ACORN members and supporters from across Ontario show up to support 221 Melvin Ave tenants defend their homes from serial renovictor Michael Klein

Thank you to the 150+ ACORN members and supporters who joined today’s Landlord and Tenant Board hearing for 4 households at 221 Melvin Ave in Hamilton facing eviction for major renovations.

Ontario ACORN has been raising the alarm on a landlord that we believe to be the province’s biggest perpetrator of renovictions – Michael Klein. Through corporate record searches, ACORN has linked Michael Klein to 24 buildings experiencing mass renovictions in Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph, London, Oshawa and Lindsay, Ontario.

After holding a provincial day of action in October and releasing a report outlining Klein’s predatory business model, ACORN is working with the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic and private tenant lawyer Samuel Mason to link cases between two buildings owned by Klein. Last year tenants at 221 Melvin Ave in Hamilton and 508 Dawes Road in Toronto received nearly identical letters and N13 notices describing their buildings in disrepair and that the landlord has no choice but to terminate tenancies to complete renovations for 7-10 months.

At today’s hearing, 221 Melvin tenant’s legal representation from the Hamilton Community Legal clinic requested cases be joined with 508 Dawes Rd. After a back and forth from both sides and agreement from the LTB adjudicator that N13s from both buildings looked nearly identical, the adjudicator indicated they would be reserving their decision and both parties would receive the decision within a couple weeks.

If successful another hearing would be scheduled to hear both building’s applications on the same day – a historic first for Ontario renters. ACORN sees this as an important step in bringing Klein’s repeated use of N13 evictions in Ontario to light and pushing the provincial tribunal to recognize Klein as the landlord behind his many numbered companies.

ACORN will keep members and the community updated on the outcome of the decision and future hearing dates.

Links to more info on Family Properties / Michael Klein:

• https://acorncanada.org/news/caroling-at-the-home-of-michael-klein-ontarios-king-of-renovictions/
• https://acorncanada.org/news/new-report-connects-ontarios-biggest-renovictor-michael-klein-to-renovictions-happening-in-21-buildings-in-7-cities/
• https://acorncanada.org/news/guelph-today-how-is-this-legal-meet-the-king-of-ontario-renovictions/