Editor:
If there is one piece of advice I can give anyone considering filing for dispute resolution against their landlord with the Residential Tenancy Branch (it’s) don’t do it because it is a complete and utter waste of time (and money).
And if you are going to do it, then I suggest you lie, lie, lie your way through the process because apparently being truthful gets you absolutely nowhere.
As a bit of a backstory, I have been dealing with excessive noise from my neighbouring tenant for a year-and-a-half now.
Everything from loud music, screaming/yelling tantrums (keep in mind that this is not a child and is a grown, adult woman in her 20s), to hearing them having the birds and the bees (keeping it PG for the newspaper).
My neighbour has absolutely no regard for anyone else. When complaints are sent to management, they give the tenant an opportunity to respond and, of course, it’s all lies.
On one occasion, this tenant even lied and told management I was yelling at her on a specific date and time. A date and time I wasn’t even home and happened to have receipt proof from the restaurant I was at.
Instead of addressing this blatant lie by the tenant, management’s response was, “What I would like is for you to both get along.”
Excuse me?
I don’t typically “get along” with people who have no problem lying and defaming others just to make themselves look like the victim. I can be cordial, but that doesn’t mean I have to like or get along with the person. That's not the way the world works. And do you think the RTB took that evidence in account? Of course not. They found her “compelling.” Even with no evidence compared to my months and months of evidence, which included witnesses and audio recordings and emails.
So now I’m left to do one of two things - move or suffer in dealing with my neighbour’s noise and lies for the rest of my tenancy, however long I decide to stay.
As for the Residential Tenancy Branch, they are a despicable organization and should be ashamed with how they conducted themselves on this particular matter.
I wasn’t even provided the opportunity to question the other tenant during the hearing.
So this wasn’t even a fair process by any means.
Anyway, this is far from over. I intend on suing the tenant for defamation in civil court and have already begun that process, and if anyone reading this ever has tenancy issues, I implore you to go that route rather than wasting your time with the Residential Tenancy Branch because they probably won’t help you.
And to the liars out there? Knock it off because one day your lies will eventually catch up to you.
Moe Belinska, Burnaby
