'Misbehaving' tenants or racism? Tension at Rosedale building heats up at eviction hearing

For more than two hours in a bland room at a Landlord and Tenant Board office on Tuesday, tenants from 1 Rosedale Road accused fellow residents Dot and Paul Pang of shooting them dirty looks, laughing at them, and uttering English profanities amid conversations in Chinese.

It's just the latest chapter in a years-long saga of finger-pointing and tension among tenants at the 24-unit apartment building in one of Toronto's swankiest neighbourhoods.

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The Pangs are facing eviction, and Tuesday's hearing brought them up againstthe building's property manager and other tenants who've made complaints about their alleged harassment.

Three specific complaints became the crux of the hearingat the request of the Pangs' lawyeras they were the issues tied to the N5 eviction notice ending their tenancy.

Those complaintsallegedbehaviour that"substantially" interfered with tenants' "reasonable enjoyment of the residential complex and/or lawful rights, privileges, or interests."

What played out was a he-said-she-said battle, with the other tenants and their paralegal painting the Pangs as unpleasant, unpredictable neighbours,and Dot Pangand her lawyer painting herfellow residents as outright liars who made up their allegations about her swearing at them.

Tenant claims neighbour called her 'mentally ill'

The three complaints, each sent by email from three different tenants,included Dot Pang "uttering profanities" while passing by in the garage, giving another tenant a dirty look and laughing in his face, and in another instance, Dot Pang uttering several phrases in English amid a conversation in "Chinese" with Paul Pang, which a tenant felt were directed at herthose phrases being"mentally ill" and "f---ing idiot."

During the hearing, Dot Pang said she has never sworn at other tenants, and used the phrase "mentally ill" during a conversation about a sick family member.

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While on the stand, the other tenants attempted to place the interactions into a broader context to highlight what they feel are ongoing issues with the Pangs, but adjudicator RogerRodriguesdidn't let the conversation stray past the three complaintsdespite the tenants' paralegal, DavidRubin, saying that looking at them in a "vacuum" was problematic.

As CBC Toronto previously reported, a 2016 report from an outside mediator fleshed out many of the issues in the building, including the Pangs "accusatory" tone with other tenants and their refusal to meet with property manager Aubrey Hannah.

It also found the Pangs"have not been victims of racial discrimination and harassment," but that the negative interactions between them and other tenants were based on misunderstandings.

During Tuesday's hearing, Aubrey Hannah said he's been dealing with complaints from and about the Pangs for years, and sent them a letter in March 2016 letting them know "bad behaviour" wouldn't be tolerated, including harassing tenants, filming tenants, and accusing people of racism.

Pangs' lawyer says tenants' complaints 'have no basis'

But after the hearing, thePangs' lawyerCarymaSa'dsaid racism is what this conflict is all about.

"The complaints areunsubstantiated, have no basis, and centre on being uncomfortable with my clients speaking in Chinese," she said.

That's not the case, according to Hannah. After the hearing, the visibly frustrated property manager showed CBC Toronto a still from 1 Rosedale Road security camera footage. He claims it shows Dot Pang covertly filming another tenant.

"There are people adults, good educated people misbehaving," he said.

The adjudicator is expected announce his decision onthe eviction by Monday.