Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison says he wants a meeting with the owners of several apartment buildings on Trenton’s Sidney Street.
Word has spread fast that some renters in the buildings, owned by Bedford Properties of Mississauga, were handed eviction notices.
Reports indicate that the property owner has handed out so-called “renoviction notices”, so they can upgrade the buildings and the units inside.
The buildings, just south of Hamilton Road on Sidney, have about 120 units and between 100 and 200 residents.
There are some residents who have lived in the buildings for decades.
Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison says the notices could not be coming at a worse time.
“I’ve checked with other municipalities to see what they’ve been able to do. The lawyer says there’s nothing legally we can do and other municipalities haven’t achieved anything either.”
Harrison says this is horrible news for many many people.
“I feel for these people but I don’t know what I can do legally. It’s sad because from my perspective, those buildings are not run down.”
Building owners can hand out eviction notices if repairs are needed to be done when it is unsafe to have the tenants remain in the property.
Arguments against property owners allege that most of the time, upgrades are being done to the properties to jack up the rent.
One source to Quinte News says residents must be given first right of refusal on their upgraded units, while remaining at their existing rental payment.
Quinte News has been told that some of those that have been given renoviction notices are being offered money to leave their unit, however that has not been confirmed by Bedford Properties.
We have contacted the company for comment, with no response as of yet (as of April 7 at 7:30 p.m.).
Mayor Harrison says the company has not contacted the city for permits.
His Worship says in his opinion the buildings are not in bad shape.
“They’re not in disrepair, but I think what the company is doing is looking at ways that they can raise the rent. One is to put a meter (hydro) maybe in every unit, so then every unit is going to pay its own hydro and its own heat. That would be on top of the rent they are getting now.”
Harrison says he is reaching out to Bedford Properties for a meeting with the city. He will also be asking for MPP Todd Smith and MP Ryan Williams to be a part of the discussions.
He added that he doesn’t know where people will go if evicted.
“They’re doing everything I guess, what the lawyers are telling us, everything’s being done legally. Morally it’s a different aspect to it. I can’t deal with them on the moral issue, because I have no legal way to do that. But morally, why do they do it in such a way that they have to rip people out of their apartments?”
NOTE: THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED, IF BEDFORD PROPERTIES RESPONDs TO OUR REQUEST FOR COMMENT
Apartment buildings on Sidney Street in Trenton, owned by Bedford Properties
