POLICE, FORMER LANDLORD FRUSTRATED IN DRUG BUILDING CLEAN-UP EFFORT

The owner of a Spring Road apartment complex in Fernwood that has allegedly
become a haven for drug dealers, junkies and criminals has fired the
landlord he hired to crackdown on illicit activity in the building.

The former landlord, a Fernwood resident named Todd, was hired in
mid-September by the building's owner, Inderjit Gill. Todd, who spoke on
the condition that his last name not be used, issued 26 eviction notices in
less than two months for infractions ranging from non-payment of rent to
excessive traffic and creating a disturbance.

But most of those tenants simply ignored the eviction notices, putting the
onus on Gill to take the additional step of hiring a bailiff to enforce the
orders.

Despite urging from his new landlord at the time, Gill refused, claims the
former landlord.

"All he would have to do is call a bailiff and they would be out of there,"
said Todd. "The owner has got to be willing to take the time, spend the
money and do what it takes to enforce the rules."

Bailiff services can cost up to $1,000 per call, claimed Todd.

When contacted for this story, Gill denied firing the landlord.

"Todd had something else to do. I'm looking after it myself now," Gill
said. "I'm there everyday, all the time."

The building, at 2111 Spring Rd., has been under growing scrutiny in recent
months, with community demands to clean up the location growing.

In October, Victoria police launched a multi-pronged law enforcement
initiative known as "solution-oriented policing", involving the fire
department, electrical inspectors and city bylaw officers.

According to police Const. Doug Holmes, the officer in charge of
solution-oriented policing, electrical inspectors turned up illegal wiring,
while city bylaw enforcement officers identified three illegal suites in
the building. Electricity to the illegal suites will be cut off Dec. 1,
said Holmes.

Another illegal suite was located in an adjacent building on Ridge Road,
which is also owned by Gill and has also earned a bad reputation.

Asked if Todd's firing was consistent with Gill's pledge to help clean up
the building, Holmes declined to comment directly, except to say that "Todd
was an excellent manager".

Holmes said that in general it can be "extremely difficult" to deal with
problem buildings without the owner's full co-operation. Victoria police
estimate that they have dealt with about 1,800 calls related to the Spring
Road apartments in the past two years.

Todd confirmed that police have stepped up enforcement and patrols in the
area over the past two months.

"The same apartment got busted twice in the last three weeks," he said.
"They've also hauled quite a few cars away."

Meanwhile, Saanich police are investigating a series of threatening letters
that have been sent to Gill in the last few weeks.

Todd said the letters appeared to frighten Gill, but he expressed doubt
that the threats played a role in his firing. "It costs money to evict tenants."