This Landlord Bought A Toronto Area Farm 2 Years Ago. But The Tenant Has Barred Him From The Property

Sarbjit Sra, a real estate agent from nearby Brampton, bought the property in April 2020. His family want to live on the property, located about 60 miles northwest of Toronto. But the board did not rule in his favor until June 2021 and the order can not be executed until it is issued in writing by LTB. Nearly 10 months later, Sra is still awaiting this written order. “I can not sleep at night right now,” he said. “Right now, we are very disappointed.” Meanwhile, he says, he faces spending about $ 10,000 a month to pay off mortgages, taxes and utilities on the farm, which he bought for $ 1.75 million. He says the tenant refuses to pay rent or allow him to enter the property to inspect it for damage. Owners’ organizations representing landlords in Ontario say the situation underscores a growing problem – LTB’s apparent inability to act quickly on these disputes and immediately evict troubled tenants.

“A strange situation”

From that first request, an angry Sra tried to speed things up by requesting two more eviction orders. In November 2020, she submitted a request on the grounds that the man was not paying his rent. He refused, but the board ordered the tenant to return almost $ 11,000 in rent. Sra says he has not seen a penny of it. Sra then applied for a third eviction order, also based on non-payment of rent, in June 2021. It was heard by the board last January, and this time, LTB agreed – in writing – to evict the tenant. But about a month ago, Sra was informed that the order had been canceled and was reviewed at the tenant’s request. Sra and his lawyer say everything could have been avoided if the council had issued a written order in time for his initial application. An LTB spokesman rejected CBC Toronto’s request for an interview to explain the delay, but in the past, the board has acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a backlog of cases. Lawyer Ajmer Singh Mandur says he never met a client who waited nearly 10 months to receive a written eviction order from LTB. He calls the situation “strange”. (Mike Smee / CBC)
“Due to the relocation of staff, there will be a substantial delay [in] processing and scheduling of certain types of applications “, it is mentioned in an announcement on the website of the board of directors. “Orders will be issued from 20 to 60 days depending on the type of application.” But Ajmer Singh Mandur, the outlaw who represents Sra, told CBC Toronto that he has rarely seen an applicant wait so long for a written order. “I can say in my practice for the last 11 years that I have never encountered such a strange situation,” he said. CBC Toronto asked the tenant for an interview through his legal representative. So far there has been no response. The farm includes a barn, ancillary buildings and two adjoining rental units – the farmhouse and a communicating apartment. Sra says the lease requires a monthly rent of $ 1,140. LTB estimated that the tenant had raised back rent of almost $ 23,000. “Property owners who buy a home they want to live in should not have to wait up to a year or more … and should not be prejudiced if tenants refuse to pay the rent,” said Rose Marie, vice president an organization called Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario. “Housing providers are starting to wake up to the fact that something is wrong with the system – it is broken. We are looking forward to changes in the near future. Not next year, now.” Marie says that from 2019 to 2020, there were 41,621 eviction claims targeting tenants who refused to pay their rent – resulting in damage to landlords of about $ 1.45 billion. The following year, due to the pandemic, the number of applications dropped to just 24,400, which translates into a loss of rental income of about $ 856 million, Marie says. Her organization calls on LTB to hold more timely, effective hearings. “We need changes at the speed of light,” he said. The 40-acre farm has a barn and ancillary buildings. Sra says he comes from a rural background and would like to cultivate this property. (Mike Smee / CBC)
“There is something broken inside that needs to be repaired,” Mandur said. “Covid has had an impact in these cases, but it has to do with planning; it has nothing to do with making decisions.” Among other things, Sra says he also tried to inspect the property after giving 24 hours notice, “six or seven times”, but was stopped by the tenant. “It’s a nightmare for me,” says Sra. “I believe in our judicial system. I believe in the courts, I believe in LTB and I hope that one day we will have possession.”

title: “This Landlord Bought A Toronto Area Farm 2 Years Ago. But The Tenant Has Barred Him From The Property " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-27” author: “Anthony Feldkamp”

Sarbjit Sra, a real estate agent from nearby Brampton, bought the property in April 2020. His family want to live on the property, located about 60 miles northwest of Toronto. But the board did not rule in his favor until June 2021 and the order can not be executed until it is issued in writing by LTB. Nearly 10 months later, Sra is still awaiting this written order. “I can not sleep at night right now,” he said. “Right now, we are very disappointed.” Meanwhile, he says, he faces spending about $ 10,000 a month to pay off mortgages, taxes and utilities on the farm, which he bought for $ 1.75 million. He says the tenant refuses to pay rent or allow him to enter the property to inspect it for damage. Owners’ organizations representing landlords in Ontario say the situation underscores a growing problem – LTB’s apparent inability to act quickly on these disputes and immediately evict troubled tenants.

“A strange situation”

From that first request, an angry Sra tried to speed things up by requesting two more eviction orders. In November 2020, she submitted a request on the grounds that the man was not paying his rent. He refused, but the board ordered the tenant to return almost $ 11,000 in rent. Sra says he has not seen a penny of it. Sra then applied for a third eviction order, also based on non-payment of rent, in June 2021. It was heard by the board last January, and this time, LTB agreed – in writing – to evict the tenant. But about a month ago, Sra was informed that the order had been canceled and was reviewed at the tenant’s request. Sra and his lawyer say everything could have been avoided if the council had issued a written order in time for his initial application. An LTB spokesman rejected CBC Toronto’s request for an interview to explain the delay, but in the past, the board has acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a backlog of cases. Lawyer Ajmer Singh Mandur says he never met a client who waited nearly 10 months to receive a written eviction order from LTB. He calls the situation “strange”. (Mike Smee / CBC)
“Due to the relocation of staff, there will be a substantial delay [in] processing and scheduling of certain types of applications “, it is mentioned in an announcement on the website of the board of directors. “Orders will be issued from 20 to 60 days depending on the type of application.” But Ajmer Singh Mandur, the outlaw who represents Sra, told CBC Toronto that he has rarely seen an applicant wait so long for a written order. “I can say in my practice for the last 11 years that I have never encountered such a strange situation,” he said. CBC Toronto asked the tenant for an interview through his legal representative. So far there has been no response. The farm includes a barn, ancillary buildings and two adjoining rental units – the farmhouse and a communicating apartment. Sra says the lease requires a monthly rent of $ 1,140. LTB estimated that the tenant had raised back rent of almost $ 23,000. “Property owners who buy a home they want to live in should not have to wait up to a year or more … and should not be prejudiced if tenants refuse to pay the rent,” said Rose Marie, vice president an organization called Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario. “Housing providers are starting to wake up to the fact that something is wrong with the system – it is broken. We are looking forward to changes in the near future. Not next year, now.” Marie says that from 2019 to 2020, there were 41,621 eviction claims targeting tenants who refused to pay their rent – resulting in damage to landlords of about $ 1.45 billion. The following year, due to the pandemic, the number of applications dropped to just 24,400, which translates into a loss of rental income of about $ 856 million, Marie says. Her organization calls on LTB to hold more timely, effective hearings. “We need changes at the speed of light,” he said. The 40-acre farm has a barn and ancillary buildings. Sra says he comes from a rural background and would like to cultivate this property. (Mike Smee / CBC)
“There is something broken inside that needs to be repaired,” Mandur said. “Covid has had an impact in these cases, but it has to do with planning; it has nothing to do with making decisions.” Among other things, Sra says he also tried to inspect the property after giving 24 hours notice, “six or seven times”, but was stopped by the tenant. “It’s a nightmare for me,” says Sra. “I believe in our judicial system. I believe in the courts, I believe in LTB and I hope that one day we will have possession.”