The X family bought a new home in 1998 that was on a septic system. The previous owners and City staff told them sewer connections were available on their property and the home could be attached to City sewers easily. In 2008, the X’s asked Toronto Water for the connection location. The City gave them three marked maps. The contractor, following the maps, dug a moonscape of 14-foot holes and found nothing.
Ms. S is a senior. She lives with her adult son, who is blind. They came to our office to complain about a City shelter. Ms. S said the shelter was keeping her son’s disability benefits and that staff were harassing her.
Ms. B is a senior who receives social assistance and has lived for six years in a rent-geared-to-income Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) apartment. She returned from a hospital stay to find a letter from TCHC saying she was no longer eligible for a rent subsidy because documents were missing from her file. Then, TCHC withdrew more than $900 from her bank account for rent.
Mr. Q is a taxi driver. He applied to renew his licence with the Municipal Licensing & Standards Division (MLS) in June and paid the fee. MLS wrote to him that he was missing some paperwork and had 30 days to provide it. Unfortunately, Mr. Q was out of the country visiting an ill relative. When he did not send in the paperwork, MLS returned his cheque and told him that his licence was not renewed.
Mr. C had an elm tree that was pushing up against his neighbour’s garage, causing some damage. The neighbour called Municipal Licensing & Standards (MLS), whose inspector decided there was no imminent danger. The neighbour then approached Urban Forestry, whose arborist gave the neighbour a permit to remove the tree, with Mr. C’s consent or a court order. Mr. C did not consent.
Mr. P, the owner of a rickshaw company, came to our office to talk about an unfair application of licensing standards. In about 2003, the City changed the by-law that regulates rickshaw operations, out of concern for safety and to prevent the drivers from hustling tourists. Then another competitor came on the scene, but their cabs were pushed by pedal, not pulled by the torso. They got around the by-law.
Ms. B had a complaint about Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS). One day, she was awakened by knocking at her door. Since she was resting after a medical procedure, she did not answer. She then heard chainsaws in her backyard. She found that workers contracted by the City had pruned her tree and left the debris piled in her yard.
Mr. N lives in a condo development with 14 units. Because they use the smallest garbage bins, the 14 units were each to receive a refund for solid waste. However, Revenue Services credited the refund (about $2,600) for all 14 units to Unit #1’s account. Ongoing credits were set to go to Unit #1 as well.
Ms. H, who was nearing retirement age and on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), moved from Markham to her own apartment in Toronto. Her ODSP benefits stopped after the move, and she needed compression socks, which are expensive. Ms. H’s daughter stepped in to help. However, no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to find out how to obtain coverage for the prescribed socks.