Property management firm forced to pay $25K after B.C. man's home trashed by tenant
Court finds Meadow Ridge Classic Realty did not properly vet tenant Sherri Fontaine for homeowner Mostafa Said
By Jenni Sheppard, CBC News
A Maple Ridge man is warning homeowners to take care over property management firms, after his house was left in a state of horrific disrepair by a tenant already known to have a criminal history.
Mostafa Said was awarded $25,000, the maximum possible, in small claims court this month, for damage done to his home by Sherri Fontaine, a tenant chosen by Homelife Classic Realty Ltd. on his behalf while his family was abroad.
The property management firm, which shortly afterwards changed its name to Meadow Ridge Classic Realty, was found to be “grossly negligent” by Judge T.S. Woods, who said the firm failed to do even the most basic checks on Fontaine.
READ MORE…