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Austin c. Zagury

2011 QCRDL 22439

RÉGIE DU LOGEMENT
Bureau de Montréal

No :	31 101015 002 G

Date :	02 juin 2011
Régisseure :	Louise Fortin, juge administratif

James Austin
Locataire - Partie demanderesse
c.
Maurice Zagury
Ancien locateur - Partie défenderesse
et
SAAD GHESSOUS RINA MORENO Nouveaux locateurs - Partie défenderesse


D É C I S I O N

[1] Par un recours introduit le 15 octobre 2010 et amendé le 1^er avril 2011, le locataire demande l’autorisation de déposer le loyer, la diminution du loyer depuis les trois dernières années, l’exécution en nature des obligations des locateurs, des dommages-intérêts au montant de 7 000 $.

[2] Depuis l’introduction de la demande, l’immeuble a été vendu à madame Rina Moreno et monsieur Saad Guessous, le 4 mars 2011.

[3] Les parties son liées par un bail du 1^er juin 2003 au 31 mai 2004, à un loyer mensuel de 850 $ par mois, reconduit jusqu’au 31 mai 2011, en même montant.

[4] Le 24 septembre 2009, le locataire transmettait la lettre suivante au locateur :

« Dear Maurice,

As per our telephone conversation today, I thank you in advance for your time, as your graciously promised to come by next week and inspect the pertinent and ongoing irritable problems regarding the condo’s basic upkeep and maintenance. Please thus finallly fixing the general repairs required of suite no. 303, which is extremely very well overdue, after living there for approximately the last 8 years, since June 1^st, 2003.

I am confident together with your kind attention, as you assured me, we may rectify the unpleasant ongoing living situation making the apartment finally properly functional, safe, livable and up to par, for a better quality of life. Please do not confuse urgency with pressure as your condo is my castle, which one day I aim to purchase an own

The following is the list of repairs/renewal/refurbishments/changes/seriously needed.

1. Please renew completely the whole kitchen, bathroom shower, hot & cold water faucets/taps/spouts/pipe/seal assemblies. This need to as well change the underneath copper tube plumbing to new, mordern plastic pipe tubing inclusive with emergency water cault (shut off) valves, under both sinks. The kitchen hot water tap is unusable. It extremely vibrates emitting a terrifying loud, stress, shaking, earthquake sound throughout the whole building. It’s completely unbearable, dysfunctional, frightening, and unsafe, as if it will at any moment explode under pressure in your face. This for many years forced me the discomfort of only water dishwashing. A third world country we are not.

The whole plumbing system has continuosly leaked, dripped, warped, rusted, mildewed and molded away the system of countertops, seals, below chip-rock walls, (hole) above & underneath. This requires, I beg of you, final repair closure. All suggested band aid solutions, were temporary, always failing quickly thereafter.

The kitchen sink itself has since day one a tiny puncture wond in the right rear wall, which has been taped over, to prevent water leakage. A permanent weld will suffice with a water proof re-caulking of sink rim to countertop seal saving you the expense of a brand new sink.

“Louis” our building maintenance-gardener-superintendent has personally reviewed and inspected the ancient plumbing and suggested it best not to any longer do parch-up work, yet requires renewal of all. He is willing and waitng to be be contracted to execute repairs, should you wish it so.

“André Fortin” our concerned and sometimes nice and helpful X-building condo President and retired professional plumber, residing below at apt # 105 has made it clear, after his numerous temporary repairs done over the years cannot restify the persistent, constant and resuming drips, leaks and malfunctions. This course of action in no longer viable. The time of continuosly changing/replacing all the three water units, (shower, bathtub, washroom & kitchen) totaling six black round rubber water tap washers every few months, as a quick fix is over. This ongoing eight year nightmare please needs to end and rectified a.s.a.p. This unjust inconvenience has absorbed my time which is money, personal expense, health and patience, delivering me anxiety, stress and unnecessary pain and suffering.

