An Ottawa couple is facing eviction from their home after neighbours complained their son, who has autism, makes too much noise running around in their condo.
Eight-year-old Logan From uses his trampoline for behaviour therapy. But his parents, John From and Kerri Oastler, say the noise stops when Logan goes to bed at 9 p.m.
"I'm not angry anymore, I'm just sad about the whole situation, and I just found it was really mean,” From told CTV news.
From’s building management company, City View Property, said the noise emanating from the apartment interferes with “reasonable enjoyment of the residential complex,” and his family now has seven days to control the noise, or they’ll be served with an eviction notice.
“Pretty much to correct the noise, we would have to get rid of Logan,” From said.
The management company, however, is going through with the warning because “details of the disability had not been disclosed to the landlord.”
But From said he had made it clear that Logan has autism and is a “bouncy kid” who’s going to “generate a little bit more noise.”
He is now considering filing a complaint with the Human Rights Commission.
Ontario tenants and landlords have rights and responsibilities under the Human Rights Code. Under the code, “People cannot be refused an apartment, bothered by a landlord or other tenants, or otherwise treated unfairly because of their disability,” according to the OHRC website.
Autism Ontario Executive Director Margaret Spoelstra said she felt “immediately saddened” by the dispute.
“We have seen this story many times before, for families raising children with autism,” Spoelstra said.
From and his family will have to leave within the next two weeks if the property owner decides to go through with the eviction notice.
“We just want him to have a safe happy environment, and he deserves that. We don’t want to put anyone else out -- that’s not reasonable. We’re not unreasonable,” Oastler said.
With a report by CTV’s Katie Simpson in Ottawa
