Ailing tenant faces eviction deadline
An injured tenant of the Sternwheeler Village in Riverdale has been given an extension until Friday to pay the remaining $550 of this month's rent or she will be evicted before the end of the month.
By Ainslie Cruickshank on July 18, 2012
An injured tenant of the Sternwheeler Village in Riverdale has been given an extension until Friday to pay the remaining $550 of this month's rent or she will be evicted before the end of the month.
Cassandra Tessier was reminded by the property manager she had to vacate her unit by midnight Tuesday.
She had been served with a 14-day eviction notice for non-payment at the beginning of July. In late June, she had already been served with a notice to leave her property by the end of the month because the new owners were unhappy with the state of her unit.
She was unable to pay July's rent, after breaking her hip socket and pelvis on Canada Day and being medevaced to Vancouver.
She said Tuesday afternoon in an interview at her Sternwheeler unit that she had had money set aside for rent, but had spent it when she was in Vancouver.
"I couldn't eat the food that they were serving. I wouldn't have gotten any healthier and I needed all the strength I could manage to get out of bed,” she said.
When she couldn't pay her rent, she was served the 14-day eviction notice which would have had her leave the unit yesterday.
Tessier's doctor at the Whitehorse General Hospital called and spoke to the manager, Barb LaChapelle, about the situation.
LaChapelle said Tuesday they agreed if Tessier could pay her rent within 36 to 48 hours, she would be permitted to stay until the end of the month.
LaChapelle said she thinks that phone call took place either on Wednesday or Thursday of last week.
Tessier said as far as she was aware, after the conversation she could stay until the end of the month as long as she paid out her rent. She wasn't aware a timeline had been agreed on.
She also noted she had attempted to use her damage deposit to pay a portion of the rent.
LaChapelle said that wasn't allowed because the territorial social services branch had paid the deposit and it had to be returned to the department, not Tessier.
Tessier said she has tried to apply for medical EI, but the process has been slowed because she's waiting for her record of employment from her employer.
She has also since learned that she likely won't be able to return to her former position.
She said social assistance program officials told her they wouldn't be able to assist her until August.
The total rent for her unit is $1,050, and Tessier said she offered the landlord $500 Tuesday.
"I just want to be able to stay until the end of the month. I can't move, I can't do anything, I can't find a place to go yet, I'm working on it,” Tessier said.
"I've been checking the papers, but now I don't know how I'm going to do that with absolutely no income. EI can't give me anything until I get that (record of employment); welfare can't help me until August comes around.
"I was completely prepared to have everything packed and ready and out of here by the end of the month. I was prepared to have the rent paid to get me through to the end of the month, until this happened.”
Before speaking with the Star, LaChapelle called the new owner of the Sternwheeler, Wayne Cunningham.
They agreed to give Tessier an extension until Friday to gather the remainder of her owed rent to be able to remain in the unit until the end of July.
"So if she pays $500 today and the balance by Friday, she can have until the end of the month. The only reason he's doing that is because after she moves, the unit's going to sit empty anyway,” LaChapelle said.
But, "she still has to be out by the end of the month.”
LaChapelle noted these were not Tessier's first eviction notices.
She received one in April for partying and parking issues, but when two of her roommates moved out, she was permitted to remain in her unit.
LaChapelle also tried to serve her with another notice in April, but was unable to serve her with written notice.
"I am getting extremely tired of these people who can't hold to the rules and regulations of being tenants going running to you guys at the newspaper to make a story out of something that they should have looked after,” LaChapelle said.
She said she'll fight for her tenants everytime if they deserve it.
"I give everybody a chance,” she said, but they have to follow the rules.
Sternwheeler Village was in the news several weeks ago when tenants were notified the owner wants to convert the housing units to condominiums, which they've been given the first option to buy.
Comments (7)
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are you related? on Jul 23, 2012 at 6:42 am
@Michael Tessier, if you are so incensed at the apparent insensitivity of the rest of us perhaps you should help pay the rent. Besides, if you read the rest of the article, this tenant (who I do feel sorry for in terms of the injury) was being evicted anyway for the way she was living in the unit.
At the end of the day, this is an example of how the landlord contract should work. No pay, No stay!
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michael tessier on Jul 20, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Having been raised in what I call gods gift to this world it disgusts to read these comments. I was raised with the ethics and morals from people like Sylvia Williams, Ed Bowman, Ken Reed who taught me that what I had you had. I always speak highly of Whitehorse and wish to retire there. My father was the chief engineer of the Yukon Government. My step mom worked at Macauley lodge My grandmother was the head RN at the hospital. Look at the rafter in your eye before you look at the straw in someone elses. Im disgusted by your words look at the Tourism Yukon commercial again and reflect upon the people that created your presence.
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JayManC on Jul 20, 2012 at 1:40 am
@Niall- thats not true at all. Maybe to you but to everyone else defiantly not!!
As for this person in this story, there is always an excuse for everything and anything. Get real! Way to go Barb!
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Niall Sheridan on Jul 18, 2012 at 8:00 pm
From my experience of living at the Sternwheeler, Barb LaChapelle couldn't do enough for her tenants. She was prompt with repairs, decent and kind. One of the best.
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June Jackson on Jul 18, 2012 at 2:55 pm
I am not a landlord.. and hate the landlord greed.. BUT..landlords are not in the charity business, nor are the welfare workers.
They are in the rental business for the money.. Tessier has a problem? well.. don't we all?
Get some newspaper coverage and bad press will force the Dept of Social Services to step in and pick up your rent..
How do so many people learn so fast which are the best cows to milk?
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mark on Jul 18, 2012 at 11:21 am
The manager sounds like she was plucked off the street to run a large complex. This re-iterates why a new landlord tenant act should be in place asap.
For all the heartache and pain Wayne Cunningham has caused the sternwheeler residents since he took over, he should have some compassion, which obviously he doesn't.
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piping off on Jul 18, 2012 at 8:28 am
Anyone who feels sorry for this person, that's cool, go on down and pay her rent. I'm sure she's good for it to pay you back come August. Sounds like Barb has given her enough chances. If you can't pay for your groceries, you do not tell the person at the till that you will try to pay for them next month. Borrow the money from friends or family, or get emergency welfare. Do not expect to borrow the money from the grocery store or your landlord. Stick to your guns Barb! Good for you to say it like it is.