All she wants is to live in the trailer she bought with the money her deceased mom left her, and be treated like a human being. Instead, Monique Paquette barricaded herself in her trailer Friday as a court enforcement officer came to evict her.
Paquette, a resident of a trailer park on Longwoods Road just east of Prince Albert Line, said she suffers from a brain injury and moved to Chatham after her mother’s death.
Relying on the Ontario Disability Support Program for income, Paquette came to The Voice, looking for someone who could help her, as she felt she was being unfairly treated and evicted from the trailer she said she owns.
Paquette said she has $12,000 invested in the trailer.
“I own the trailer; she owns the cement pad,” she said.
Paquette said she tried to pay the landlord the overdue rent in July, but as it was four days past the due date, the landlord refused to accept it.
“I will pay the woman rent, but only if she lives up to her end of it,” she said. “I’ve never been treated so poorly,” she said, citing harassment for having garbage pails and outdoor furniture on her small lot.
The Landlord and Tenant Board issued the eviction notice on Aug. 17, 2017 and gave Paquette until Aug. 28, 2017 to ask that the order be set aside in order to have a hearing.
Paquette said she felt that wouldn’t do any good as she needs an interpreter with her to help her understand what is said to her and the only accommodation that she was told could be made for her was for French or English language during the hearing.
She said that according to the Residential Tenancies Act, in Sec. 164 in regard to mobile homes owned by the tenant, a termination of the tenancy agreement must be made at least one year after the date the notice is given. Paquette believes the Act isn’t being followed but said she can’t afford a lawyer to help her, and her disability makes it very difficult for her to retain information.
Eric Doran, the enforcement officer, spoke to Paquette explaining she could have had the hearing, and he was simply there to enforce the eviction notice from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
“The Landlord Tenant Act says she has to go,” he said. “You’ll have to take it up with the Landlord Tenant Board.”
Police were called to remove Paquette from her trailer, who did not know where she could go once evicted. She was referred to the Chatham-Kent homeless initiative when she attended town hall to see what services or supports might be available.
With no family in the area, Paquette said she just wanted to be treated fairly by the landlord and she will pay her rent.
Lenora Cavacas, owner of the trailer park, declined to comment.
