A man who built a half-million dollar home near the Ottawa River has been told he must tear it down because it's too close to land owned by the National Capital Commission.

Sonny Bad'aan was in the midst of building a 5,000 square foot, four bedroom home last August when the NCC came knocking.

The NCC served notice that Bad'aan's house was too close to the Ottawa River Parkway. A spokesperson for the NCC said they couldn't make an exception because that would set a precedent.

Last week, an Ottawa court ruled that Bad'aan, a builder himself, had made an honest mistake. The NCC requires nine metres between a house and the neighbouring property, or three times as much as the city's requirement. That's something Bad'aan's lawyer didn't catch.

The structure is about five metres from the fence line, which means the $500,000 home will have to come down.

"It is a very expensive mistake and I'm not convinced that this house should be torn down," says Bad'aan.

But he will abide by the court ruling. He intends to sue his lawyer to try and recover his costs. In the meantime, he's started looking for somewhere else to build — away from NCC land.