After an apartment building fire displaced 70 residents, a Victoria poverty advocacy group is filing a petition to the B.C. Supreme Court for judicial review
Together Against Poverty is challenging the Residential Tenancy Branch's decision not to investigate the landlord of View Towers, Westsea Construction, who allegedly coerced tenants into signing agreements to end their tenancies following the May 15, 2014 fire.
The RTB said tenants could file individual dispute resolution applications against Westsea Construction. However, TAPS' judicial review said that sections of the Residential Tenancy Act allowing for investigations do not depend on the outcome of individual dispute resolutions.
“The dispute resolution process can be daunting and time consuming for tenants that need to focus on getting a roof over their heads,” said Stephen Portman, interim executive director of TAPS.