“André” is even fed up, thinking perhaps that he is assuming liability to your responsibility of repairs. He has done his best for us, as well as assisting to the broken hot water tank flood, which as you know had only one of two elements working since my moving in here, denying me the pleasure and humane right/need to bathe/shave/wash dishes/laundry, correctly in hot water.

Winter, spring & fall are Canadian Cold. I had to unjustly suffer the discomfort as to taking a proprer bath or shower for six to seven years now, after repeated verbal & written requests for you to resolve the matter. You took action after the whole hot water tank finally burst. I had pre-informed you of this eventuality, providing you preventative maintenance estimates of the pending required ho water tank repair of replacement diligently needed.

As you always you ask me to acquire estimates & evaluations at my own valuable unpaid time and expense. This is not fair, but I always did the deed, as I love and want to continue living here. This is my home, sanctuary, my domicile, my house which I nurture, look after, clean, respect and maintain to my highest possible living standards.

However I am not a plumber, contractor, appraiser, Tiler, electrician or Maytag Washer/dryer repairman, stove/fridge/oven or utility man any longer. These are your, the landlords responsibilites to oversee & mainntain. I do not wish to any feel like an unpaid tradesman or employee.

Massive flood in my home have left me prisoner to my domicile (as usual with any occurring emergency) I personally, physically labored to uplift waterlogged carpets, scraping off the ruined under padding, (never replaced) off the concrete floor and sanitization of all. As well as glue, nails, adhesive rubber, wall and floor trim etc., remains bare and exposed. The renovation an replacement of new carpet, under padding to restore the original condition remains incomplete.

I have had the whole apartmend cleaned on numerous occasions, including carpets professionally steam cleaned, walls, cuboards, appliances etc. this I have paid for out of my pocket without any compensation or reimbursement.

I lost at least three days of work (at every disaster) to stressfully wait, and be available to the slow moving process of repair contractors This major loss of income remains lost.

Remember the cracked bathroom toilet bowl, upon I moving in from your previous tenant. (As well as the rotten food in fridge and cupboards, which I had to remove, clean and sterilize) This episode (multiple inspections) and toilet replacement again caused nasty floodind and major embarassement to me and below neighbors. This is a past delemma painfully endured, without any compensation or consideration to my inconvenience as usual.

However your rents are always vigorously perused and ubtained, and always paid to you one way or another, no matter what. Please Maurice it can be easy to comfortably level the playing field, with a little effort, solving the dilemmas.

To this date, completition of detail to the apartment’s previous bathrooms, flood, tile renovation, has not been properly done i.e.; tiles/roof (washing & painting)/walls/trim/ curtain rod (old markings left) or shower head spout (loouse), repaired, cleaned of finished properly.

2. Please Repair/fix or renew Kitchen Oven. The Bottom Element never functioned as well as timer & Knob missing since I arrived here, making it impossible to cook a roast or anything else correltly. The top four stove top elements also need replacing as they all are unblanced, and do not glow red hot on high heat. The thermotat is also defective One must eat.

3.The Stove top fan Shouts in the kitchen & bathroom, shake, rattle & roll, so very noisy and defective, all filter screens elogged and broken, and air duct chimney, from my ceiling to outside roof top desperately needs a chute/chimney clean sweep as the up & out airflow is restricted and jammed. This faulty air flow contantly throws off my own personal smoke detector almost daily when trying to feed myself. The Aps.’s smoke detector is also inoperative and for safety needs to be changed or renewed to always function impeccably.

4. The long top center balcony railing needs to be professionally and proporly fastened by concrete drill, filler, and corrrect anchors and screws. The railing is very loose and insecure making “Balconville” unsafe.

