For more than a month, nine people residing at a motel on the outskirts of Brantford haven’t had power.
The Plaza Motel on Colborne Street in Brant County lost power on July 10 after a dispute between the tenants and the landlord caused the hydro bill to be in arrears.
Those living there say they’re paying their rent, but the property owner says otherwise.
“It’s been years since some of the tenants have paid for their rooms,” Nazir Ahmed says, adding that “he’s out of money.”
“I don’t have the money to pay for them. This place has made me bankrupt, disabled and have family problems … I don’t have money to pay for them anymore.”
He adds that he asked them to at least pay for the utilities that they’re using so it doesn’t get cut off, but the tenants tell a different story.
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“It’s very difficult,” John O’Grady says of the living conditions. “We lost all our groceries. We’re trying to live day by day, but it’s awfully expensive eating out, so we’re kind of running out of money. I spent all my money on generators but they don’t work.”
Another resident, Randy, who didn’t want to give his last name, called the situation “horrible,” adding that he has “to eat out all the time,” as he can’t keep any food in his unit without it going bad.
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The same building was involved in a dispute in 2020 when the heat was cut off for several months.
This time, the residents there say they’re looking toward municipal or provincial authorities to maintain their basic living standards.
“The municipality stepping in and doing what needs to be done would fix things,” Allana Simmons, who also lives in the motel told CHCH News.
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CHCH News contacted Brant County to see if it was aware of the ongoing dispute and ask whether it was involved, but did not hear back.