After rent-to-own nightmare, Maple Ridge couple returns home for Christmas

Brenda and Gord Gartley are finally home for the holidays.

“We’ve had lots of family gatherings here, and plan to have more,” Brenda said, after opening the door to her Maple Ridge house, two months after she and her husband were left homeless on Thanksgiving after a realtor claimed that they were in breach of a “rent-to-own” agreement.

The Gartleys entered a “rent-to-own” agreement with realtor Kevin Bratch after they had difficulty keeping up with their mortgage payments on the home they had owned on Rogers Avenue in Maple Ridge for a decade.

Christmas help for Maple Ridge seniors

1:56 Christmas help for Maple Ridge seniors

The Gartleys believed the agreement would allow them to buy back their home, but instead, Bratch said the deal was dead and they were being kicked out.

Gartley’s neighbours offered their support, setting up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for their legal fees. Local real estate agents also chipped in.

Lawyer Duncan Magnus settled the Gartley’s case. He has a warning for others who may be considering rent-to-own agreements.

“I definitely think there needs to be more oversight,” he said.

WATCH: Rent-to-own concerns

2:07 Rent-to-own concerns

The Real Estate Council of BC announced in November that it had suspended Bratch’s licence and that of Bratch Realty Ltd. as it investigated the realtor’s conduct.

WATCH: Maple Ridge couple grateful for the support in eviction fight

2:04 Maple Ridge couple grateful for the support in eviction fight

The council said it would investigate whether Bratch was “engaged in aggressive marketing and sales practices targeting vulnerable persons who were financially distressed as a result of their homes being in foreclosure proceedings.”

“The council is also investigating whether these were ‘predatory’ schemes for personal gain and profit at the expense of those who were in distress.”

— With files from Jesse Ferreras and Julia Foy