Winnipeg landlord who evicted tenants faces $9K in penalties
Kelly Vasas's lawyer says his client has appealed penalties
A Winnipeg landlord who evicted dozens of tenants from his College Avenue apartment building faces $9,000 in provincial penalties, a provincial government spokesperson told CBC News.
That's the largest fine ever given to a Manitoba landlord, according to Consumer Protection Minister Lisa Naylor.
Kelly Vasas is the sole director of the numbered Manitoba company that owns 285 College Ave., where the evictions took place. The province alleges those evictions were illegal.
The Residential Tenancies Branch issued 32 orders to the landlord after residents were forced to leave with little warning on July 12.
Tenants told CBC at the time that they were offered cash to move out, and many of their belongings were taken from their apartments and thrown out.
In the days following the evictions, the province expressed "outrage" and hired locksmiths and security to allow tenants to move back into the building.
The RTB has since also issued notices of penalties totalling $9,000 so far, which can be appealed to the Residential Tenancies Commission, the provincial spokesperson said.
Prior to the $9,000 in penalties, the tenancies branch had only ever issued a total of $28,000 in fines.
But that penalty feels low for causing so much stress and upheaval, said Sarah Cooper, an assistant professor in the University of Manitoba's city planning department.
Cooper doesn't believe Manitoba's regulations and their repercussions are tough enough, even though the province has some of the strongest residential tenancy regulations in Canada, she told CBC Tuesday.
Naylor said she doesn't think the penalties against the landlord are severe enough either.
However, under current provincial law, the tenancies branch can only fine the landlord a maximum of $1,000 per tenant who has come forward, the minister told reporters at the legislative building on Wednesday.
"We had nine tenants participate in the investigation, and we've been able to lay fines in relation to nine units, but it is an ongoing investigation," Naylor said.
"If there's any tenants listening today that at this late time would like to have their voice heard and to participate in the investigation … we would welcome that. I would encourage that."
Naylor said her department is looking to amend the legislation, which could include increasing fines on its scale for first, second and third offences. It's also working to improve education on tenants' rights and strengthen them, she said.
Owner plans to appeal: lawyer
Garry Sinnock, Vasas's lawyer, told CBC his client has appealed the penalties. A hearing is scheduled for the end of October, Sinnock said Wednesday.
Provincial companies office and land titles documents obtained by CBC News show Vasas is connected to at least eight apartment buildings in Winnipeg's Centennial, Spence, St. Boniface, St. John's and West Broadway neighbourhoods.
St. Boniface Street Links, who had helped house multiple people experiencing homelessness in the College building, says some of their clients have returned to encampments since being evicted.
Michelle Wesley, the organization's program co-ordinator, said one of them is a young mother, whom Street Links had set up with furniture and a nursery.
The ordeal at College has left her client without hope, Wesley said.
"It's very sad," she said. "This is somebody's mother, you know, somebody's daughter, somebody's auntie.… We really need to be more compassionate."
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