A 92-year-old man who says he was kicked out of his Little Italy apartment last summer is still fighting for compensation after what his family and advocates call an unlawful eviction.
Isidoro Ventullo lived in a small apartment just south of College and Clinton streets for two decades until last summer, when his landlord said he was moving in. His family claims the building’s owner never moved in and took the matter to the Landlord and Tenant Board but was unsuccessful.
A year later, the building is now up for sale for more than $2.2 million, which NDP MPP Jessica Bell says is further proof that the eviction was illegal.
“We knew it was an illegal eviction back then and today we have more evidence, because this property is being put up for sale for $2.275 million,” said the University-Rosedale MPP.
Ventullo’s niece, Luisa Tedesco, said the Landlord and Tenant Board process was unnecessarily complicated for her senior uncle, including virtual hearings.
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“He has no documentation, it’s difficult for him to explain his story sequentially, English is not his first language,” she said. “So I think there was a lot of things that went against my uncle for those reasons.”
Bell said Ventullo’s case is far too common in a system that doesn’t prioritize tenants’ rights. When the legislature returns in the fall, she said she is going to push for legislation to change that.
“Tenants have to fight back with their hands tied behind their backs because the laws are weak, enforcement is poor and the fines are minuscule,” she said.
In September, Ventullo is attempting to seek nearly $50,000 in compensation at the Landlord and Tenant Board for his ordeal, which included the loss of personal possessions when he lost his home.
Spencer Toole, a lawyer representing the building’s owner, George Gemelo, disputed the allegation. In an emailed statement to Global News, he said “the suggestion that the eviction of Mr. Ventullo was “illegal” does not respect the decisions of the Landlord and Tenant Board or the Divisional Court.”
Toole said his client is looking forward to responding to the allegations at the Landlord and Tenant Board and won’t be litigating the case in the press.
While Ventullo managed to find a new place to live in Little Portugal, his niece said his entire life was built around his former residence and that every day he travels to Little Italy to go shopping, attend doctor’s appointments and meet with friends.
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