Bortas-Pauelesco and other occupants of the five-story apartment building opposite Mount Royal in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges area said they had to leave their homes that night. Building inspectors found that the firewalls were removed during the renovations and concluded that the building was unsafe. “We were scared of course. I started to panic,” he recalls. Bortas-Pauelesco, now 79, had only a few hours at the height of one of the worst pandemic waves to pick up its most important possessions. He spent the next four months in hotels. A diabetic, Bortas-Pauelesco said she struggled to regulate her blood sugar until she moved into a room with a small kitchen. Now back in her small apartment, while renovations are ongoing in many of the units around her own, Bortas-Pauelesco has no plans to leave again despite what it says it has endured for the past two years. In a complaint filed last year in the Quebec rental court, the Tribunal administratif du logement, Bortas-Pauelesco and residents of 17 other units sought compensation for the inconvenience of staying in hotels and the cost of cleaning their apartments when they returned – including: in some cases, the safe removal of hazardous asbestos left behind during construction. Their complaint also called on property owners to “stop any harassment in order to get tenants away”. An administrative judge declined to rule on the case, saying it was beyond the jurisdiction of the rental court. A lawyer representing the tenants is expected to file a lawsuit today in the Quebec Supreme Court. Brandon Shiller and Jeremy Kornbluth bought the 3440 Ridgewood Ave. in June 2019 and undertook a major renovation a year later, in September 2020, according to court documents. (Simon Martel / CBC)

Property owners target “love need”

The owners of the building, Brandon Shiller and Jeremy Kornbluth, bought the 46-unit building at 3440 Ridgewood Ave. in June 2019 and undertook a major renovation a year later, in September 2020, according to court documents. Brandon Shiller, left, and Jeremy Kornbluth are partners at Hillpark Capital. (Brandon Shiller / Dan Boeckner / Twitter) In a statement, Kornbluth, speaking on behalf of their company Hillpark Capital, said that historically “it targeted properties that were in good locations but needed love”. “Vendors often neglected capital expenditures and did very little work on the building for many years,” he said. In the case of the Ridgewood building, Kornbluth said they waited until a larger number of units were vacant, but the scale of the project “led to some unfortunate circumstances for the other tenants who were struggling while work continued”. He said Hillpark Capital had “acted diligently to address any measures requested by the inspectors” and “had larger hotel suites with small kitchens for the duration of the emergency evacuation”.

The rise of “renovations”

Across Montreal, “renovations” – a word used to describe the practice of evicting tenants, making renovations and then increasing rents for movers – have become more common in recent years. Documented cases of recovery, eviction or renovation rose 46 percent last year – from 597 in 2020 to 874 in 2021, according to the Quebec Coalition of Housing Committees and Tenants Associations. Overall, the Montreal rental market, which has long been the envy of tenants in other major Canadian cities, has tightened. There are limits to rent increases for existing tenants, but proponents say many long-term, low-income tenants are being evicted from their homes without going anywhere. “People have terrible housing conditions, but they can not afford to move because it is too expensive,” said Saray Ortiz Torres, a community organizer with Project Genesis, a housing rights and anti-poverty group. “People say they leave their apartment because of renovations or for any reason.” Shiller and Kornbluth, the owners of Bortas-Pauelesco, have become prominent figures in Montreal’s ever-increasing rental market. In total, they own more than 1,000 rental units across the city, according to Kornbluth. The documents of the rent court show that they have a history of construction work that puts the tenants under pressure. In 2019, tenants in an apartment on the Plateau-Mont-Royal received a reduction in rent and $ 2,000 for moral and punitive damages. The tenant accused the owners of ignoring the bed bug infestation and of interrupting services without warning. Saray Ortiz Torres, a community organizer with Project Genesis, wants the provincial government to enact stricter laws to protect tenants. (Simon Martel / CBC) In the ruling, the administrative judge ordered Shiller and Kornbluth “to stop all harassment in order to get the tenants out, including harassment through negligence and inaction.” That same year, Schiller and Cornbluth were ordered to pay $ 1,700 in rent and $ 700 in compensation after another dispute with a tenant over renovations. Hillpark Capital also acquired a number of historic buildings in historic Montreal Chinatown, including the oldest in the area – a pasta and fortune cookie factory. The markets have raised concerns among cultural heritage advocates. Kornblouth said in a statement that his company “will protect the historic and unique nature of the place and preserve and enhance the value of its cultural heritage.” Shiller and Kornbluth also own Manoir Lafontaine, a 90-unit building across from La Fontaine Park that has become the focus of discussion on affordable housing. Under the name 3485 Papineau Investments Ltd., the couple bought the building in 2019. Last spring, the company issued eviction notices to tenants, telling them they had to leave for a period of at least seven months while major repairs had been made. In this case, Kornbulth said the company “learned from our experience at Ridgewood” and that “making major repairs to a residential building while tenants are staying is not the ideal course of action”. For this reason, he said, they asked for an order “to grant a temporary evacuation for the few remaining units, so that we can complete the project without disturbing them and return as soon as the work is completed.” In fact, the remaining tenants fought for eviction and last month, the rental court ruled in their favor. The steel reinforcement is scattered on the scaffolding above the entrance to the Ridgewood Building, which is still being repaired after two years of construction work. (Simon Martel / CBC)

