Danda Capital Inc., whose director is listed as Émile Fattal.

A representative of the residents group said Fattal downplayed the issue when he was advised of the problems at his building via email on Aug. 30.

Contacted by PopGoesTheNews.com, Fattal denied any knowledge. “As landlords we were not aware of any recent disturbances in the building,” he wrote, adding “we immediately made contact with the tenants.”

Fattal declined to say if he will monitor the building this holiday weekend, when residents are bracing for more chaos. But, asked if he would allow SPVM officers to enter the building if requested, he wrote: “We will of course give them our full cooperation.”

Neighbours just want to be able to sleep on weekends. “These people have shown nothing but contempt for the people who live around them,” said one. “They are selfish, entitled people who have no respect for anyone.”

UPDATE #1: Neighbouring residents are seeking an investigation by the OACIQ, which regulates realtors in the province, after learning that broker Alexandra Fattal is acting as a rental agent for 48 Notre-Dame Street West. They want to know if she is disclosing to potential renters that an alleged after-hours club operates in the building.

Fattal declined to answer specific questions, but said in an email that she is not involved in the day-to-day management of the building and added: “You can be certain that I respect all rules and regulations of the OACIQ.”

Fattal said “the landlord and management is taking this matter very seriously and are in contact with the police department.”

UPDATE #2: SPVM officers responded to numerous noise complaints in the early morning hours of both Sept. 5 and 6.

Police were able to gain entry to the building shortly before 2 a.m. on Sept. 6. Several patrons fled the scene and nearly a dozen more were advised to leave or risk being ticketed for violating COVID-19 restrictions. Officers said the operator of the alleged club was issued a ticket for a noise violation.

Approximately 15 minutes after police left, the alleged club was operating again and patrons were lined up outside waiting to enter. Four SPVM officers returned to the building and ordered people to disperse.

Police were called back at approximately 6:15 a.m. due to excessive bass from the alleged after-hours club and were once again able to gain entry to the building but, reportedly, unable to make contact with the operator.

SPVM will not disclose the name of the individual who was ticketed but officers told residents that he claimed to be a music producer who was soon leaving for Miami.