A Bas-Saint-Laurent owner was ordered to pay $17,000 to his former tenants, including his own niece whom he “betrayed” in order to evict her from her home.
• Read also: Guilty of “personal injury”: this owner will have to pay for letting sick children live in mold
• Read also: [EN VIDÉOS] “It makes no sense”: the city orders him to build a $50,000 garage under his house
“The evidence revealed that the owner Christian Landry harassed the tenants in order to evict them,” ruled Judge Micheline Leclerc, of the Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL).
The building in Saint-Antonin at the heart of the dispute between Christian Landry, owner, and his niece whom he tried to evict from her apartment.
Screenshot of Google Maps
In her decision rendered a few weeks ago, we learned that Coralie Bouchard and her ex-spouse William Michaud have been victims of “malicious and abusive actions” by their owner since the spring of 2022.
Mr. Landry is also the tenant’s uncle. He notably claimed to have received complaints of cannabis odors and noises to evict them from their apartment in Saint-Antonin, very close to Rivière-du-Loup. He then claimed domestic violence within the couple.
Mr. Landry followed training in real estate investment at “Collège Mrex”, as evidenced by this photo.
Photo taken from Christian Landry’s Facebook
“The police went to the building, but he doesn’t know why. He found cigarette butts, but didn’t know who they belonged to. He alleges events of violence in housing without any proof,” reveals the TAL, which highlights its numerous contradictions.
He also blames his cat
Christian Landry is the owner of the company 9359-1477 Québec inc., better known as Immeubles CL in Rivière-du-Loup. To get rid of his niece, this real estate developer also argued before the judge that his cat’s meowing disturbed his neighbors.
The tenants had to submit photos of their cat to prove that it was calm with their sitter, contrary to the owner’s claims.
Court document
Note that the affair broke out when the tenant couple separated in October 2022. Coralie Bouchard then asked her uncle to terminate the lease with her ex-spouse to keep the apartment alone. Christian Landry first accepted. However, he finally removed the part stipulating that Coralie would sign a new lease, without warning her. “He betrayed them by having this document signed,” laments the judge.
“Why such obstinacy in getting her niece to leave the accommodation, when there is no preponderant proof that the tenants are sources of trouble?” asks the honorable Micheline Leclerc.
The answer is found in part in an email from Christian Landry written on December 3, 2022. This message was addressed to the tenants, Coralie Bouchard’s mother and her grandparents. According to the TAL, the “dispute is personal, even vindictive”.
Email sent to Caroline Landry, mother of the tenant, by the owner Christian Landry. The latter writes here that a certain Dubé is “looking for someone to beat up his boyfriend”.
Court document
“I am accused of following Coralie’s comings and goings, I would just like to remind you that I am the owner of 30 other homes in the area,” writes the real estate developer, who boasts in the same email of owning “an entire neighborhood “. He also assures that he does not spy on his niece, even if he photographed the vehicles of his acquaintances.
“Crazy” comments
In December 2022, the owner finally tried using several “questionable” methods to convince Coralie Bouchard and William Michaud to terminate the lease.
“Christian Landry alleges that his niece wants to get rid of the accommodation, but that her mother does not want to and that she is pretending to be her daughter [par textos ou courriels]. This claim is crazy,” deplores the Court, which criticizes its “bad faith” and its “relentlessness”.
Facebook page of the company at the heart of the dispute.
Screenshot of the CL buildings Facebook page
Ultimately, the judge concluded that Coralie Bouchard could keep the apartment. Christian Landry will, however, have to pay $17,000 to the two tenants in moral and punitive damages.
“The evidence revealed that Coralie lived in fear of losing her housing since December 2022, when she was fragile and morally destitute. She was involved in a family dispute without her knowledge,” underlines the TAL.
“Golden” owners, according to them
Christian Landry and his partner Luce Sylvain, both at the head of the Immeubles CL company, assure in an interview with The newspaper be good owners.
Post on Facebook promoting Christian Landry’s business.
Screenshot of the CL buildings Facebook page
“It saw our arms sawing the judgment. We are excellent owners. We buy Christmas gifts for our tenants. You know what I mean? We have a golden reputation and the whole kit», defends Mr. Landry on the telephone.
The real estate developer filed a request on February 9 for retraction of the TAL’s decision. According to him, the “judge listened to another emission than that which was presented to him. Coralie Bouchard and William Michaud did not wish to comment on this case before the next hearing scheduled for April 2024.