5. There are also serious hoards of wasps and bees continuously flying, bussing around, pertering, and threatening me and any guests or any company. They attack and invade my personal space. They need to pay rent or settles elsewhere. Hives nest on balconies inside and above roof. They are so far yearly unstopppable. Another serious force to be reckoned with is “ANTS”. This relentless, invading army is infiltrating my balcony by platoons and battalions of countless thousand of blak Ants climbing up the right front column or pillar from the back yard floor to and from their nearby colony. Please patrol property to arrest infestation.

6. The living room air conditioner needs to be renewed and replaced with a quieter more efficient, green like unit. Almost all the other condos have installed these new up to date air conditioning systems. This useless present A/C unit is unbearable. This dinosaur must be 30 years old or so and is outdated, unusable, extremely loud, smells of mold an mildew. Cold air rushes in all winter long as it is not properly installed or insulate. I Suffer.

7. The bathroom toilet needs adjusting & checked to be secure. It no longer flushes correctly, (it has the long noisy run on). Recent city water work interruptions, going for days on end, left me with out water, to bathe, cook, wash or drink. This has being a total inconvenience and dysfunction of my life. I was being displaced due to complete improprer notice of continuous water disruptions. This lack of H2O being no fautl of your own, just an addition to my overall discomfort and frustration.

8. Please adjust and correct hallway, bedroom, and bathroom closet sliding doors. They are all loose creaky, & noisy (roof activated?) and unattached correctly therefore malfuntioning. The sliding door mechanisms, tracks, rails, hinges and spring loaded plastic sliders, needs, attentions.

9. All the kitchen & bathroom cupboard doors are entirely misaligned and falling apart, this a carpenter can quickly & affordably remedy, adjusting the fancy hinges with out major cost or replacement. The doors do not open & shut smoothly or quietly.

10. The liiving room sliding windows do not open/shut/slide/screen correctly. One of the panes was always cracked, creating frost and or condensation all winter long, being energy inefficient.

11. The roof creaks and swells, making very eerie insecure structural sounds and turbulent noises as if ghosts of people are walking on top of the roof. This earthquakae like absurd situation occurs as soon as an increase in wind arises. The audio of it all sounds like you’re perhaps on a sailing/sinking ship, on the high seas, (or bulding) and the metal is fatiguing and giving way. The sensation of a violent roof collapse feels imminent, especially if the wind/snow/rain will blow, just a little bit harder. It’s uncanny.

12. There is defiantly some kind of minor structural or construction design defect. Possibly only some loose metal moldings, screen or frame work needed to be attended to, adjusted or battened down. The above building metal decorative exterior A-Frame comes to mind.

Perhaps this constructive problem may also be the reason that I cannot and never have been able to pick up or receive “AM” Radio, only “FM”. There is for sure some interference in the air waves, which needs rectifying. There was a “TELUS“ cellular telephone field surveillance officer lurking around, trying to detect with camera, (pictures taken) and laptop computer attached to a brass looking satellie search dish, investigating the towers signal interruption to their customers. Be aware that the Bell Canada & “VIDEOTRON” cable trucks regularly arrive and their personnel are walking to the walled black gated or fenced in area, in the garrden courtyard between 1601 & 1661 Notre Dame St. W., to I assume add or delete customer activation Please investigate.

13. The painting of apartment.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Maurice, I respectfully write this letter to you,, so as to amicably air and resolve the above mentioned issues and heartaches, so as to properly maintain your valuable real estate and my precious roof over my head.

Putting all hard feelings aside, I am sure in your heart of hearts, you know I mean no malice or prejudice of any kind and truly would never want to offend you in any way, shape or form. I just feel neglected, overlooked, frustrated, hurt and sensitive. Your corrective actions care and attentiveness is most welcome. The achievement of good chi, harmony and aura is a very good attainable and sustainable thing.

Would you very kind as to step up to the plate and go to bat for me, so to speak, please Maurice? Togeher we will move forward comfortably and peacefully into the next decade, insuring our happiness, wellbeing and future ongoing pleasant relationship.

I thank you in advance, for your kind attention.

