Toronto tenants and police stand off for hours following "unfair" eviction
Tenants from two buildings in Toronto occupied their property manager’s office overnight on Thursday to fight the “unfair” eviction of a senior tenant, who was reportedly evicted from her home despite her efforts to resolve her rent arrears.
Multiple tenants from 1440-1442 Lawrence Avenue W, located near Keele Street, rallied against landlord Barney River following the eviction of their neighbour, who was allegedly “not notified of her eviction.”
Action Alert! Barney Rivers is trying to evict a senior at 1442 Lawrence Avenue for a notice they never received! For 500 dollars that she can pay now @CP24 @MayorOliviaChow pic.twitter.com/WS3syotdDc
— YSW Tenant Union (@YSWtenants) December 14, 2023
According to a motion filed by the York South-Weston Tenant Union (YSW) to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), the tenant, Carmen Codnel, was evicted from her home on December 14 when the sheriff changed the locks on her unit after she left to pay the landlord the arrears owed.
The union says that Codnel owed her landlord less than a month’s rent — specifically, $536 — noting that “she is able to” and has “tried to” resolve her rent arrears.
At 1442 Lawrence, the full machine of evictions for a tenant that has not seen an order. In a building where they have not had mail delivered for 3 pic.twitter.com/1QTNWTB88p
— YSW Tenant Union (@YSWtenants) December 14, 2023
The application claims that Codnel did not know she was being evicted, as no mail is currently being delivered to her and other tenants due to the “gravity of disrepair and bed bug infestations in the building.”
A letter posted by the building’s local supervisory team in June 2023 instructs tenants to retrieve their mail from a Canada Post facility located roughly three kilometres from the buildings.
The whole landlord industrial complex at 1442 Lawrence ave W. @cityoftoronto sheriffs, @TPSOperations, Toronto Fire.
All for one senior. In the middle of a crisis. Landlord runs the building like a slumlord. pic.twitter.com/K4xR2bag7X
— YSW Tenant Union (@YSWtenants) December 14, 2023
The union alleges that since no mail is being delivered, Codnel did not receive a notice of hearing from the LTB and therefore could not participate in her eviction hearing.
“She did not receive the eviction order made against her, and she did not receive the sheriff’s notice to vacate. Had Ms. Codnel had the opportunity to attend her hearing or received notice of her eviction, she would have resolved her arrears,” the union wrote.
We continue the occupation of the office at 1440 Lawrence Avenue West. The owner of the building Aziz Manji gave his word to the tenant over the phone. Now they are calling the police.
This is the brutal reality that tenants have to live through in Toronto today. pic.twitter.com/9Wriw37tfY
— YSW Tenant Union (@YSWtenants) December 14, 2023
While the union has filed a motion with the LTB requesting an interim order for Codnel to get her union back, tenants say that Toronto police officers are still “threatening arrests” and “won’t wait” for a resolution by the board.
In response, tenants have been occupying the office of the buildings’ property management for almost a full day now, challenging Codnel’s eviction and refusing to leave until she is given her keys back.
Occupation is growing! No evictions! https://t.co/l4yuNWklm8
— YSW Tenant Union (@YSWtenants) December 14, 2023
Several videos and photos posted by the union show a heavy police presence at the buildings as tenants continued to occupy the office.
Being a tenant in Toronto, trying to pay your rent, Dec 2023 pic.twitter.com/aOID4J5zSE
— FMTA (@TorontoTenants) December 14, 2023
Multiple tenants stressed Codnel’s precarious situation as a senior, racialized woman and claimed that following her eviction, she was “not even allowed to get her diabetes medication.”
Over the next few hours, more neighbours and tenants joined the group to defend “Codnel’s right to stay in her home.”
We are still here, not going anywhere until our neighbour gets access to her unit
— YSW Tenant Union (@YSWtenants) December 15, 2023
At approximately 3 am Friday, the union revealed that police officers had left while tenants continued their sit-in through the night “until the landlord fulfills their promise” to grant Codnel access back to her home.
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