'The landlords have no accountability': Wrongfully evicted B.C. woman wins tenancy branch battle, but says former landlord refuses to pay up
CTV
A B.C. woman says she was awarded tens of thousands of dollars by the Residential Tenancy Branch after a wrongful eviction, but is yet to see a cent of it from her former landlord.
In May 2022, Tamara Bruce and her family were told they needed to leave their North Delta home. In the eviction notice obtained by CTV News, the landlord, Sucha Randhawa, indicated he or a close family member would be moving into the unit.
"We were getting notices posted at the door and we do have a child and it was really unsettling the way the process was going, so we felt it was going to be easier to leave,” said Bruce, who lived in the home for six years.
Bruce's family couldn't afford the costly Lower Mainland housing market, so they moved hours away to the small town of Barriere. However, Bruce had a feeling her landlord wasn't being truthful. Months later, she noticed her former home listed on Craigslist for rent.
One lawyer tells CTV News this issue is quite common.
“I see that a lot in my practice," said Michael Golden, a general counsel lawyer with experience in real estate affairs. "Landlords who tell the tenant they or a close family member are moving in and the tenant moves out and the landlord doesn’t move in.”
Bruce eventually brought the issue to the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) and was awarded one year of rent, the equivalent of $36,100. However, the ruling from the RTB was back in March, and Bruce says she has yet to receive any compensation from Randhawa. Bruce says she tried contacting Randhawa several times and reached out to his lawyer, but never received a response. She then hired a lawyer.
“So essentially we’re out of pocket while he’s now out on the coast re-renting the house for substantially more money,” said Bruce.
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