Friday, May 22, 2015

TORONTO CITY OFFICIALS, IN THE MUNICIPAL LICENSING STANDARDS, BUILDING AND THE TORONTO FIRE SERVICES, ARE ENGAGED, IN CORFRUPT PRACTICES.

CAUGHT RED HANDED, IN THEIR CORRUPTION, THESE TORONTO CITY OFFICIALS, HAD NO IDEA THAT THEIR ACTIONS, WOULD BE EXPOSED. BUT HERE THEY ARE FOR PUBLIC VIEW.

TORONTO'S MUNICIPAL LICENSING STANDARDS, UNDER ITS CURRENT DIRECTOR, TRACY COOK, IS ONE OF THE LEAST ACCOUNTABLE, TO THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT AND THE CITY OF TORONTO. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO TRANSPARENCY, IN ITS OPERATIONS AND CORRUPTION IS RAMPANT, AMONG BY-LAW OFFICERS. SOME PROPERTY OWNERS GETS INVESTIGATED, WHILE OTHERS DO NOT. AND UNLIKE ITS NEIGHBORS, IN THE REGION OF PEEL, TORONTO BY-LAW OFFICERS, DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED, TO CARRY OUT THEIR DUTIES, REGARDING THE ENFORCEMENT, OF CITY BYLAWS. 



Tracy Cook, the Executive Director, of the
Toronto Municipal Licensing Standards.
She is also facing charges for corruption and breach of public trust. Cook, is responsible
for cover ups, involving investigations, that
are carried out by MLS, officers and herself
is also directly implicated, in some of them.













Mark Sraga, Director of Investigation,
Toronto Municipal Licensing Standards.
Sraga is also facing criminal charges, for
breach of public trust, obstructing justice
and corruption, regarding his role in the
investigation, of a Toronto property.











MARK SRAGA, DIRECTOR OF INVESTIGATIONS, MUNICIPAL LICENSING STANDARDS
MARIO ANGELUCCI, DIRECTOR, CITY OF TORONTO 
BUILDING DIVISION
BILL  STAMATOPOULOS, BUILDING DIVISION
CARL BARON, BUILDING DIVISION
CAPTAIN WENDY ROME,   TORONTO FIRE SERVICES


FILES HAS NOW DISAPPEARED, FROM THE 311 DATA BASE, REGARDING MLS INVESTIGATIONS, ON THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 256 SAINT CLARENS AVENUE, IN TORONTO.  FILES GOING BACK AS FAR AS 2003. ONCE THE FILES HAS DISAPPEARED, SO DO THE HISTORY OF COMPLAINTS, OR INVESTIGATIONS, THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. THOSE FILES ALSO WENT MISSING, IN MAY OF 2015. (PRIOR TO THAT,THEY HAD ALSO EXISTED AND THIS WRITER CAN ALSO ATTEST TO THAT FACT). THEY WERE EITHER, ALTERED, OR COMPLETELY DELETED, DIRECTLY ON THE INSTRUCTIONS, OF MUNICIPAL LICENSING STANDARDS  AND BY MARK STRAGA, DIRECTLY. OR BY THE CITY EMPLOYEES AT 311, IN CHARGED OF THOSE MLS FILES. 

TWO CROOKED LANDLORDS AND SOME CORRUPT, TORONTO CITY OFFICIALS. 

THE CASE OF THE CITY OFFICIALS, AND THE BASHARS AND THEIR ILLEGAL RENTAL PROPERTY, LOCATED AT 256 SAINT CLARENS, AVENUE, IN TORONTO, ONTARIO.

