An unusual BC Residential Tenancy Branch dispute resolution arbitration application was submitted by an adult woman (tenant) in Vancouver, who was being evicted by her own mother. The tenant-daughter refused to pay a new rent of $500 per month because her verbal rental agreement included purchasing groceries for the mother-landlord, “provided services in lieu of rent” i.e. doing work for the mother, and for the consideration of natural love and affection. The mother demanded back rent of 10 years and attempted to evict the daughter, with a 30-day eviction notice, after the daughter refused to 'dump' a boyfriend that the mother did not approve of, stating “her behaviour” was at issue, in the Eviction Notice. The tenant said that her “behavior” was not a proper ground for eviction under the legislation and regulations governing landlord-tenancy relations. Issues (listed in the tenant's request for arbitration) included, Doctrine, or Legal Principle, of Laches, the suite's temperature as low as 12 Celcius degrees, legal validity of a 30-day eviction notice, and whether the BC Residential Tenancy Act has jurisdiction over an oral tenancy agreement in light of the Darbyshire case. The tenant sought also sought relief stemming from alleged abuse by the grandfather. Interestingly, a common law lawsuit was discovered -- in another case -- where a court ordered $50K in damages for “dissing” a tenant's boyfriend. Burnaby, British Columbia, Metro Vancouver.
