Landlord fined after deadly fire
Posted Apr 9, 2010 6:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The landlord of an illegal Calgary rooming house has been slapped with a hefty fine.
The eight suite home at 1810 1st St. N.W., went up in flames nearly two years ago killing tenants Rock Mitchell and Darrel Wright.
Among the violations at the building, investigators found there were no smoke alarms and the windows were boarded shut.
Landlord Yan Teng Li has been ordered to pay over $92,000 in fines.
The judge pointed out Li could have ended up behind bars, but neither lawyer asked for a jail sentence.
The prosecutor for Alberta Health Services says that sends a clear message to all landlords. “Not only to Mr. Li, but to every other property manager and every other landlord out there, that if these kind of violations are going to be found, you might not just be looking at a fine, you might be looking at jail time as well.”
In her ruling, the judge also said Li is responsible for some unsafe and disgusting living conditions.
Li did not show up for his sentencing. Neither did family members of the victims of the fire.
