It’s not the simplest of legal processes, however it can be done without a lawyer.

Thanks for the comment. I’d agree that this would be an appropriate avenue to pursue. The only catch is she’ll have to spend money – potentially a lot of money. I’m going to post an update to the story tomorrow.

Thanks for your comment Laura. The vigilante justice comments are kind of funny. Sure…let’s kick in the door and drag him out.

He’s not there illegally. They signed a lease, and had an agreement that he would renovate the property in exchange for 3 months of rent. Clearly they had different ideas of what constituted “sprucing up”. It’s a landlord and tenant issue – which qualifies as a civil matter.

In Alberta – like in any other province or state – you can’t change the locks on a unit without the landlord’s consent. You also can’t breech the obligations of a lease (I’m certain there was one) – in reference to his “offer” to pay $775 a month instead of the $1500 originally agreed upon. There’s a recourse here that needs to be followed. With that said, the guy clearly knows the legal system and is a pro at manipulating it. Rebekah is but one of many cases like this that happen every year – especially to pensioner and elderly landlords.

I hear you Josh. This situation is ridiculous. The greater point I’m trying to make though is that there are laws in place for this kind of thing, and unfortunately it falls under the civil matter category. Even if someone is acting nuts like this, there’s a process because you can’t just throw someone out of their residence. This guy probably signed a lease, and essentially changed the parameters of that agreement after that. As such, it needs to be addressed through the landlord and tenant board in Alberta or in civil court. In the mean time, he gets to continue to live there. This isn’t unusual. Insane – but not unusual. Worst part – it happens every day. If she or anyone she knows does anything that could be deemed aggressive or confrontational – it could have implications in how this unfolds – especially with a guy like this – who no doubt knows how to work the law. If the goal is to get this situation concluded as quickly as possible – she or a legal representative needs to address this formally. I have no doubt she’ll ultimately prevail – as she owns the building.

There are many pensioner landlords in Canada. This is just another example of someone taking advantage of one of them.

Hey Josh. Thanks for your comment – however – again…we need constructive suggestions here. Are there any paralegals or lawyers who specialize in landlord and tenant disputes who can help Ms. Caverhill out? We’re waiting for your comments….

Thanks for the comment David. This is a maddening issue, but harassing/breaking windows/throwing smoke bombs isn’t going to do Ms. Caverhill any good and is a lousy suggestion. It will only make the situation worse. That’s also illegal…so can’t agree with that. I think you’re just expressing your frustration with the situation – which is fair – but we need constructive comments on this thread.