'I'm in disbelief': John Wesley Apartments hit with power disconnection notice

People renting from an infamous Sault Ste. Marie landlord may have to hit up the nearest laundromat if they want to wash their clothes next week. 

Tenants at the John Wesley Apartments in Steelton received a disconnection notice from PUC Distribution Inc. Monday, advising them power covered by the "house account" meter — which includes items like hallway lights, common spaces and laundry facilities — will be shut off effective June 14.

Power to individual rental units, meanwhile, is covered by the tenants and will not be cut off when the remainder of the apartment complex goes dark in the coming days.

One of the tenants, speaking with SooToday on the condition of anonymity, says he was informed of the disconnection notice by a neighbour prior to finding a copy at his door.   

“When we got that letter, it was totally shocking,” he said. “I’m in disbelief. The landlord has no repercussions for anything that he does.

“Myself, I don’t think there should be a landlord like that in any city, not just Sault Ste. Marie.”

According to a copy of the notice obtained by SooToday, PUC attributed the forthcoming disconnection to an “outstanding issue with the owner that covers the electricity supplied to the premises.”  

The landlord, Jim Brogno — whose numbered company was placed in collections by the City of Sault Ste. Marie over non-payment of $180,000 after being found guilty of seven provincial fire code offences at John Wesley Apartments — is currently being sued by CIBC for $1.95 million after allegedly defaulting on mortgages attached to the 21-unit rental property.

As SooToday first reported, the bank is also looking to take possession of the property as part of the lawsuit, court documents show. 

But that’s not all: CIBC is also eyeing possession of another apartment building owned by Brogno on Connaught Avenue and repayment of mortgages totalling more than $1.29 million. 

None of the allegations have been proven in court and statements of defence have yet to be filed.

Brogno also made headlines last year when court documents obtained by SooToday revealed that his numbered company was slapped with $120,000 in provincial fines due to numerous fire code violations at 314 Albert Street East. The property has since been sold, but the fines attached to it have so far not been paid.  

Brogno has yet to respond to a number of requests for interviews from SooToday.   

The anonymous tenant at John Wesley Apartments said things have steadily gone downhill due to a lack of property maintenance at the building in the past few years. 

Come next week, the building will be without laundry facilities or lights in the hallways if the landlord doesn’t resolve the outstanding issue with PUC.  

Now, the tenant is left to wonder if people renting there will even have working fire alarms once the power is cut off. 

“These fire alarms that are hooked up, they’re hardwired. We don’t know if we’re going to have a fire alarm system that’s going to work,” he said. 

The tenant said he hopes to move out of John Wesley Apartments as soon as possible. 

“It’s a big struggle,” he said. “We’re out trying to find another place, which is hard because living today is pretty expensive.”