An Okanagan landlord is learning the hard way just how difficult it can be to evict a tenant. Carol Jackson is now going public with her plight hoping it will serve as a warning for other landlords to be careful who they rent to.
The West Kelowna woman has been trying to get rid of a tenant living in her basement. Last month an arbitrator ordered the tenant to pay $892.80 in unpaid rent and turn the suite back over to Jackson. However, he hasn’t left.
“He said, ‘I’m not going anywhere. You can’t make me,’” said Jackson.
Jackson said he won’t even let her into the suite, with notice, to inspect it.
“Every time I give him the 24-hour notice he won’t let me in. Now he is 6’2”, He’s 36 years old and I’m a pensioner living alone. He scares me,” she said.
And, Jackson said, things have gotten even worse. The tenant lives in the basement where the hot water heater, furnace and electrical panel are located. She said he cut off her utilities. She said he eventually turned the power back on but she is still without heat and hot water.
“I have to get this guy out and I am having such a hard time. I’m really scared. I’m cold. I haven’t got hot water and I have had enough,” said Jackson.
The next step would be for Jackson to seek a Writ of Possession from the courts. That would allow her to hire a bailiff to evict her tenant.
However, the tenant is asking officials to take a second look at the case, meaning there could be another hearing.
So Jackson is questioning whether it would be useful to move forward with a Writ of Possession at this point because the original decision ordering the tenant out could be overturned.
Jackson said she is going public with her story to warn other landlords to be careful who they rent to.
When Global Okanagan knocked at the tenants’ suite seeking comment, someone came to a window but wouldn’t open the door.