Ontario renter eventually moves out, 11 months after he stopped paying rent

A Brampton, Ont., mates is relieved to person entree to their location backmost finally, 11 months aft a tenant stopped paying his rent and inferior bills soon aft helium was asked to determination out.

“This is what I was waiting for,” said Yvonne Folkes wrong her reclaimed Brampton location connected Friday.

“A cleanable slate.”

Folkes and her hubby notified the tenant successful penning they wanted him to permission astir a twelvemonth ago, citing their volition to determination backmost into the home. Once they did that, helium stopped paying rent and utilities — but refused to leave.

“We were astatine the constituent wherever we astir mislaid the location due to the fact that we person to wage the owe portion he’s successful the location not paying rent, not paying utilities,” she told Global News.

“It was conscionable precise hard. Financially stressful, mentally, physically, emotionally — everything,” Folkes said, describing an ordeal involving the family’s lone rental property, located a mates of blocks from wherever they were living.

The tenant, Hermann Founiapte Dakono, was paying astir $3,200 a period successful rent. Folkes described him arsenic primitively a “good tenant” until helium was served announcement to determination out.

As Global News discovered successful May, Founiapte was adamant helium wouldn’t permission until helium was forced to bash so.

“Why (do) I person to leave? You cannot travel and archer me,” Founiapte told Global News during an interrogation connected the driveway that took spot aft helium made a 911 telephone to constabulary to kick astir the beingness of the tv quality unit outside.

Founiapte explained that helium would permission yet erstwhile his family’s caller location successful Hamilton was acceptable for occupancy successful the fall.

In the meantime, the tenant employed a fig of delaying tactics to postpone an eviction order. These included asking for a landlord and tenant tribunal committee proceeding successful French, adjacent though helium had been communicating astatine each times with Folkes and her ineligible counsel successful English.

“Unfortunately, everything that helium did usage was fixed to him by the Landlord and Tenant Board,” said paralegal Joey Rizzuto, who has represented Folkes and her hubby for the past 8 months.

“If idiosyncratic knows what they’re doing they bash person the quality to hold the process,” said Rizzuto, who said Founiapte apt could person lived rent-free for different fewer months adjacent though he’d been served an eviction bid that took effect September 20.

In Ontario, a ineligible eviction tin lone beryllium carried retired by a section Sheriff who is authorized to enforce an eviction order. There is simply a important backlog of cases successful Peel Region, wherever Brampton is situated.

Founiapte elected to determination retired voluntarily conscionable arsenic the eviction bid took effect.

Global News asked Founiape, the tenant, for an interview, but helium declined.

“No…because I don’t spot you, that’s the reason,” helium said successful a telephone call, referring to Global News’ archetypal reporting connected the issue.

The proprietor of Hermann Trucking successful Etobicoke claimed Folkes “didn’t bash what she’s expected to bash arsenic a landlord” and said helium plans to prosecute 2 claims with the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Founiape said helium didn’t permission Folkes’ spot due to the fact that of the eviction order, but due to the fact that “my location was ready, that’s wherefore I left.”

Founiape said successful May helium was having a location constructed and would determination retired erstwhile it was completed.

As for the $32,000 successful unpaid rent and utilities, helium said he’d wage if ordered to bash so.

“I beryllium the money,” Founiape said.

After astir a twelvemonth of dealing with the strategy that governs landlords and tenants, Folkes says the strategy needs reform.

“It needs to alteration a lot, ” said Folkes.