Mont-Carmel seniors' residence tenants allege landlord is renting to younger people

Mont-Carmel owner speaks out Some tenants are concerned their landlord isn't obeying a court ruling to keep the building designated for seniors.

Tenants living at the Mont-Carmel seniors' residence in downtown Montreal say they're concerned their landlord is not obeying a July 26 Quebec Superior Court ruling that states the building must primarily house people of a certain age.

They claim the building's management has been renting units to tenants much younger than 65 years old.

"They're young people, there are even children here, and they're all mixed up with us," said resident Constance Vaudrin.

She alleges these new tenants have not been made aware that their home is in the middle of a legal dispute.

"These people are victims, as we are, because they are brought here without knowing where they're landing," she said. "They're not told anything. They're not given any instruction whatsoever on how we function here."

Marie-Paule Lebel, a member of Sauvons le Mont-Carmel, states a register kept by the Quebec Health Ministry indicates seniors represent just 30 per cent of the building's tenants.

"There is good reason to believe that the landlord does not intend to comply with [the court] requirement as he continues to rent to tenants who are significantly younger than 65," she argues.

According to the government documents, 285 people can be housed in the residence, with 85 in the seniors' portion (RPA).

The portrait outlined that in the RPA section, there are no tenants under the age of 65.

It noted that 23 are between the ages of 65 and 74, 33 are 75 to 84 years old, and seven are aged 85 and older, for a total of 63 residents.

The document acknowledged there are 153 units currently rented out in the non-seniors quarters.

Building owner Henry Zavriyev says he was permitted to admit a wider variety of tenants by the regional health authority (CIUSSS), which oversees seniors' residences.

"We said, 'listen, we have crippling vacancy,'" he told CTV News. "So, something's got to give."

LACK OF SERVICES, TENANTS SAY

In addition to an alleged lack of maintenance in the common areas and reduced nursing services, the tenants claim the reception desk remains unstaffed for hours on end or is occupied by a person who also performs other duties.

"The constant presence of a person at the reception desk is an important security measure for us and is part of the services that must be maintained by the owner," said resident Normand Breault.

Zavriyev admits there were staffing issues for a brief period of time, but insists the required services are now being maintained.

"The nurse was always there and the reception is also there," he said. "There will continue to be a reception and nurse 24 hours until there's actually a decision rendered. I know that, as of now, it should be and is fully resolved."

Some of the hallway furniture was removed because of bedbugs and to make way for renovations, he adds.

Nevertheless, the Sauvons le Mont-Carmel committee says it sent a formal notice to the building owner's lawyers on Aug. 4, and has since received an email asking for a face-to-face meeting with their lawyers "to understand the letter better."

"At least three of the tenants involved in the legal proceedings were encouraged by representatives of the owner to leave Mont-Carmel with the offer of monetary compensation," alleges Vaudrin. "Such behaviour is unacceptable, and we demand that the owner cease all forms of harassment towards us."

Zavriyev says these were above-board, casual discussions that were not meant to coerce, but rather express a full range of options to the tenants.

The case is due back in court on Sept. 19.

-- with files from CTV News' Angela Mackenzie.