Halifax, Nova Scotia (December 26, 2022) – It’s been two months since tenant Stacey Gomez was forced out of her Church Street apartment. The property is at the centre of a renoviction battle with landlord Marcus Ranjbar (4364812 Nova Scotia Limited).
“For the past two months, my life has been in limbo. I have been between housing and my belongings have been in storage, as I wait for a decision on my case. During this time, I have continued to face harassment for exercising my rights as a tenant. Moreover, due to factors such as the low vacancy rate, it was incredibly difficult for me to find a place to stay in the immediate term. Thankfully, I recently secured short-term housing for January,” says Ms. Stacey Gomez.
On October 25, 2022, the landlord served Ms. Stacey Gomez a Form F and claimed that her lease was terminated effective immediately. Shortly after, he proceeded to remove her belongings from the apartment without her consent. However, this was not following the rules set out by Nova Scotia’s Residential Tenancy Program. On November 23, 2022, Ms. Gomez filed a Form J: Application to Director to set aside the notice to quit given by the landlord.
At the time, Stacey Gomez had temporarily left the apartment while repairs were completed to address high levels of mould detected in an air quality test ordered by the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). In her Form J, Ms. Gomez is arguing that “the landlord’s inaction allowed the mold issue to develop to the point that HRM had to step in for [her] safety.”
Stacey Gomez is seeking to return to the apartment once the repairs are completed. In addition, Ms. Gomez is requesting compensation for the landlord’s breach of the Residential Tenancy Act’s (“Act”) renoviction provisions, as well as the levying of a $1000 fine against the landlord for illegally evicting her, and an additional $1000 fine for each breach of the Act under Section 23 of the Act. This would be the first time in Nova Scotia history that this provision of the Act would be used.
Stacey Gomez states that she has not been provided with a timeline for repairs by the HRM or the landlord.
The hearing has been scheduled for January 11, 2023.
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