A LANDLORD AND TENANT BOARD DECISION, IN 2015, AGAINST THE BASHARS, HAS ACKNOWLEDGED, THAT THE LANDLORDS HAD, IN FACT, MORE THAN THREE RENTAL UNITS, SOME OF THEM ALSO WITH DOUBLE OCCUPANCY. EVIDENCE,  THAT THE BASHARS THEMSELVES, ALSO PROVIDED 
TO THE LANDLORD AND TENANT BOARD. SOMEHOW, THE MUNICIPAL LICENSING STANDARDS, UNDER MARK SRAGA, ALSO GAVE THE BASHARS, A DIRECT PASS UNDER CITY INSPECTION, FOR THOSE ILLEGAL RENTAL UNITS!. THE BASHARS ALSO CURRENTLY, HAS FIVE OR MORE TENANTS, ILLEGALLY. AND WITH THE CITY'S APPROVAL!
Shamshun Bashar

Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar, has been getting away for years with renting out their single family house, illegally.  One tenant who has been living in one of two illegal basement apartments, in their home, has also been living there for 9 years and without a kitchen. She was told to get a microwave oven, to cook with. In fact, her 'bachelor' apartment, is actually an ancillary room. Part of the storage and laundry room, which the owners still use for storage.  Sitting squarely in the middle of the room is a hot water tank, and she also has a broken window, that the landlords has not gotten around to fixing yet. The windows to the basement apartments are also tiny and if there was a fire, no adult could crawl through any of them to safety.
The amount of Fire Code violations are staggering!. The owners, Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar, also didn't bother to put up a fire resistant door, separating the different units. There are no doors separating the two illegal basement units, nor is there a door which separates the basement, from the main floor, where the owners also live. On top of that the two greedy landlords, also added another set of rental apartments, on the second floor of their home and also without a permit!. 

In 2003, the Bashars, who are from Bangladash, then applied for a permit to add two rooms to the basement only. The permit did not allow for any kitchens, or washrooms included in the renovations. Once the two rooms were completed, the Bashars then began to rent them out to tenants illegally. And has been doing so for over 10 years. Next, the greedy landlords also decided, that they wanted more tenants.  So they began to rent out the 2nd floor and also the attic of their house, occupying only the main floor for their family.Their house went from being a single family dwelling, to a multi level rental complex (four floors). And all of this was done without a permit.

According to information, collected from the City of Toronto, complaints begun to come in against the property owners, Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar, regarding their illegal basement apartments. Complaints, also came in that they had too many people living there and that the place was over crowed. This is also another violation under the current city by-law, which do not allow a landlord to have 3, or more tenants. The Bashars has at least four tenants living in their rental property, at any given time. And which is still currently the situation. How did MLS miss this? Why were they not charged, for violations under the city's by-laws? Why are they still renting out their illegal basement apartments, even now? Why has MLS, or Building, or the Toronto Fire Services, not taken them to court, over this?. Why would these city officials act so corrupt, involving this case?

MLS, was also notified and for some inexplicable reason, MLS also closed the file on the property, without taking any actions against the landlords, regarding their illegal rental property.

Mark Sraga, the Director of Investigations, for the Municipal Licensing Standards, himself, also got involved directly, in the investigation. He issued no notices to the owners regarding the illegal basement apartments, which he also declared to be habitable. This of course is in direct violation of the by-law, which specifically states, that a 'dwelling', by legal definition, must also have a kitchen, as well as a sleeping area and also a sanitary facility. The 'eye sore' of the hot water tank sitting smack in the tenant's living/bedroom, also did not bother Mark Straga, one bit. The greedy and unscrupulous landlords, also charged the two tenants in the basement, a rent of $1,100.00 per month, between them. And for both illegal units. She has been doing this for over ten years, and also undeclared to the government.

During all of this time, Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar, has never even bothered to get their rental property, declared safe for tenants. Which was a prerequisite for renting out to the public.  And which they should have also done before renting it to the tenants. There is no record on file (and I have requested all records on that property, going back to 2003, under the Freedom of Information Act), that any certificate were ever issued by the Electrical Safety Authority, which is commissioned by the Province, to carry out such work, by the landlords.  As a result of their negligence, there is also frequent power outage, from the overloaded electrical system. A disaster also waiting to happen.

