'No accountability': Wrongfully evicted B.C. woman wins tenancy branch battle, but says former landlord won't pay up

In May 2022, Tamara Bruce and her family were told they needed to leave their North Delta home. In the eviction notice obtained by CTV News, the landlord, Sucha Randhawa, indicated he or a close family member would be moving into the unit.

"We were getting notices posted at the door and we do have a child and it was really unsettling the way the process was going, so we felt it was going to be easier to leave,” said Bruce, who lived in the home for six years.

Bruce's family couldn't afford the costly Lower Mainland housing market, so they moved hours away to the small town of Barriere. However, Bruce had a feeling her landlord wasn't being truthful. Months later, she noticed her former home listed on Craigslist for rent.

One lawyer tells CTV News this issue is quite common.

“I see that a lot in my practice," said Michael Golden, a general counsel lawyer with experience in real estate affairs. "Landlords who tell the tenant they or a close family member are moving in and the tenant moves out and the landlord doesn’t move in.”

Bruce eventually brought the issue to the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) and was awarded one year of rent, the equivalent of $36,100. However, the ruling from the RTB was back in March, and Bruce says she has yet to receive any compensation from Randhawa. Bruce says she tried contacting Randhawa several times and reached out to his lawyer, but never received a response. She then hired a lawyer.

“So essentially we’re out of pocket while he’s now out on the coast re-renting the house for substantially more money,” said Bruce.

“The Residential Tenancy Branch doesn’t have any enforcement power," said Golden. "So to enforce the order, the tenants have to go through the court system. If it’s $35,000 or less, they can go to small claims court. If it’s over $35,000 they can go to Supreme Court, and in any case, it can be very challenging to actually collect the money.”

CTV News tried calling Randhawa multiple times and went to his listed address. A woman claiming to be his wife answered the door and said her husband wasn't home. She also claimed to know nothing about the issue with Bruce and her family.

"I'm very disappointed with the process," said Bruce, adding she's already out thousands of dollars in lawyer fees in addition to time and stress. "The landlords have no accountability after that process. The RTB does not enforce it."

Bruce says her lawyers have made some progress, including starting the process of putting a lien on Randhawa's properties. She also adds that other people have reached out to her sharing similar stories. Bruce tells CTV News she believes her experience exposes major flaws in the system.

"My landlord broke the law, and still he is profiting with no care to what he did in the process."

Despite having little faith that she'll receive financial compensation, Bruce says she'll continue to fight as long as it takes.

“What they fail to realize was Delta was our home," said Bruce. "Even if it’s going to take five to 10 years and you never see a cent. There’s purpose behind holding people accountable and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”