James Austin »

[5] Il indique que les réparations décrites à sa demande n’ont toujours pas été exécutées :

« a. Kitchen, bathroom, shower, hot & cold water faucets/taps/spouts/pipe/seal are defective (bathroom faucet drips constantly; kitchen sink is punctured);

b. Kitchen Oven (the bottom element never functioned as well as timer & knob missing since day one);

c. Freezer (Hotpoint) needs to be replaced (has gaseous smell to anything it freezes);

d. The stove top fan shouts in the kitchen & bathroom, shake, rattle & roll, very noisy and defective (all filter screens clogged and broken, and air duct chimney, from the ceiling to outside roof top desperately needs a chute / chimney clean sweep as the up & out airflow is restricted and jammed.

e. The longs top center balcony railing needs to be professionally and properly fastened by concrete drill, filler, and correct anchors and screws;

f. There are serious hoards of bugs and spider infestation and wasps and bees continuously flying, buzzing around, pestering, and threatening the tenants and any guests or any company;

g. The living room air conditioner needs to be renewed and replaced;

h. The bathroom toilet needs adjusting & checked to be secure. It no longer flushes correctly;

i. Hallway, bedroom, and bathroom closet sliding doors need to be adjusted and corrected. They are all loose creaky, & noisy (roof activated?) and unattached correctly therefore malfunctioning; the sliding door mechanisms, tracks, rails, hinges and spring loaded plastic sliders, needs attention.

j. All the kitchen & bathroom cupboard doors are entirely misaligned and falling apart;

K. The living room sliding windows do not open/shut/slide/screen correctly.

l. The roof creaks and swells, making very insecure structural sounds and turbulent noises;

m. Repair living room windows screen frame;

n. Some detector needs to be repaired (it is non functional);

o. Replacement of the carpets (flooded);

p. Insulation of the balconies two doors;

q. The repainting of the aparment. »

[6] Au soutien de ses prétentions, il dépose des photographies du logement qu’il a prises en 2009 et 2010.

[7] Il explique aussi qu’il a subi trois infiltrations d’eau dans la salle de bain et qu’il a dû faire le nettoyage, alors que les réparations effectuées n’ont pas été bien exécutées. Il a aussi avisé le locateur verbalement à plusieurs reprises de tous ces problèmes. Lorsqu’il remettait des chèques au locateur, il lui est arrivé d’inscrire sur ceux-ci les réparations à effectuer.

[8] Le 25 février 2010, le locateur accusait réception par courrier recommandé de la lettre du 23 février 2010 du locataire (L-6) qui indiquait ce qui suit :

« Dear Maurice,

With regards to receiving your registered mail envelope Monday Feb/15/2010, # RW 491 531 024CA I Refuse, contest your invalid rental increase from $870.00 to $895,00. I wish to remain living here, constinuously, this is my home, sanctuary, my almost dacade of a roof over my head (expressement).

I as well respectfully remind you and demande fulfillment of your promises to repair, upkeep, maintain, restore, fix, paint, clean, secure the 8 year pending ongoing unsatisfactory condition of this dwelling, finally, within 10 days. I refer to my previous work order multi page letter which you received with your rent, and only completed minimal plumping Serious oven, exhaust stove & bathroom fan, chimney cleaning, broken balcony railing, floor restoration from flooded toilet & hot water tank, bathroom tile, roof, floor, correction, living room window fallen off of track, air conditioner ancient broken, inoperative, old seals leaking my hydro, et all. (smoke Detector) etc. Hello!?, Remains seriouly well overdue.

So it is written, so it shall be (finally) done.

I have as well many times requested the proper documents providing me the opportunity, to perhaps possibly purchase this condo from you, yet you refuse & deny me any documentation of any kind. Instead you have your multiple various real estate agents call, harasses, bother me with ridiculous ongoing pictures taken of my apartment, rude, crude, messages left demanding immediate access on my voice mail, etc.

