By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
For the past 31 years, Vera Studnicka, has lived comfortably at Terrace Forty on Witherspoon Street in Chatham.
But now the 96 year old’s future is uncertain.
On Jan. 16, Studnicka, along with 40 other residents – mainly seniors – received an information package from the building’s owner stating extensive renovations are needed due to safety concerns with asbestos and lead. The document, called an N-13, was slipped beneath each resident’s door stating the proposed upgrades will take eight months.
Many residents went into panic mode – including Studnicka – who questioned where she is supposed to go.
“What am I going to do? I want to stay here as long as my mind is good,” Studnicka told The Voice in an interview, adding Terrace Forty has been a great place to live.
But according to Chatham-Kent Legal Clinic housing stability worker Jeff Wilkins, residents will be able to stay put if they choose.
“You don’t have to go anywhere,” Wilkins told Studnicka. “This is just the beginning part of the process. What they are trying to do is get tenants out so they can raise the rent.”
The paralegal calls it a renoviction “scare tactic” – a strategy by landlords to get rid of tenants paying modest rents so they can maximize profits. Wilkins said apartment rents can be doubled and even tripled in some cases following renovations.
Along with his one-on-one meeting with Studnicka, Wilkins also spoke with concerned tenants in the front lobby of the 40-unit apartment complex on Jan.20. Chatham councillors Marjorie Crew and Michael Bondy were also on hand to hear concerns.
Facing a sea of worried faces – one resident told Wilkins she cried all weekend after getting the N-13 – Wilkins assured the tenants they do not have to move.
“This is not an eviction notice,” Wilkins told the group, noting that while the paperwork is legal, it’s somewhat “sketchy.” He advised tenants to not sign anything, because once you do that “you can’t turn back.
“I don’t want anybody to panic because we still have time,” he told residents.
Under Ontario law, landlords who renovate must offer an apartment back to the original tenant for the same rent after the work is completed. But that can be complicated as it’s difficult for people to find a place to live in the interim. Residents don’t return because they were forced to move on.
The law dictates that extensive renovations or repairs requiring an apartment to be vacant require a building permit and the unit must be vacant to do the work. Wilkins also said asbestos and lead are present in many older buildings and the danger can be mitigated without a resident moving out.
“These are beautiful well-kept-up units,” said Wilkins after visiting Studnicka’s apartment. “They don’t look like they need anything to be done to them.”
The package delivered to the Chatham tenants also included a N-11 notice, commonly referred to as a “cash for keys” proposition. Terrace Forty residents are being offered $5,000 if they end their tenancy by March 31. If a tenant accepts the money and signs the N-11 form, the owner can file it with the Landlord Tenant Board and evict the tenant without a hearing.
Otherwise, a tenant cannot be evicted without a Landlord Tenant Board hearing. The LTB must order the eviction, which can only be enforced by a sheriff.
Built in 1962, Terrace Forty, located just off of William Street, was owned by Bru-Ben Development Co. Ltd. and was purchased last December by an Ontario numbered company for $4.2 million. The information package given to residents was signed by “director” Rex Brondial. As of press time, The Voice was unable to confirm if he is the building’s owner.
According to Wilkins, the letter to tenants contained the wrong address (he believes it belongs to a dwelling in London) and is a form letter.
The Voice reached out to a property management company named in the document and the male representative said he was hired by Brondial. He said he could not confirm who the owner is.
However, if Brondial is the owner, Wilkins said he’s tried this before. In 2024 in Ottawa, 100 tenants in a 16-floor apartment building received notices similar to what was presented to Terrace Forty residents. But with the help of the Ottawa chapter of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), the Aspen Towers renoviction was stopped and tenants remained in their homes.
The numbered company that purchased Terrace Forty was incorporated in September 2025 and is based in Mississauga.
