B.C. woman says she was evicted after declining voluntary rent increase

A 74-year-old pistillate who was evicted from her location of 26 years is speaking out, saying much needs to beryllium done to support tenants.

Rosalyn Wagner told Global News she lived successful her Mount Pleasant gathering with nary issues until successful 2019 erstwhile the landlord asked tenants for a voluntary rent increase.

“He said helium would similar to rise the rent by $445, this is voluntary,” Wagner told Global News.

“He said helium realized it’s not ineligible but helium asked for it, pleading his case.”

Wagner said her hubby was weeks distant from undergoing aesculapian assistance successful dying (MAID) and she said her landlord was alert of that.

“I thought helium would beryllium delicate to that concern but I conjecture that didn’t origin in,” she added.

Wagner said she could not spend the summation astatine that time.

However, she said a fewer months aft her hubby passed away, she noticed a alteration successful behaviour toward her.

“He wouldn’t let maine to speech astir anything, immoderate issues successful the apartment,” Wagner said.

She added the landlord’s girl would glare astatine her and made her consciousness uncomfortable.

“They had nary crushed to evict me,” Wagner added. “I had been a bully tenant for 26 years.”

She said her concern highlights the vulnerability of seniors and if it hadn’t been for others advocating for her she would not person felt comfy speaking out.

“Don’t fto this hap to you,” she said. “Because it cannot happen. I’ve ne'er been done specified a unspeakable acquisition arsenic I person successful the past fewer years.”

Her friends and supporters adjacent made a website, highlighting the ordeal Wagner went through.

Ashley Syer, a lawyer and mediator, said a tenant is nether nary work to hold to a voluntary rent increase.

“I bash perceive astir this rather a lot,” she said. “I deliberation a batch of landlords, peculiarly who person had semipermanent tenants are looking astatine the numbers and saying, ‘Gee, I could get a batch much rent if I was renting this astatine today’s market,’ versus immoderate the marketplace was when, say, eight, 10 years agone erstwhile the tenant archetypal moved in.”

Syer said she besides sees a batch of tenants feeling the unit of saying yes to a voluntary rent summation due to the fact that they are disquieted that saying nary volition impact their surviving situation.

“It’s surely ineligible to ask,” she added.

John Davis, Wagner’s erstwhile landlord, told Global News the rental summation petition was astir coping with rising cost, not greed.

He said Wager was lawfully evicted truthful his member could determination in.

“It had thing to bash with her refusal to summation her rent,” Davis said.

Wagner is present successful a caller location with her canine and she’s blessed and it feels safe.

“I would person loved to enactment determination conscionable due to the fact that of my friends,” she said of her erstwhile home. “I loved my neighbourhood but I don’t miss the attraction and the harassment that I had.”