Approximately 16 residents of Legacy Towers, an apartment building on Lawrence Avenue, were threatened earlier this month with eviction notices that warned they had to be out of their apartments by Dec. 12.
Now they can rest easy.
Associated Property Management’s Sophie Chatham met with building tenants this week and heard them express their concerns said Dianne Varga, with the organization Renters’ United Kelowna.
“The tenants that received these notices were really shocked and really dismayed at the action taken,” said Varga.
Chatham, during the meeting, explained that the notices were not meant to actually evict the seniors living in the building but to collect the money they say they were owed. She says that the property management company had not been drawing accurate amounts from tenants bank accounts for rent each month.
RELATED: Rent isn’t cheaper in a Kelowna micro suite
Varga says that this is a cautionary tale for landlords.
“If you want to communicate with tenants about arrears you should find another way of doing it and that it might too be a cautionary tale for tenants that if they ever receive a notice to end tenancy to act immediately by contacting renters advocates or respond to it formally,” said Varga.
As of now, tenants will not be evicted.
RELATED: Rental vacancy rates increase in Kelowna along with price
Westside-Kelowna MLA Ben Stewart released a statement saying that his office has been in touch with the Associate Broker at APM, the senior information officer at the Rental Tenancy Board as well as Renters United Kelowna.
“The safety and well-being of our seniors who reside there are our main concern,” said Stewart in his statement. “We are working closely with this group to come to a resolution for all parties involved.”
Associated Property Management has not responded to multiple phone calls from the Capital News.
To report a typo, email:newstips@kelownacapnews.com.
@sydneyrmortonsydney.morton@kelownacapnews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
