Saint John tenants given more time to find new homes
Residents have to get out as buildings need $3M in repairs and owners file for bankruptcy
Tenants of a 72-unit apartment complex in Saint John's north end have been given a bit more time to find a new place to live.
They were left reeling Tuesday after receiving notices the building did not meet city code and they had three weeks to find somewhere else to live.
Along with notices to vacate, tenants were also given copies of bankruptcy documents appointing PricewaterhouseCoopers as receivers for the company that operated Mitchell Apartments, Saint John County Condominium Corporation Number 13.
But David Boyd, a partner with PricewaterhousCoopers told CBC News Thursday the deadline for tenants to be out has been extended to the end of August.
"If the parties wish to vacate they can, but if they want to stay past August 1, they have the ability to do so and we will provide further communications to the tenants and the unit-holders in the near future," he said.
Mixed messages
For some tenants, who were first told their homes did not meet the standard of living requirements of the city the extra month sends a mixed message.
"At first it was absolutely detrimental that we all leave because it was unsafe and now they tell us no it's okay, disregard that, pay the rent and you can stay," said Bella Sparanese, a tenant in the complex.
The 23-year-old said despite the extension she will still be looking for another place to live.
"They are really just righting a wrong that should have never have occurred. At the same time it's still a ridiculously unstable living environment. We don't know what's going to happen," Sparanese said.`
"There are families living here they don't need this kind of stress. There are very sick people living here, they don't need this kind of flip-flopping around."
The six buildings contain 72 units of which 34 are occupied.
'Look for another place'
Another tenant, Veronica Rivers-Bowerman, 68, got her notice of extension from the local property manager, whom she identified as Chris McLeod.
Rivers-Bowerman said she doesn't like the idea of moving and if the receiver decides to extend the tenants' stay for at least a year, she might stay.
She added unless she hears differently within the next couple of weeks, she will be looking for another place.
There has been no decision on the fate of the Mitchell Apartments. The buildings require $3 million in repairs.
Boyd said no long-term decisions have been made by the company yet.
'Getting kicked out'
On Wednesday, Angela Riley, a single stay-at-home mom, said she didn't know what to do when she opened her notice.
"At first, I thought I was the only one getting kicked out and then I started reading it," she said.
She said she had heard rumours about the place closing down then.
"I called them right away in regards to that these places might be closing down," Riley said.
"And they just blew it off and said that it's just neighbourhood gossip, that nothing of that sort is happening."
Slow notice
Riley said the tenants were upset with the corporation for not informing them sooner about the building closing down.
"I find it hard to believe that they didn't know as it [the bankruptcy document] was stamped June 24 and it was supposed to be sent out June 27 and we are only receiving this yesterday," she said on Wednesday.
"It seems to me that they were trying to get everybody's rent before they told them that 'Hey, you got to go.'"
It was just like somebody hit me in the stomach and it was such a shock and I'm still not over it.-Doreen Butler, 88, who has lived in building 31 years
Doreen Butler, 88, has been living in the building for 31 years was very emotional about the news.
"It was just like somebody hit me in the stomach and it was such a shock and I'm still not over it," she said.
"I went to school in the area and church and it's so familiar."
But Butler said it could have been worse.
"Things are bad enough but you have to look on the positive side. At my stage in life I accept what comes in life," he said.
There are 23 individual listed owners of the condominium complex. The six-building complex failed an inspection conducted by the City of Saint John in October 2014.
In the notice the tenants received, it said the city had raised concerns about the structural integrity, electrical and fire safety and the water damage done to the building.
"The condo corporation obtained a quote to fix the structural and safety issues, which exceeded $3 million and the condo corporation does not currently have sufficient funds to complete these repairs," the notice read.
