MONTREAL -- A senior woman in Verdun is taking her new landlord to the rental board claiming that they are trying to "renovict" her and her neighbours.
Karen Laviolette's building was purchased by LS Capital Group last year and she said the new landlord is looking to do extensive renovations.
"They asked us to go away for 12 months, so all of these things there where do you put them?" she said pointing to all items in her apartment. "And when you go to a new house, you have to find a new house. You have to find a new place."
Laviolette said her health is deteriorating and finding a new place will be difficult.
The 76-year-old feels she has been treated inhumanely and has been taken in front of the rental boards several times, one time for not paying rent. She said she handed in the cheque on time, and the landlord abandoned the cases.
After going to the borough due to the floor sanding and drilling becoming unbearable, the work was shut down because the group did not have a permit.
Verdun is a borough that is seeing a lot of change, and affordable housing activists and community organizers say "renovictions" are becoming more and more common in areas that are gentrifying, as landlords seek to capitalize on new money coming into the area.
"In the last few years, we've seen it become more and more common," said Verdun Citizens' Action Committee member Steve Baird. "What we've seen recently and especially with LS Capital Group is that there is people that are making this a business model and trying to do it frequently and on a larger scale than before."
LS Captial did not respond to requests for comment. The group's website said its "mission is to offer superior returns to its investors by securing undervalued real estate and increasing revenues to full market value."
Laviolette and the other tenants are now going to the rental board in hopes they won't be forced to leave their homes.
A hearing is expected next month.
