Two tenants have been evicted from a home on McCurdy Road in Rutland, leaving behind what the landlord describes as deplorable living conditions and months of concern from neighbours.
Mohini Singh, a Kelowna, B.C., city councillor, owns one-quarter of the property.
Inside the home, dirty litter boxes were left behind, with holes in the walls and floors covered in garbage.
Neighbours say the property has been a source of constant problems for months, with repeated police and bylaw visits.
“Police activity hasn’t stopped,” said Rutland resident Christopher Bocskei. “I added it to the walking route I do myself in Rutland and I always see activity there. I’m astounded that nothing has happened there.”
After accumulating thousands of dollars in bylaw fines and several police incidents, Singh moved to evict the tenants from the property.
Global News spoke with former tenant Chad Milnthorp in February after he was released from jail following a police raid at the home.
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“Between RCMP and bylaw we’re looking at about 32 or 33 times they’ve been here in the last nine months,” Milnthorp said.
Singh says Wednesday’s eviction process was not straightforward. She says someone broke into the home overnight to stay there, while others initially refused to leave the property.
“A roommate of my tenant shut himself in the garage with two other friends,” Singh said. “As soon as they left, we had contractors seal the door.”
Police have also responded to serious incidents at the home. Just last month, two separate calls resulted in the RCMP Emergency Response Team being deployed.
While the tenants have now vacated the property, some neighbours worry the problems could return.
“We kept hearing that things have changed, gotten better and that we can expect to move forward now and we’re going to be safe in that area,” Bocskei said. “But we’ve heard that too many times now.”
Singh says steps are being taken to ensure the situation does not repeat itself.
“I’d like the neighbours to know we’re taking every precaution to ensure that this house will be clear of anything to do with people who are not welcome in this neighbourhood,” she said.
The property will soon be fenced off while it is cleaned and repaired before new tenants move in.
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