Truemors
Barry Artiste Op/Ed
A recent story this week whereby a tenant in an apartment complex complained of health problems from cigarette smoke coming from an adjoining suite by another tenant.
The affected tenant complains cigarette smoke was coming from electrical outlets, under the shared wall between the two suites etc.
If in fact this is found to be true, then someone has some "splain'in to do Lucy!", I would be ripping a new arse hole out of the city building inspectors for compensation to fix my suite. The I would be filing a lawsuit against the architect, developer to fix my suite in an all too common practice of screw the homeowner for the almighty buck.
Directing a lawsuit to a adjoining tenant is misplaced, as well designed suite, should never cross contaminate an adjoining suite with any odour. Including under the door of a shared hallway!
Brings to mind my previous stories on Now Public when I stated "Strongly" the shoddy Building practices in this province with Municipal Building Inspectors looking the other way obviously.
Vancouver has one of the highest prices in the country for living space, where a 500 square foot apartment in Vancouver can set you back close to a half million dollars.
Certainly at that price you would think you would get a well built suite, but don't and most likely never will.
Next time you are driving around a neighborhood, take a good hard look at the tradesmen! You will notice most of them with Chainsaws! Chainsaws used to build homes, sometimes in a scant three or four weeks. Wow, how accurate is that? No wonder the friggin homes leak like a Sieve!
Chainsaws are for cutting trees, not building quality 1 million dollar Homes at breakneck speed.
Like I always say, you get what you pay for!
For the last 40 years US/Canadian Building Codes state "Adjoining Suites with shared walls "MUST" have a "90 minute" Fire Barrier between shared wall, no ifs, ands, or buts!
A fire barrier is a wall sealed from the floor to ceiling as well as shared piping and electrical outlets.
If this guy can smell cigarette smoke in his suite, that is the least of his worries, cause obviously the building is substandard and the Municipal Building Inspectors we pay taxes for are either incompetent, or crooked in bed with developers. You decide!
In a Mindless BC Culture, where else but in British Columbia, can a Developer Slap up a Building at Light Speed with throngs of eager Buyers lining around the Block? With many buildings with claims of building envelope problems, water ingress, mold and falling balconies the Provincial government sits on their Moist asses for the last 25 years and does nothing, but whine to the Federal Government for Financial Relief from Canadian Taxpayers, tired of paying for Provincial Incompetence at all levels.
Many do not realise, many developers to get out of warranty issues with newly constructed buildings, form a numbered company, and once the building is completed and sold, immediately fold their company, and start a new company under a new Corporate Number. Nice Scam eh?
And all under the Blind eyes of Municipalities and Provincial Government Watchdogs, or I should say Guide Dogs.
Anyone who thinks your government at any level is looking out for your interests, certainly needs a well place Slap Upside the Head!
Bottom line; "If cigarette smoke can get through, so can Fire, in my opinion the Building is a Fire Trap waiting to happen!"
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=43e1b9d8-e0c4-4f2c-9181-521f467f681f
Tenant seeks injunction to stop neighbour smoking Retired actor with bronchial woes says smoke seeps into suite
Keith Fraser, The Province Published: Friday, October 31, 2008
A retired Vancouver actor wants a court injunction to prevent his next- door neighbour from smoking in their West End apartment building.
In a statement of claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Mina Erian Mina, 74, says that since October 2006 his neighbour, Christine Jestadt, has "created a nuisance" with her smoking.
Mina says the smoke has come through electrical wall sockets, windows and other access points in his suite in the Performing Arts Lodge (PAL) building on Cardero Street.
He claims he's suffered various health problems, including respiratory injuries, bronchospasm, reduced chest expansion, chest tightness, aggravation of coronary artery disease, loss of sleep, fatigue and anxiety.
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (1)
at 13:45 on April 27th, 2009
I know how she feels I am stuck between two of them the other seeps through my walls under my kitchen sink. I have an air purifier but that can only do so much. I have respitory problems because of this and have complained as well to management which is useless becuase I am in subsidized housing. It is the worst I can tell you some mornings I can smell it from my bedroom. My poor cat is not complaining but me I worry about him too. I hope she wins her case perhaps word will spread over into Ontario too. Why should we have to suffer for their filthy habits I know housing is hard to find in Vancouver I used to live there. I totally sympathise with her on this being in a basement apartment isn't funny either my windows are small. I live in a converted house and most of the other tenants smoke and all hang out on the porch of the building so I get it as well when going out and coming in and now that the weather is warmer they will be out there constantly with cigarette buts everywhere on the lawn and walkway and on my supposed to be disabled railing. I think us non-smokers should rally together to stop these people I realise it is an addiction but it is your problem not mine. Everyone has their right but where are our rights to breathe in our own homes. Second hand smoke does kill people and I worry about that everyday. Good Luck Mina I am cheering for you!!