Landlord Fined for Harassing Tenant over Laundromat Complaint
When Maura Kilcoyne first complained about the illegal commercial laundromat operating in her building, she likely didn’t anticipate the “systematic campaign of harassment” launched against her by the landlord.
David Weiss, and his company Life on Queen Inc./Westwood Holdings, was fined by the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) for issuing “serious threats” against Kilcoyne.
He will pay $1,000 and $2,000 to the board for threatening and harassing the tenant and $611 to Kilcoyne for “out of pocket” expenses.
According to the Board’s records, Kilcoyne made appearances at city hall hearings in March 2014 and as part of a delegation to a Committee of Adjustment meeting in January 2015.
After receiving a notice of violation from the city’s Municipal Licensing and Standards department, the company posted a sign reading “Maura’s Laundry” over the laundromat’s door.
In addition, the company also sent her a form for early tenancy termination with a note from Weiss calling Kilcoyne “the #1 s--- disturber”.
“There is an expression, ‘Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you,” the letter read. “You may not believe in that saying, but you will experience it!”
Kilcoyne had no intention of moving to another rental suite, however. “If I move, he wins,” she said. “Then he gets to ... put somebody else in there and jack the rent up.”
It continued until she decided to file a complaint with the LTB and they found in her favour.
“The Landlord was clearly singling out the Tenant and sending her a message that it had the resources to make her life difficult should she continue her opposition to the laundry shop,” Roger Rodrigues, a Landlord and Tenant Board member, wrote.
Weiss has stated that he plans to appeal the LTD order.
Image Courtesy of Adobe Stock