Sunday, September 12, 2010

I Call The Police This Morning For Advise On The Party Duplex

I called the police this morning. I wanted to know what I can do, in a pro-active way, to remove the problems coming from the Party Duplex. I told the officer that I did not call the last two nights in the middle of the night because I was not sure anything would be done. I went through a brief history of the residence and the visits from the Police and the City By-Law Officer. I said even after everyone was removed a few weeks ago, they were brought right back in to the house to start the process over again.
I was met with sympathy and understanding. I was told to call the police in the middle of the night each time there is an issue. I was told the police would try to come out when the issue is happening, and they are not always too busy. I was also given the phone number for my district police office and told to give them a call.
I called the district police office and told that officer the same thing. Again, I was met with sympathy and understanding. I was encouraged to call the Police every time there is an issue, and to call when the issue is in progress. I was also told that there is a Livability Act that I should look into. I was told about the Community Support Unit, and I was told to contact my local MLA. I was told to have my neighbours sign a petition and sent it to my MLA.
I asked the officer what it would actually take to have these tenants removed. I told him that I was a landlord for a while and know that it is very difficult to evict problem tenants. The answer I got was that if we keep calling our complaints in to the police and keep informing the landlord about the issues that eventually the landlord will get tired of it and get rid of the tenants or the tenants will tire of the harrassment and move.
That was not the answer I was looking for. Where are the rights of the neighbourhood? And how bad does it have to get before a landlord finally has the right to, or is forced to evict a tenant?

I took a look at that Neighbourhood Liveability By-Law which I found on line at http://www.winnipeg.ca/CLKDMIS/Documents/DocExt/BL/2008/2008.1.pdf
Under the section of Basic maintenance
Section 4(1) properties must be safe .... and pose no threat to neighbours
Section 5 There is a general obligation to maintain the property
Section 6(1) the property should be free of garbage
Section 8(1) vegetation should not be unsightly
Under the section of Nuisances and Unsanitary Conditions
Section 29(2) the landlord should control infestations of rats, mice, pests and ensure to not provide food or harborage for pests
Section 29(3) there is an obligation to prevent existance of rats, mice, pests
Section 36(4) windows are to be kept in good repair
Section 53(1) occupants must not deposit, discard, leave garbage on street, public place, private property
Under the section for Noise
Section 67(2) noise is looked at by different criteria
  a- time of day / day of week
  b- nature and use of area where noise emanates and nature and use of area where noise is heard
  c- nature of activity producing sound
  d- volume, duration, nature of sound and whether the noise is recurring, constant or intermittent
  e- "the 'A' weighted sound level of the noise or sound and the ambient sound level, if measured, but not 'B', 'C' or 'linear' weighted sound levels (what does that even mean?)

These seem to be the sections of the Neighbourhood Liveability By-Law that are in violation that I can see from the outside. So why are the tenants back in the house?

1 comment:

  1. It has to get very bad before the police will actually do anything, i called the police, landlord and eventually the real estate agent on the sign at the property that was the source of hell beside my home, nothing happened until they murdered someone on our front street.
    I hope it never gets that bad for you and your neighbors.

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