Donnatella Sorenson’s from Grimsby, Ontario, has a tenant who owes 50 thousand dollars to eight separate landlords from the last decade. Sorenson was provided false documentation about proof of employment and is currently owed 12 thousand dollars from her tenant.
After multiple attempts to communicate with the tenant and discuss options, Sorenson has hired a paralegal and filed a Notice to End Tenancy for Non-payment of Rent (N4) and an Application to Evict a Tenant for Non-payment of Rent and to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes (L1)
During this time when her forms were being processed Sorenson discovered and contacted the tenants previous landlords to see if there was a pattern in their behaviour. There is a clear pattern, first and last month’s rent is paid and then no payment, no communication or access to the property.
The tenant has refused to pay or co-operate with Sorenson. If maintenance needs to be done on the property, Sorenson calls a police officer to ensure that the company is allowed in the property
Sorenson has pursued multiple routes to report this tenant and get justice for herself and the other landlords that have been destroyed financially by this tenant. Up until this point Sorenson has not received helpful guidance from any administration or organisation that she has contacted.
“There is no clear access to justice really because clearly fraud is taking place that’s very hard to prove”, said Sorenson.
This tenant is abusing a system and taking resources away from other tenants and landlords who are truly suffering, according to Sorenson. Sorenson said, this type of behaviour sets an illegal precedent for professional tenants across Ontario who know that there are systems set up to protect them, even though they are the ones committing crimes.
Sorenson has waited 6 months for the Landlord and Tenant Board to give her a hearing date which is upcoming.
By: Alexa Ford
