Repaving dispute leaves rehab clinic locked out
For almost 16 years, Caritas Project, a rehab clinic, operated without a hitch from a rented building in North York. Then in 2007, the landlord repaved the parking area.
That triggered a series of events, which culminated Friday with Caritas being locked out.
“We never asked for it (repaving),” said Elio Sergnese, Caritas’ executive director. “We are a charity … we can’t afford to pay $57,922.”
Caritas, a charity partially funded by the provincial ministry of health, was the tenant in a 14,000-square-foot building at Millwick Drive near Islington and Finch avenues.
The landlord, Femola Builders Ltd., repaved the parking area in 2007. In May 2009, according to Sergnese, the company presented the bill to Caritas, which saw no reason to pay for work it had not requested.
In early February, the charity was given 15 days to pay the owed amount.
On Thursday, it was given another 24 hours. On Friday, Caritas was locked out.
Femola’s president, Mark Zanotte, said there’s a clause in the lease that says the tenant is responsible for repairs.
“It’s irrelevant whether they want repairs or not,” said Zanotte. “There was damage in the parking lot and we had to make it safe.”