“They can not chase me”

During a recent visit to the building on Ridgewood Avenue, unassembled scaffolding was scattered on the front lawn and piles of reinforcing bars were stacked on a piece of plywood that protects the main entrance. The damaged front balconies had been removed but have not yet been replaced, and the front lobby was dusty and lined with unfinished plasterboard.
Benjamin Homaii, who lives on the same floor as Bortas-Pauelesco, said he got a call from a real estate agent representing the new owners months after they bought the building, offering him money to leave. He received a second call in April 2020, as the province fell into the first lockdown for COVID-19, offering him more money. (Recorded the conversation and shared it with CBC News.) Homay, who shares his two-bedroom apartment with a roommate, turned down the offer, but worried he would be forced to leave and could not find a new place. “I really thought that if I left my post, I would be on the road,” he said. Benjamin Homaii told himself that if he wanted to stay he would have to learn his rights. Armed with his understanding of the law, he has helped other tenants navigate the system. (Simon Martel / CBC) Homaii decided if he wanted to stay, he would have to learn his rights. He has also helped others in the building, many of whom are elderly or have health problems, navigate the system. He kept records of documents and requested access to information for workplace safety reports, including one that provided evidence of asbestos contamination of the building. In his statement, Kornbluth said that the removal of asbestos was done according to the instructions and under the constant supervision of the authorities. “We did not make any cuts to the health and safety of the occupants,” he said.
Maxine Malamud is one of the last longtime tenants still living on a first floor wing. Her house is surrounded by apartments under renovation, with exposed insulation on the unfinished walls and wires hanging from the ceiling. Maxine Malamud, who lives in an almost empty wing of the Ridgewood building with her two dogs, says she has suffered from the almost constant sounds of construction work for the past two years. (Simon Martel / CBC) He said the last two years, much of the time he spent at home due to the pandemic, was miserable given the incessant noise. “I just do not think we should ever allow another person to do what we did. You know, we’re paying rent here,” said Malamund, who earns a living as a dog walker. “They can not evict me. I pay my rent every month on time since I started living here. I am quiet. I do not disturb anyone.” Many of the long-term tenants in Ridgewood pay $ 1,000 or less for a one- or two-bedroom apartment – something rare these days – but refurbished units seem to have a lot more. The price for one available two bedroom unit is listed at $ 1,925 per month.

Is the city plan going far enough?

Earlier this year, Montreal announced plans to build one register of ownersaccording to which any building owner with more than eight units should submit information to the city on rental rates, number of vacancies and proof of inspection. Mayor Valérie Plante said at a time when the city wants to …