Montreal landlord to pay $34K for tenant damages
CBC News
Posted: Aug 9, 2012 8:25 PM ET
Last Updated: Aug 9, 2012 9:05 PM ET
Tenants complained that Claudio Di Gambattista owned building infested with cockroaches and rats. (CBC)
Claudio Di Giambattista, a notorious landlord in Montreal, will be forced to pay about $34,000 in moral and punitive damages to some of his former tenants.
Di Giambattista owns a 15-unit building on the corner of Ball Avenue and d'Outremont Avenue in Montreal's Parc Extension. The city closed the building five weeks ago after tenants complained of cockroaches, mould and rats. Tenants had 24 hours to vacate their apartments.
Aziz Ahmed, a former tenant, said he and his family spent five weeks at a local YMCA because they were kicked out of their home.
The rental board decided that Di Giambattista should pay for Ahmed's troubles.
"They call me in the house and he tell me, you are win, $9,000," Ahmed said.
A community group in Park Extension helped six of the tenants file complaints against Di Giambattista.
"I'm (relieved) that finally the tenants can see some light about their case," said André Trépanier, a member of the group. "They suffered a lot with that story with very bad housing conditions and emergency evacuation, and I hope that Mr. Di Giambattista will soon send them a cheque to each one."
Trépanier said there are still five tenants who could claim compensation.
The landlord now has 30 days to appeal the board's decision.
Ted Wright of the Westmount Legal Clinic said he found nearly 40 other cases involving Di Giambattista, and that even if the landlord appeals the board's decision, tenants should still be able to receive their money.
Wright said the city needs to do more to prevent landlords from taking advantage of their tenants.
Di Giambattista has had four buildings condemned by the city. Calls for comment from CBC News were not returned.
The building owner has many other complaints waiting to be processed at the rental board.
His building on Stuart Street in the same neighbourhood was shut down last November and many of those tenants are hoping they will be compensated for similar living conditions.
Share Tools
Latest Montreal News Headlines
- Quebec Charter of Values could breed intolerance, warn Liberals
- Quebec's citizenship minister today said the province is long overdue in dealing with the issue of accommodations to religious communities. more »
- Quebec private daycare owners hold 1-day walkout
- Thousands of owners of private subsidized daycares marched in Montreal to denounce Quebec's plans to cut $15M from their budgets. more »
- Woman injured after falling on Montreal metro tracks
- Witnesses said she fell onto the tracks after stepping between two metro cars of a train that was stopped in the station. more »
- Schools, hospitals react swiftly to boil water advisory
- Today's widespread boil water advisory has had many Montrealers scrambling, including employees and administrators at schools and hospitals around the city. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Harper 'not consulted' about Duffy Senate expense repayment
- Prime Minister Stephen Harper says that not only did he not know about his chief of staff's "gift" to repay Senator Mike Duffy's expenses before the story broke in the media, he was not consulted and did not sign off on Nigel Wright's decision to write a personal cheque. more »
- 2 infants confirmed among dead of Oklahoma tornado
- Rescue workers raced to complete the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a mammoth tornado destroyed countless homes, cleared lots down to bare red earth and claimed 24 lives, including those of 10 children. more »
- 'You will see him again in heaven,' Sharlene Bosma tells daughter
- Sharlene Bosma told more than 1,000 people at the public memorial service for her slain husband, Tim Bosma, about the love they shared. more »
- Senators' Alfredsson on defeating Penguins: 'Probably not'
- The Pittsburgh Penguins scored four times in the third period and six unanswered goals in all to blow out the Ottawa Senators 7-3 and take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final series. more »
Most Viewed/Commented
- 1.3 million Montrealers face boil water advisory
- Woman injured after falling on Montreal metro tracks
- 23-year-old woman dies while surfing near LaSalle
- How Quebec Cree avoided the fate of Attawapiskat
- 'Lightly felt' earthquake west of Montreal
- Quebec private daycare owners hold 1-day walkout
- Taking a look at graffiti tagging hotspots in Montreal
- CBC board member linked to allegations before corruption inquiry
- Service restored on Montreal metro lines
