A Chelsea, Que., man who took over his father's grave marker business three years ago is finding out the hard way that when you're dealing with city hall, nothing is certain unless it's written in stone.

Alex Lapointe took over Monuments & Lettrage Lapointe from his father Denis, who started the business at his Hollow Glen home in 1983.

For more than 30 years, the elder Lapointe had used an air compressor to etch names, birth and death dates onto granite gravestones stacked in the large back yard. Lapointe, who was under contract with a number of Gatineau-area cemeteries, would then deliver and install the commemorative markers.

Denis Lapointe had always told his son he had registered the business with the municipality, and that's what Alex believed when he bought his father's home in 2012 and officially took over the business in 2015.

However he'd only been operating for about a year when a neighbour complained about the business, summoning municipal inspectors to the property.

A Monuments & Lettrage Lapointe employee uses a sandblaster to engrave dates onto a grave marker at a Gatineau cemetery. (Stu Mills/CBC) "He never complained before that, so I don't know what happened," Alex Lapointe said. "We never had any problems before."

Not zoned for commercial use

He has a problem now.

Lapointe was informed that his property wasn't zoned for commercial use. Furthermore, the municipality could find no record that the business had ever been registered, and Denis Lapointe was unable to produce proof.

Complicating matters is the fact that the Lapointes had been paying commercial property tax; Alex Lapointe has records dating back to 2004 to prove it, and believes his father paid the higher rate long before that.

Nevertheless, the municipality ordered Lapointe to stop working on the property, and gave him 10 days to remove the two dozen or so monuments stored there.

Lapointe agreed to the stop-work order, but asked for a two-year grace period to remove the stones. The municipality refused.

The Municipality of Chelsea ordered Alex Lapointe to remove the monuments and gravestones stored behind his home, but some remain there. (Stu Mills/CBC) "They said it's 10 days or nothing, or we go to court," Lapointe said.

Municipality was aware of business

Alex Lapointe said municipal officials have known for years that he and his father were operating a business from their home. Inspectors have paid them several visits over the years, he said, and on one occasion asked him to move stones that were sitting too close to the street.

They always knew we were there. They even hired us to do work in the Chelsea cemetery. - Alex Lapointe

The company has even been approached to advertise in the municipal calendar, Lapointed said.

"They always knew we were there. They even hired us to do work in the Chelsea cemetery," he said.

Most of Lapointe's neighbours are supportive, and were surprised to hear the business had been shut down.

"I'm really surprised. Never heard any noise coming from that area," said neighbour Alain Gervais. "The cows are louder than that," he said, gesturing toward a field down the street.

But Chelsea Mayor Caryl Green said the municipality was obligated to check out the complaint against Lapointe.

Hollow Glen neighbour Alain Gervais said he never encountered any problems with Lapointe's engraving business. (Stu Mills/CBC) "Unfortunately, we only work on a complaint system," she said.

Hoping for resolution

Green said staff have searched the municipality's archives, and are confident no permit to run the home-based business was ever issued. She could not explain why the Lapointes have apparently been paying property taxes at a commercial rate.

Nevertheless, Lapointe is awaiting two court dates: one in December for failing to meet the 10-day deadline, and another next March for operating an illegal business.

I'd like to think that we could find a way to settle it. - Caryl Green, Chelsea mayor

Green said she's hopeful the town's zoning bylaw can be amended to allow Lapointe to continue operating his business, and avoid dragging the matter through the courts.

"I'd like to think that we could find a way to settle it," she said.

In the meantime, Lapointe carries out the sandblasting work at cemeteries rather than behind his home, though he still keeps some inventory there.

He said the ordeal has thrown a wrench into what was supposed to be a father's legacy to his son.

"He always said, 'One day this business is going to be yours,' and he was proud of me taking over," Lapointe said. "For him, he's been pissed off about it."