A neighbour of an unconventional mini-loft project in Halifax's north end says he's locked in a land dispute with the developer because a window on the new building is five centimetres too close to the property line.

"He's desperately looking for my piece of land," said Phat Luong, who owns a rental property on Charles Street that backs on one of the Hunter Street lofts.

Luong is well known in Halifax as the gregarious barber who's run Phat's Barber Shop for more than two decades on Windsor Street.

The Hunter Street micro-loft project by Urban Renewables attracted attention because it built four loft-style apartments in a backyard space behind traditional homes.

'Being a neighbour'

Luong said he first objected to the proposed development in 2014 because it hemmed in his backyard and blocked the view.

But he said he withdrew his objections because Kerry Lynch of Urban Renewables convinced him the project would increase his property value, and that public hearings would delay the project.

"I thought I was being a neighbour, and try to be a nice guy for him," Luong said.

Developer Kerry Lynch built a series of micro-lofts in backyards of other homes. (Jack Julian/CBC)

A foot-wide strip of land

In February of 2015, Luong said Lynch offered to buy a strip of land a third of a metre wide behind the fence at the back of his property for $500.

Luong said he wasn't interested.

"I told him that, 'Kerry, I don't sell you that piece of property. If you want to buy my whole property, and then I will sell to you, for the whole thing'," Luong said.

Rental property owner Phat Luong says he feels betrayed by the dispute. (Jack Julian/CBC)

'Nothing to gain'

In December, Luong received notice Lynch was claiming ownership of the strip of land under adverse possession.

The legal document claimed the space behind the fence had effectively been part of Lynch's property for over 20 years.

Luong said his lawyer has drafted an objection and filed it with the provincial land registry.

"I just wish him luck at the beginning, but how he's forcing me to spend money for the lawyer. I have nothing to gain in this situation," he said.

Developer Kerry Lynch says he built the lofts using a fence as a guide, but the fence wasn't quite on the property line. (Lien Yeung/CBC)

Window too close

Luong said his experience has left him feeling betrayed.

"He said he do for the people, for the community, for the neighbourhood, but actually for himself. When he got screwed, when he got in a mess, he tried to screw somebody else," he said.

Kerry Lynch of Urban Resources said the proximity issue arose because he built the mini-lofts using the mutual fence as a guide.

He said a subsequent survey revealed the discrepancy, which put a window five centimetres too close to the property line.

Kerry Lynch from Halifax sits in front of a micro-loft on 5368 Hunter Street. (Lien Yeung/CBC)

'Not sure it was $500'

Lynch said he discussed purchasing the disputed strip of property from Luong, but he never named a price.

"I'm not sure it was $500, but yeah, I mean, we talked," Lynch said.

Lynch said the adverse possession claim on that strip of land has settled the issue.

"It's been migrated over to our title, so it's our property," he said.

Lynch said it's natural for new projects to have both supporters and opponents.

"I know from past experience that you can't make all the people happy all the time. For the most part, everybody has been very happy with the development," he said.

The compact apartments are meant to increase density in the peninsula's core. (Lien Yeung/CBC)

Micro-loft proximity an issue

The building permit at 2374 Hunter Street remains open pending a final inspection.

Jim Donovan, building and compliance manager for Halifax's planning and development department, said he won't give specifics of why the building permit is still open.

But Donovan would say there's an issue concerning proximity to a neighbouring property.

"From what I understand in talking to the staff, there's some issues around the construction of the building in relation to the distance from the property boundary," he said.

Meanwhile, the building remains officially under construction.

"We did our final inspection and we're working with the client to see what is required for us to issue an occupancy permit," he said.

Kerry Lynch has several properties with micro-lofts, and is planning to build more in North End Halifax. (Lien Yeung/CBC)

More micro-lofts in North End

Lynch said Urban Renewables recently purchased four adjacent lots on Stanley Street in North End Halifax.

His plan is to build a duplex on each lot, a combination of affordable 1-bedroom flats and 2-3 bedroom homes.

Lynch said it's a similar to what's seen in the nearby Hydrostone neighbourhood.

"The density is similar, and it respects the neighbourhood and its surroundings," he said.

Lynch said he'll be seeking variances on lot coverage to complete the project, but not to the same extent as the Hunter Street site.