Captain Wendy Rome, of the Toronto Fire Services, has also acted corruptly, in regards to those two property owners, Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar. The Captain issued a notice to them due to the fire code violations, in March of 2015, giving them thirty days to fix the problem. The time has now come and gone and no further actions was taken, by the Toronto Fire Services, to charged them for those blatant Fire Code violations. In the opinion of Captain Wendy Rome, of the Toronto Fire Services, West Command, it is the other city divisions, meaning the Municipal Licensing Standards, Building and the Electrical Safety Authority, which should now take them to court. This fire captain believe that the current situation, posed no danger to the public. In the meantime the illegal units, stood out as a sad reminder of the fire code violations. From the non continuous ceilings, with the T-bars, to the tiny windows, and the lack of a proper fire resistance door, to protect the tenants. Captain Wendy Rome, as a Toronto Fire Captain, thinks that this illegal rental dwelling, is 'just fine'. Other wise, she would have also proceeded to take further actions, as she is also required to do under the law, against the two landlords. 
The records available with Building Division, shows that the landlords, were granted two permits. One in 2003,for the renovation of the basement, by adding two rooms only and a second one on April 29th, for 'adding fixtures'. The Building Division, under Carl Baron who is also the Manager then allowed that permit that was issued on April 29, 2015 to be used, for the washrooms, that were already built by the landlords, though they had no permit at the time for doing so. And by doing allowed the landlords to use the new permit retroactively. Again this was illegal.

When contacted by me, for comments on the situation, Mark Sraga, also left a very detailed message on my voice mail, (which I also saved for future reference, being convinced, also, that the MLS officer, Mark Sraga, has also acted corruptly and has put the safety of the public at risk, in regards to those actions).  Mark Sraga, (as well as the other city officials involved), was also equally nervous about the request, for more information on his actions, under the Freedom of Information Act.

Why did the MLS Director of Investigations, Mark Sraga, acted to cover up for the property owners illegal actions? Why did he act in a conspiracy with the other city officials, to have all complaints against those two persons, quietly disregarded and as a result they were never investigated by MLS? The city of Toronto 311 files, in regards to this investigation, has now been destroyed. Some of them can't be found. Up until a month ago, files that were listed under several different file numbers, over the years, could no longer be found on 311 data base. This has happened during Mark Sraga's investigation of Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar's illegal rental property, at 256 St. Clarens Avenue in Toronto. Was Mark Sraga and the others covering up their tracks?

Captain Wendy Rome:  Some of the Fire Code violations she has ignored, by the landlords. Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar.            
                                                   - No fire resistance door,or separations of walls, between the units.
                                                   - a non continuous ceiling with T-bars, in the basement apartments.
                                                   - no proof provided by the landlord, that any electrical safety
                                                      inspection was ever carried out in the premises. No certificate
                                                    of an inspection issued, by the Electrical Safety Authority
                                                    for that address.
                                                    An overloaded electrical system, that is currently being used by
                                                    all occupants of the building, and on all three floors.
                                                    - no egress, as far as the windows, or doors in the units, which do not                                                       meet the legal requirements.
                                                   
One has to wonder at what point, did those corrupt City of Toronto officials, ever think that they have a duty, to protect the interest of the public and not some private landlords, in this matter. Mark Sraga even has the ambition, to take over from Tracy Cook, the current Executive Director of MLS. Who is he kidding?. These city officials also take their work ethics, or the lack of it, with them from job to job and from one Municipality, to the next. As Mark Sraga, surely did. Toronto simply has no system in place to curb this kind of corruption, that is so much a part of the operation of these various divisions.

The Bashars, has so far gotten away with their illegal actions, right under the noses of those city officials. And far worst, is also with their approvals, in regards to this case. Now it is up to the public to step in and to say, this cannot be allowed.

Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar, need to face legal actions, for so blatantly disregarding the safety of their tenants. For their many violations, under the Fire Code, the Building Code and under the Municipal Licensing Standards by-laws. They also still maintain their illegally constructed multi-level rental property, with the two illegal basement apartments. And those City of Toronto officials, has also not told them, that they need to convert it all back to a single family dwelling, for which it was originally built. They currently maintain their 4 tenants, which is also illegal and like the previous complaints, that were put in also against them over the years, they have also ignored it all and has continued to illegally rent out their house. With the approval of all of the city officials, who has been mentioned so far. Those in MLS, Building and the Toronto Fire Services. As well as those with the Electrical Safety Authority.
It is hard to believe that in 2003, the Municipal Licensing Standards, before Mark Sraga came along as the Director of Investigations, had also issued several orders against the Bashars, for violations under the city of Toronto by-laws, for property standards issues. Fast forward 12 years to 2015 and they are only now being asked to comply with some of those violations, since they were also never enforced earlier. As a result they had also continued to rent out their property illegally, and also without making the necessary adjustments. Up to this present day.

