Landlord can't get rid of tenant who won't pay rent
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 | 1:17 PM ET
CBC News
A Toronto condo owner says her patience is wearing thin with the eviction process at the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board.
Since October of last year Jane Randall has been trying to evict a tenant who, she says, has refused to pay rent and has caused damage to the apartment.
Sitting in her kitchen Randall showed off the hundreds of pieces of paper detailing the costly fight. "These," she said, "are all the cheques that have bounced."
Randall rents out a North York condo for $1,800 per month. But in the summer the tenant refused to pay.
"You need that money to pay your mortgage, to pay your taxes, to pay maintenance — and I haven't had any [rent] money in six months. So I'll be out on the street and she'll be living in my house," said a frustrated Randall.
In early October, Randall applied for and got an eviction notice from the Landlord and Tenant Board — but that was cancelled when the tenant complained of missing the hearing because she was sent to the wrong room.
When the tenant failed to show up for the next review, another eviction notice was issued. But the tenant demanded a further hearing.
At that third hearing the tenant was ordered to pay $5,000 in back rent by the end of 2009.
Randall is still waiting for her cash and another hearing.
The process has cost her more than $13,000 in lost rent and legal bills and Randall is fed up with the lack of enforcement.
Despite three hearings, two eviction notices and the payment order, nothing has happened.
"She [the tenant] knows the system. She takes advantage of the system and the system allows [it]," said Randall.
The Landlord and Tenant Board says issues like this are usually dealt with within four-to-six weeks but admits if there is a review there is no telling how long the process could take.
CBC news contacted the tenant but she refused to comment.
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