Kelowna – Ten Kelowna tenants have been forced from their homes on what they say is very short notice.
“We have nowhere to go,” says Robyn Bergson, one of the affected tenants. “No cash, no extra cash to move into a new place or anything.”
Up until Monday afternoon, the tenants lived in a building off of Benvoulin Road. They are all on low income, many also have health issues.
“We are just small guys,” says Larry Lisenchuk, another tenant. “We have no rights, like nothing. We have hours to get out. How do you get out in hours?”
The tenants claim they first got notice of the eviction last Wednesday and given less than 48 hours to vacate the premises. They went to court and got an extension until Monday afternoon. The tenants tried to get another court-ordered extension on Monday but were denied. A new owner bought the building in a foreclosure sale. He wanted to help the tenants out by trying to convince the judge to let them stay for a while longer but it turns out there was never an occupancy permit issued for the building. With no permit, the building is considered vacant and the residents are technically squatters. It means the typical eviction notice of 30 to 60 days doesn’t apply.
Court bailiffs arrived at the building Monday afternoon to ensure the court order was being followed.
The new owner plans to fix the building up and make it structurally safe before applying for an occupancy permit in the hopes of renting the eight units out.
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