Toronto Renters Forum

Today I had my first brush with the LTB. We were scheduled for 9 am but the adjudicator did not get to us til 3 pm.

It was a L2 “personal use” hearing based on a bogus N12. I had plethora of evidence including correspondence from the landlord and an affidavit she gave AFTER SIGNING THE DECLARATION THAT SHE WANTS TO SELL THE UNIT.

Evidence that included my landlord attempting to illegally enter the unit using the threat of cops in order to intimidate me into vacating the premises by the 1st of the month, her text before the cops showed up said I quote “I want to be clear, I will be taking the unit over on June 1st and after I fix it, it is going up for sale”

Yet the adjudicator was more interested in her circumstances rather than her clear egregious violation of the act. He kept on telling me that it’s N12 hearing, harassment is not the issue…how is intention to sell that ensued the harassment NOT RELEVANT. I swear to god, if he rules in her favour, I will make the whole charade public. My landlord would deliberately trigger my anxiety disorder almost every day for 3 months, which led to an attempt to self harm….HOW IS THAT OK? If he grants the application then he is setting case law; thereby signalling to other landlords that harass your tenants to the brink of breakdown as the tenant’s life has no standing against YOUR PROPERTY RIGHTS.

I SWEAR TO GOD IF IT COMES TO THAT, THEN I AM READY TO TAKE ON THE SYSTEM EVEN IF THE STRESS KILLS ME…AT LEAST MY EFFORTS WOULD PROTECT TENANTS FROM GRAVE INJUSTICE.

I noticed that the original post does not mention legal advice - a lawyer, a paralegal, the duty counsel. You don't want to go in there alone.

I think that in recent years there has been a push towards mediation, eg. to reduce the backlog... if the parties agree then you don't actually go before the tribunal.

In a pinch if you try contacting, say, law firms x, y and z with no luck and you have notes about when you did this, that can be evidence towards asking for a postponement until you get your act together.