I regret to inform you of your unfulfilled duties as a landord, not slumlord.

I regarded you as a father figure, as you well know, well I guess business is business. It pains me so.

Should you wish, my door remains open to you, the same time & way I assisted you when you thought your dodge minivan was stolen, yet misplaced by yourself, yet I spent time going to bat for you. You were sad, and white as a ghost, yet overjoyed when you found your vehicle, calling to thank me, after I took you into my home canceling all of my appointments. I was there for you, I will be again. Are You? I’m disappointed.

James Austin »

[9] Ainsi, le locataire soumet qu’il n’a pas eu la pleine jouissance des lieux. En plus, de la demande de diminution de loyer, il demande des dommages-intérêts au montant de 7 000 $.

[10] Madame Rosita Singondo habite avec le locataire depuis cinq ans à titre de colocataire et corrobore son témoignage quant aux réparations à effectuer dans le logement.

[11] Le locateur Maurice Zagury soumet qu’il n’a jamais reçu la lettre du 24 septembre 2009 du locataire et qu’il n’a jamais été informé des problèmes dont ce dernier a fait état.

[12] En ce qui concerne sa demande, il indique que la plomberie a été réparée le 26 novembre 2009, tel qu’en fait foi la facture du plombier qui indique :

« Installer un robinet cuisine, vérifier le bruit de la toilette, vérifier le robinet du lavabo installer un levier réglable pommeau de douche, tester ok. »

[13] De plus, le 18 novembre 2008, il a changé le réservoir à eau chaude tel que le montre la facture d’Hydro Solution.

[14] Au point b) de la demande, il ne peut concevoir que le four ne fonctionne pas depuis tout ce temps.

[15] En ce qui concerne le point e) de sa demande, il a offert au locataire le 2 décembre 2010 de rencontrer les administrateurs de la copropriété avec lui et il a refusé. Il indique que ce n’est pas la première fois que le locataire refuse ses demandes.

[16] Il nie le point f) de la demande et soumet qu’il n’y pas d’insectes et de fourmis, et ce, puisque l’immeuble est très bien entretenu.

[17] Quant à l’air conditionné point g) de la demande, il l’a déjà fait réparer et n’a pas eu d’autres demandes de la part du locataire.

[18] Quant au point k) de la demande, les fenêtres du salon, il s’agit d’un petit ajustement, dit-il. Il en est de même des portes de cuisine et de la salle de bain et des fenêtres qui ne ferment pas bien.

[19] En ce qui concerne le point l) de la demande, soit le bruit du toit, il indique que la toiture a été refaite récemment.

[20] Au point n) de la demande, il indique qu’il y avait un seul détecteur de fumé et que c’est le locataire qui l’a enlevé parce qu’il fumait à l’intérieur de son logement.

[21] Il a fait, dit-il, toutes les réparations nécessaires au fil des années.

[22] Au soutien de ses prétentions, il dépose des photographies qu’il a prises du logement en décembre 2010.

[23] Il croit que le locataire est satisfait de son logement puisque le 23 février et le 27 octobre 2010, le locataire il lui écrivait que c’était son sanctuaire et son domaine.

[24] Saad Guessous témoigne à son tour et explique qu’il a visité le logement du locataire à deux reprises et qu’il n’a rien vu de choquant, ni constaté que des travaux majeurs étaient nécessaires.

[25] C’est ainsi que se résume l’essentiel de la preuve.

Analyse

[26] Les articles 1854 et 1864 du Code civil du Québec définissent les obligations du locateur en matière de diminution de loyer :

« 1854. Le locateur est tenu de délivrer au locataire le bien loué en bon état de réparation de toute espèce et de lui en procurer la jouissance paisible pendant toute la durée du bail.

Il est aussi tenu de garantir au locataire que le bien peut servir à l'usage pour lequel il est loué, et de l'entretenir à cette fin pendant toute la durée du bail.»

