Condo building owner fined $18,400 for condition of rental units

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Condo building owner fined $18,400 for condition of rental units

Canada.com - Don Mills,Ontario,Canada*

Daryl Slade, Calgary Herald

Published: Thursday, October 30, 2008

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=797fd14e-ab80-

4771-9024-dc905a851b27

CALGARY - The owner of a converted condominium building in southwest

Calgary and three of his companies have been fined $18,400 for

deplorable conditions in three rental units, one of which had to be

condemned as unfit for human inhabitation.

Provincial court Judge Maloney levied the penalties under the

Public Health Act on Thursday against Ken Blatz, Alecto Developments

Inc., Lujan Investments Inc. and Coeus Holdings Corp., after

accepting a joint submission by prosecutor Rob O'Neill and defence

lawyer Doug Dartnell.

" There is a significant cost to taxpayers and the system when people

like this don't comply and inspectors have to keep going out and

making reports, " said Maloney.

All of the owners of each condo unit has obligations to comply and

protect people in that unit and the rest of the building. "

O'Neill said one unit in the building at 2121 17th St. S.W. had " so

much mould on the walls it looked like they were covered in paisley

wallpaper. "

He said Calgary Health Region Inspector e issued an order

to comply with codes after she found mould on the wall between

windows and in one closet on May 4, 2007, as well as a severely

rusted bathtub, and doors not sealing properly allowing vagrants to

enter the unit to use drugs.

e went back two days later, O'Neill said, and condemned the

unit after nothing was done.

In the other units, she found more mould, a leaky toilet that was

causing damage to the ceiling below, a gap around patio door that

didn't seal properly, no smoke alarms, a bathtub with a broken

handle so water couldn't be turned on, and kitchen sink water at

improper temperatures.

Six other people and two companies are scheduled to face a trial on

Nov. 24 related to the same property.

Police have issued warrants for three of them: , and

Codere, who have allegedly not shown up for pre-trial court

appearances.

dslade@...