Subscribe to our daily newsletter
Ethan Peterson holding a trap with cockroaches. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)
Family Evicted

P.A. family upset about eviction after several complaints, rental company alleges they were mistreated

Nov 7, 2022 | 4:56 PM

A Prince Albert family claims its being wrongfully evicted from their apartment.

Ethan Peterson, his girlfriend Alanna, and their daughter Eva were issued a Notice to Vacate on Nov. 4 from Weidner Investments, a property management company in the city. The family lives in the Carlton Park Apartments.

They allege Weidner refused to listen to their issues, while Weidner claims the family used verbally abusive language, threatened staff, and misled clients with wrong information.

Peterson told paNOW this confrontation has been ongoing since this past spring when he noticed a leak in their apartment’s storage room. While Weidner was able to stop the leak, he said contractors tore off pieces of the drywall making a huge hole.

“They said they had to come in the summer, when it was warm, to fix it,” Peterson said. “It’s still not fixed right now.”

Hole in storage room. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

He said he called and left written complaints through the company’s portal at least six times.

At the end of August, Peterson said he and his girlfriend signed a one-year renewal of their lease. The company told them twice there was no record of that renewal.

The last, but arguably the biggest, issue popped its ugly head last month when the family found cockroaches in the apartment.

Peterson noted Weidner wanted proof they were real, specifically alive, before sending an exterminator.

“We had to go in personally, get mad and say, ‘there are bugs all over,’” he added.

Weidner did hire an exterminator, however, Peterson said they’re still dealing with the bugs and believe they may be coming in through the hole left in the storage room.

In total, Peterson and his girlfriend said they made around 10 complaints within the last eight or nine months.

“I just don’t understand what they’re waiting for, maybe for the stars to align perfectly,” Peterson said.

After all these issues, Peterson went down to the office and said he called them out for not fixing any of their issues. He said during this meeting, Peterson was informed of his eviction.

“I could have used better words when I was there, but I feel anyone in my shoes would probably feel the same way,” he said.

The family spoke with Saskatchewan’s Office of Residential Tenancies, but at this time, Peterson and his girlfriend were told the best they can do is fight the eviction.

After everything they’ve claimed to have gone through, Peterson said he has no intention of staying, noting he wants to make sure he has a safe place for his daughter. He said it’ll be tough to find a new home in just a couple of weeks.

“I want to provide for (my daughter), make sure she has a roof over her head, and with the housing market the way it is, it’s tough to find a place for all of us,” he said.

Ethan Peterson and his girlfriend Alanna. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

Moving forward, the family is reminding people to double-check who they’re renting from and to try and find a new place to live if their concerns aren’t heard.

Weidner Responds

Toufiq Anam, area manager for Prince Albert, told paNOW they’re evicting the family to ensure the safety of him and his staff.

“He was threatening me over the phone to kill me.”

Anam added he ended up contacting Prince Albert police right after. Peterson, who denied threatening to kill Anam but did admit to using profane language when speaking with him, explained that he did talk with officers but they just told him to find a rental moderator to help end the conflict.

Anam also argued that they did and are responding to the family’s concerns. This includes the cockroaches and having maintenance fix the hole in their storage room.

He mentioned that Weidner is also ensuring no one has to come in multiple times anymore to sign leases. He admitted this was an issue the family had and that he is overseeing this process right now while looking to hire someone to take over the job permanently.

As for misleading customers, the third reason Weidner claims they’re evicting them, they explain that Peterson told a potential new client not to use the company.

Moving forward, Anam said he hopes the family can find another home that they’ll be comfortable in, but that they’ll be kinder to their next landlords.

Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow

View Comments