The Landlord and Tenant Board ruled Bianca Pollak, the landlord at 2779 Yonge Street, had to inspect for working carbon monoxide detectors and install new ones if they’re missing, and fix the furnace within one week. The board adjudicator called the situation an “emergency.”
The residents of the building have been without heat for over two weeks after issues with the furnace caused a carbon monoxide leak. The gas company refuses to turn the heat back on until the leak is fixed.
And the building has been the subject of complaints before, sparking more than two dozen city investigations in less than two years.
The city has told Pollak that her paperwork and permits could be fast-tracked to get the work done but she told Global News Wednesday “it’s not just permits, this is more complex.”
Last time Global News spoke with Pollak, she suggested costs exceeded $100,000.
A tenant, who did not want to be identified, said “it’s frigid” living in the building.
“It’s really like living in a freezer,” she said.
The tenants’ lawer, Lisa Feinberg, insisted that Pollak does not have an excuse and should fix the problems immediately.
“If she agreed to be a landlord, then she has to comply with her duties,” she said.
But some tenants have suggested Pollak is trying to push them out, hoping the building empties so she can follow through with a development proposal to turn the building into a condo.
Pollak told the adjudicator Wednesday that the previous heat outages at the building and other necessary repairs only prove that “this building should be replaced with something new.”
The tenants have been told they can pay their rent to the Landlord and Tenant Board in trust that the fixes will happen.
Pollak, the tenants and their lawyers’ will reconvene next Thursday.
– With files from Mark Carcasole
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