Mont-Carmel seniors' residence tenants allege landlord is renting to younger people
Tenants living at the Mont-Carmel seniors' residence in downtown Montreal say they're concerned their landlord is not obeying a July 26 Quebec Superior Court ruling that states the building must primarily house people of a certain age.
They claim the building's management has been renting units to tenants much younger than 65 years old.
"They're young people, there are even children here, and they're all mixed up with us," said resident Constance Vaudrin.
She alleges these new tenants have not been made aware that their home is in the middle of a legal dispute.
"These people are victims, as we are, because they are brought here without knowing where they're landing," she said. "They're not told anything. They're not given any instruction whatsoever on how we function here."
Marie-Paule Lebel, a member of Sauvons le Mont-Carmel, states a register kept by the Quebec Health Ministry indicates seniors represent just 30 per cent of the building's tenants.
"There is good reason to believe that the landlord does not intend to comply with [the court] requirement as he continues to rent to tenants who are significantly younger than 65," she argues.
According to the government documents, 285 people can be housed in the residence, with 85 in the seniors' portion (RPA).
The portrait outlined that in the RPA section, there are no tenants under the age of 65.
It noted that 23 are between the ages of 65 and 74, 33 are 75 to 84 years old, and seven are aged 85 and older, for a total of 63 residents.
The document acknowledged there are 153 units currently rented out in the non-seniors quarters.
Building owner Henry Zavriyev says he was permitted to admit a wider variety of tenants by the regional health authority (CIUSSS), which oversees seniors' residences.
"We said, 'listen, we have crippling vacancy,'" he told CTV News. "So, something's got to give."
LACK OF SERVICES, TENANTS SAY
In addition to an alleged lack of maintenance in the common areas and reduced nursing services, the tenants claim the reception desk remains unstaffed for hours on end or is occupied by a person who also performs other duties.
"The constant presence of a person at the reception desk is an important security measure for us and is part of the services that must be maintained by the owner," said resident Normand Breault.
Zavriyev admits there were staffing issues for a brief period of time, but insists the required services are now being maintained.
"The nurse was always there and the reception is also there," he said. "There will continue to be a reception and nurse 24 hours until there's actually a decision rendered. I know that, as of now, it should be and is fully resolved."
Some of the hallway furniture was removed because of bedbugs and to make way for renovations, he adds.
Nevertheless, the Sauvons le Mont-Carmel committee says it sent a formal notice to the building owner's lawyers on Aug. 4, and has since received an email asking for a face-to-face meeting with their lawyers "to understand the letter better."
"At least three of the tenants involved in the legal proceedings were encouraged by representatives of the owner to leave Mont-Carmel with the offer of monetary compensation," alleges Vaudrin. "Such behaviour is unacceptable, and we demand that the owner cease all forms of harassment towards us."
Zavriyev says these were above-board, casual discussions that were not meant to coerce, but rather express a full range of options to the tenants.
The case is due back in court on Sept. 19.
-- with files from CTV News' Angela Mackenzie.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.