« 1864. Le locateur est tenu, au cours du bail, de faire toutes les réparations nécessaires au bien loué, à l'exception des menues réparations d'entretien; celles-ci sont à la charge du locataire, à moins qu'elles ne résultent de la vétusté du bien ou d'une force majeure.»

[27] Relativement au recours en diminution de loyer, Me Gilles Joly, dans la décision Gagné c. Laroque[1] mentionnait :

« Le recours en diminution du loyer a pour but de rétablir l'équilibre dans la prestation de chacune des parties au bail; lorsque le montant du loyer ne représente plus la valeur de la prestation des obligations rencontrées par le locateur parce que certains services ne sont plus dispensés ou que le locataire n'a plus la pleine et entière jouissance des lieux loués, le loyer doit être réduit en proportion de la diminution subie.

Il s'agit en somme de rétablir le loyer au niveau de la valeur des obligations rencontrées par le locateur par rapport à ce qui est prévu au bail; la diminution ainsi accordée correspond à la perte de la valeur des services ou des obligations que le locateur ne dispense plus. Il ne s'agit donc pas d'une compensation pour des dommages ou des inconvénients que la situation peut causer. »

[28] Pour faire droit au recours du locataire, ce dernier devait établir que les locateurs ont été mis en demeure de faire les travaux requis et qu’ils ont négligé de les exécuter.

[29] En l’instance, la preuve démontre que le locataire aurait transmis une mise en demeure au locateur le 24 septembre 2009. Toutefois, le locateur nie l’avoir reçue et le locataire n’a pas prouvé la réception par ce dernier.

[30] Par contre, la preuve révèle que le 25 février 2010, le locateur accusait réception de la lettre du 23 février 2010 du locataire qui fait état de la plupart des demandes de réparations.

[31] À ce titre, la preuve démontre que le locateur a fait certains travaux de plomberie dans le logement.

[32] Toutefois, il n’a pas convaincu le tribunal qu’il s’était rendu au logement du locataire afin de vérifier la nécessité de corriger les problèmes dénoncés tant dans la lettre du 23 février 2010 que suite à l’introduction des procédures en octobre 2010, laquelle constitue elle aussi une dénonciation cette fois encore plus détaillée des problèmes invoqués.

[33] Le tribunal est d’avis que le locataire a démontré qu’il avait subi une perte de jouissance de son logement, témoignage corroboré par sa colocataire en ce qui concerne les points b), c), d), e), f), g), h), i), j), k), m), n), o), p) de la demande.

[34] Le tribunal accorde donc à titre de diminution de loyer global à compter du 25 février 2010 au 3 mars 2011, une somme 1 100 $.

[35] En concluant ainsi, le tribunal a tenu compte du fait que la plomberie a été corrigée et la toiture refaite récemment. Quant à la peinture du logement, il est normal après une certaine occupation que ce rafraichissement soit à la charge du locataire.

[36] Considérant aussi que certaines des demandes sont d’ordre esthétique, si l’on pense aux portes d’armoires de la cuisine et de la salle de bain qui ne ferment pas correctement.

[37] Il accorde également à titre de dommages-intérêts pour troubles et inconvénients la somme de 1 000 $.

[38] En ce qui concerne les nouveaux propriétaires, le tribunal rejette la demande de diminution de loyer et de dépôt de loyer quant à eux, considérant que ces derniers n’ont reçu signification de la demande qu’après le 1^er avril 2011, l’audition ayant eu lieu le 13 avril 2011.

[39] Le tribunal est d’avis qu’ils n’ont pas eu suffisamment de temps pour remédier aux demandes du locataire, alors qu’ils ont indiqué à l’audience qu’ils étaient disposés à faire les travaux, si le tribunal le décidait.

[40] Il y a toutefois lieu d’émettre une ordonnance d’exécution en nature pour les travaux suivants :

« b. Kitchen Oven (the bottom element never functioned as well as timer & knob missing since day one);