Halifax, NS – Landlord Marcus Ranjbar, who is seeking to renovict tenant Stacey Gomez, has been cited for numerous violations by the City of Halifax.
On August 22nd, Gomez posted an online video about actions taken by the landlord, including accusing him of demolishing the front steps of the building on August 13, 2022 without providing any notice, which she says impacted her mail delivery service. In addition, Gomez has stated that the landlord demolished her deck on August 20th without providing any notice.
On August 26th, a Halifax building inspector conducted an onsite inspection at the Church St. property owned by Ranjbar.
On August 29th, the Landlord Marcus Ranjbar was cited for four violations. Each violation carries a fine of $237.50/day. Landlord Marcus Ranjbar was ordered to make numerous repairs and to submit a professional air quality test report.
On August 29th, the Landlord Marcus Ranjbar was also issued an order to comply and ordered to stop unpermitted work. The order reads: “The work at the above noted property does not have a valid building permit and is therefore in contravention of the above noted statutes and bylaws” and “All work must stop until a valid permit is in place.”
“These orders make clear that the landlord Marcus Ranjbar is not following the rules and now he must pay a hefty fine and comply,” said Gomez.
She added: “To my knowledge, he has not taken actions to address any of these issues.”
The residential tenancy board hearing to decide on Ranjbar’s application to have Gomez evicted for renovations took place on August 31, 2022. The tenant made a counter claim in which she seeks numerous repairs and rent abatement for violations of the Residential Tenancy Act.
Since Gomez’s story came to light, other tenants have come forward with similar stories. For example, in a CBC article published on August 31, 2022, former tenants of Ranjbar said they left their unit due to “ongoing harassment” by the landlord.
The Residential Tenancy board is set to issue a decision on Gomez’s case within 2 weeks time.