People living in a Chatham apartment are being forced to make a tough choice: fight or find a new spot to live.
Everyone living at Terrace Forty was recently given a notice explaining that they would have to move out due to renovations.
The notice states the building is filled with asbestos that needs to be removed.
Jeff Wilkins, a paralegal with the Chatham-Kent Legal Clinic, believes this has nothing to do with asbestos and is instead about money.
He told CK News Today that it's no secret the building has asbestos, and he would be surprised if anyone living there didn't know. He explained there are no significant health risks if materials containing asbestos aren't disturbed, a claim supported by Health Canada.
Wilkins said a deep dive into the notice provided to the tenants would prove that this has nothing to do with asbestos.
"It mentions nothing about the remediation of asbestos; it's pretty much about installing new kitchens, repairing flooring, doors, bathrooms, plumbing, and electrical," he explained.
Wilkins believes this is all about money. The average rent price at the building is around $850, much lower than current market prices.
"If they can get rid of one tenant, they can make the rent $2,000," he added.
He backed up his thinking by sharing the case of the Aspen Towers in Ottawa. Back in 2024, the building was bought by a new company that immediately issued the same notices, claiming that all tenants had to leave due to needed renovations.
Wilkins said the person who bought the Aspen Towers also bought Terrace Forty, further convincing him that what's happening in Chatham is a form of 'renoviction.'
"They're pretty much trying to scare these people," he said.
What the company is doing isn't illegal, though Wilkins believes it's extremely deceitful.
Several cities across Ontario have introduced measures to ensure that all renovation or demolition notices are legit. At this time, there's no such measure in Chatham-Kent, though this could change very soon.
The ongoing situation at Terrace Forty has grabbed the attention of multiple Municipal Councillors. This includes Marjorie Crew, who said it's obvious that these people are being treated unfairly.
"It was a Friday afternoon, and these notices were slipped under their door. Over the weekend, they were left to stew with it," she explained.
Crew introduced a motion at CK council's meeting on Monday that would ensure all renovations or demolitions that would force people to move are actually necessary.
CK News Today attempted to reach out to the company that owns Terrace Forty, but didn't get a response.
