Out-of-town landlord facing long list of bylaw charges

Lauri Hill has been trying for months to get her landlord to make repairs on her rental home on Pardee Avenue without any luck, and now she’s looking to the courts for some sort of resolution.  

The property owner — 14034686 Canada Inc., a Hamilton, Ont. company that lists Nels Moxness as its director — has been charged with numerous bylaw offences for allegedly failing to comply with orders from the city to repair the washroom floor, bathtub and an exterior door. A trial date is scheduled for November. 

During a tour of the home, Hill showed SooToday some of the the issues she’s been experiencing as a tenant: a “spongy” washroom floor that feels like it could give way at any time, a damaged exterior door, and a corner of the house that continues to sink deeper into the ground with each passing month, causing her entire bathtub to shift.      

“I don’t know what to do with these jokers. I really don’t,” said a visibly frustrated Hill. “They don’t seem to want to do their job. They are a property management company, and they do not want to do their job.

“It seems like they are truly asset management — they bought the property, but they do not want to be responsible for the maintenance whatsoever. I don’t know what else to say.”

The house Hill lives in is being managed by CPM Properties, a Hamilton-based company that also lists Moxness as one of its directors. As previously reported by SooToday, 25 numbered companies listing Moxness as a director have purchased at least 129 properties in Sault Ste. Marie, all within the past couple of years. 

Hill’s rental property is not the only one being targeted by city bylaw officers. 

The same numbered company that owns the home has been slapped with numerous other bylaw charges for allegedly failing to remedy deficiencies at four of its properties.

Another of Moxness’ numbered companies, 12972573 Canada Inc., is also being taken to provincial offences court this fall for building and fire code violations at four of its properties, including 139 Church Street — a multi-unit residential property that’s at the heart of a nearly $270,000 lawsuit launched against the company by a mortgage lender for an alleged non-payment of the mortgage. 

In all, six matters involving the two of Moxness’ numbered companies are slated to go to trial this fall at the provincial offences courthouse on the ground floor of city hall. Three other matters involving the two companies, meanwhile, are in the preliminary stages of legal proceedings.

Hill says that although the numbered company that owns her home may incur provincial fines if it loses its upcoming trial date in court, that still doesn’t guarantee the necessary repairs will ever be completed.  

“There are no laws in place, and that’s why property managers have been able to run rampant,” she said. 

Hill firmly believes both CPM Properties and the property owner aren’t maintaining her rental home because they want her to move out altogether.  

More recently, a mistake made by a bank employee caused Hill to be short one dollar on her rent this month. A week later, she received an email from CPM, threatening to take legal action — or evict her — if the rent wasn’t paid in full. 

“Please note that your account is currently due in the amount of $1.00,” said the Aug. 8 email. “If payment has not already been sent, please do so immediately to avoid legal action or eviction.”

Hill says she’d rather stand up for herself than give up and move out of her home, where she pays just under $1,000 per month in rent. She’s been faithfully attending the provincial offences court hearings involving the property owner in hopes of getting some justice.

“A three-bedroom house like this is anywhere between $1,800 and $2,200. I can’t do that,” said Hill. “I’m not going to do that, I shouldn’t have to do that — people should have to do their job.”

Moxness has yet to respond to a request made by SooToday for an interview.