The most expensive home for sale in Quebec is in the sights of tax authorities demanding $2.5 million from businessman Jean-Noel “Sarteau” Lacroix.

Revenu Québec has just acquired the most expensive home for sale in the Capitale-Nationale region. Tax authorities are trying to recover nearly $2.5 million in unpaid taxes from a company allegedly linked to controversial businessman Jean-Noel “Sarteau” Lacroix.

Last Friday, tax authorities obtained a pre-judgment seizure of a vast property on the edge of Lake Saint-Augustin, in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmores.

Investigators wanted to urgently prevent the sale of this luxury 5-bedroom property with indoor and outdoor pools in the grounds.

Listed at $5,995,000, it is the most expensive residence currently for sale in Greater Quebec, according to the Centris website.

Image taken from remax-quebec.com

On paper, the house was purchased in April 2022 by Jean-Noel Lacroix's partner, Marie-Louise Monast, who married him the following year.

But to tax authorities, it's just window dressing. A woman who declares an average annual income of $24,000 for 20 years cannot afford such a mansion, and Sarto will be the real owner.

“Defendant Jean-Noel Lacroix has long used aliases to avoid fulfilling his obligations, in particular tax obligations, and defendant Marie-Louise Monast actively participates in this scheme so that her husband can escape from his creditors,” Revenu Québec alleges in its petition. Establish procedures consulted by our investigation office.

Image taken from remax-quebec.com

'Full of condemnation'

This is because the tax authorities are demanding a lot of money from Lacroix. He claims the businessman is hiding behind a numbered company that declared bankruptcy on May 15, owing about $1.7 million in Quebec sales tax and nearly $800,000 under federal tax law.

“Over the years, defendant Jean-Noel Lacroix has continued to attempt to evade his tax obligations, and if necessary, he and one or another of his companies do not hesitate to resort to bankruptcy and insolvency law.” […] In order to protect themselves from their creditors,” the state claims.

Jean-Noel Lacroix

TikTok screenshot of PMM lockers

The seizure of the luxury residence was approved by Justice Mary Cossett of the High Court. Revenu Québec argued before it that the career of Lacroix and his various companies was “full of convictions in civil, criminal and criminal matters.”

Among other things, in February 2014, LaCroix pleaded guilty to charges of theft from federal and provincial revenue agencies and was sentenced to two years less daily community service.

“He owes nothing”

On Monday, at the end of the day, the lawyer of Jean-Noel Lacroix, M.D., was contacted by phone^H Martin Andre Roy rejected the claims of the tax authorities.

“[Lacroix] “He does not owe anything to Revenu Québec, and Revenu Québec's claims will be contested,” he said.

The lawyer added: “It is difficult for him to imagine himself responsible for the debts of a company that he does not own, and which he left, I think, 3 or 4 years ago.”

Killing and burning

The application to declare Lacroix as the true owner of the building has not yet been decided on the merits, and the expropriation was authorized before judgment in the absence of Lacroix and Monast.

Moreover, the businessman is currently outside the country, according to his lawyer.

In a $3.8 million lawsuit filed days ago against Quebec City, “Sarteau” Lacroix claims that a Quebec police investigator told him his life was in danger, following the November 2023 killing of former biker Michel “Don” Guerin.

Michelle “Don” Guerin

Taken from Michel Guerin's Facebook page

The company where Lacroix worked as sales director, Armoires PMM, was also the target of an arson attack a few days before Guérin was killed.

In collaboration with Philippe Langlois