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Half of the tenants in D.P. Murphy-owned apartment building in Souris, P.E.I., left home despite winning appeal

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SOURIS, P.E.I. — An tried eviction in Souris has resulted in a victory for some tenants, however not everybody who fought D.P. Murphy Inc. got here out on high. 

Beverley Harris, considered one of a number of renters who took on their landlord, is in a brand new dwelling in Souris. 

The P.E.I. Rental Workplace sided with the renters of a D.P. Murphy Inc. condo in February 2023 after the corporate tried to evict the whole six-unit constructing to maneuver in Tim Horton’s employees. 

Whereas the renters received the best to remain, three of them had already left or began to depart by the point the rental workplace determined, Harris stated in a March 23 SaltWire Community interview. 


“With (the P.E.I. Rental Workplace). not giving us our listening to in a brief sufficient time, and with the stress from housing to take what we get or don’t take something — yeah, a victory in a method, however in one other approach not a lot.” – Beverley Harris, former tenant


“With (the P.E.I. Rental Workplace) not giving us our listening to in a brief sufficient time, and with the stress from housing to take what we get or don’t take something – yeah, a victory in a method, however in one other approach, not a lot.”

One of many renters left when the corporate purchased the constructing final fall earlier than the eviction notices have been despatched out. 

The battle

When Harris determined to battle, she knew she wanted backup in case the tenants misplaced. She secured a second condo in Souris – a senior’s complicated, the one factor out there. However this meant paying hire on two flats for the month earlier than the attraction. 

By the point the attraction got here, Harris had already began transferring. She determined to remain in her new dwelling, which is far smaller, she stated.  

The transfer was an enormous job after eight years of dwelling on the condo, she stated. 

“Unbelievable – with the price of transferring, after which I needed to retailer stuff, and I needed to simply do away with stuff. It was simply unbelievable what I needed to do in that wanting time.”



Hansen

Even for individuals who stayed, the expertise was devastating. 

Brenda Hansen, one of many tenants who fought the eviction with Harris, was prepared to depart if D.P. Murphy had received. 

“After we acquired the e-mail to say we received the case I used to be in shock,” she stated. “I (had) to pinch myself to verify it’s actually true.”

Now, she’s relieved to be unpacking her transferring containers and staying, however sad with how the method performed out. 

Like Harris, Hansen felt deserted by the native authorities and provincial companies, together with the Division of Social Growth and Housing, which promised however failed to search out her a brand new dwelling, she stated. 

“We by no means acquired no assist from anyone, and that was very disappointing,” she stated. “One of many councilors requested us to go to considered one of their conferences, and that afternoon – whoever – someone despatched an e mail to say, ‘Don’t trouble coming as a result of we’re not going to debate that situation.’”

System

For Harris, taking a look at her expertise with the system, there have been apparent issues. A key motive she moved was that her first attraction date was moved again, forcing her to pay a month’s hire. 

Harris additionally famous how unhelpful the native authorities and provincial companies have been. 

“There was no leniency from (the P.E.I. Rental Workplace) or something and no leniency from housing. As a result of I requested housing, ‘What is going to occur if I don’t take this (out there senior’s unit) proper now?’ and she or he stated, ‘You go onto the underside of the checklist, and we don’t assure you something.’” 

Harris supplied some recommendation to different tenants who find yourself staring down a building-wide eviction.

“If this ever occurs to someone else, the tenants ought to stick collectively.”


Logan MacLean is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He might be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @loganmaclean94.



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