CURRENT UPDATE: 1. Evidence shows that no inspections, were ever carried out by the 
                                           Electrical Safety Authority, and on the rental property by the owners, 
                                           Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar. No certificate of compliance, were
                                           issued to them, by the ESA. This is also a prerequisite, under current
                                           bylaws.

                                       2. No orders for non-compliance, was ever issued against them, by the 
                                           Electrical Safety Authority. Or even by MLS. (over those public safety
                                           issues, for the tenants. 

                                      3. The tenants also experience, frequent power outages, due to the over
                                           load, on the electrical system. 

4. The Building Division, under its Director, Mario Angelucci, has also allowed the owners to
     'grandfather', the rental property illegally. No notices of violations were ever issued, by his
      officers, against the owners, Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar.

5. Those city officials, in MLS, Building Division and the Toronto Fire Services, are also working actively, to cover up their tracks. No other municipalities in Ontario, also has officers, who has so blatantly, ignored the Municipal Act, which also covers the by-laws. Toronto has the most relaxed attitude on that. You can imagine what that also means for the tenants and for the public, in general, when some unscrupulous landlords and also Toronto City officials, start to abuse it.  
The Building Division, under Mario Angelucci, has even allowed those two crooked landlords, and I used that description, because they have also been collecting rent from tenants, illegally, for over 10 years. Now the Building Division's Director, Mario Angelucci, has allowed them to continue with this practice, by allowing them to convert their single family house, into a multilevel residential complex, and has even allowed them to carry on the construction, while they also have tenants living in those rental apartments, in their house. They also never went before any Adjustment Committee, for that approval either.

The question then that should be asked is this? Should Mark Straga, the current Director of Investigations, for the City's Property Standards, be allowed to continue in that position? He also aimed to take over from Tracy Cook, as the Executive Director of MLS, but that should not be allowed. When files are disappearing, that he is also aware of, that also points a finger at his actions and also suggesting duplicity, or outright criminal behavior on his part, there is no way that he should continue, to be allowed to breach the public trust, in regards to his duty to the public. 


THIS IS ALSO NOT AN ISOLATED CASE, REGARDING TORONTO BUILDING AND ALSO MUNICIPAL LICENSING STANDARDS, SCREWING UP AND ALSO ACTING CORRUPTLY.  HERE IS ANOTHER ONE LIKE IT, ONLY THIS TIME THIS PROPERTY OWNER, WAS UNFAIRLY TARGETED BY THEM. The contradiction that exist, with the City of Toronto Building Division and also with the Municipal Licensing Standards, is that those Toronto property owners, like the Bashars, can avoid being penalized for their actions, by the by-law enforcement divisions, while others have no such luck. (See the article reprinted below, for comparison).
                      

INCOMPETENT BUILDING INSPECTORS CITY OF TORONTO

INCOMPETENT BUILDING INSPECTORS CITY OF TORONTO
20 years ago Nick Lambrinos renovated and converted two semi-detached homes into multiple dwelling units.He hired the appropriate contractors, Architect and Engineers to complete project.
Drawings , Building Permits were issued and submitted, and the homes have been standing for 20 years. Now Mario Angelucci Chief Building inspector has taken court action to demolish the homes.
It is the Cities job to protect the community and ensure the building was constructed properly.This mistake by the city has already cost the owner hundreds of thousands and the city is doing everything in their power to make sure total destroy .

A Toronto Star Article, involving the Toronto Building Division and Mario Angelucci, the Director.

House in Little Italy partially collapses

Neighbours were evacuated after a house undergoing major foundation work, near Ossington Ave. and College St., began to collapse Wednesday night...The city issued a building permit for an addition to the house, which included both benching and underpinning of the foundation, said deputy chief building official Mario Angelucci...A city inspector visiting the site Wednesday afternoon noted that the underpinning wasn’t being done properly, Angelucci said. The inspector gave the contractors a verbal order to immediately shore up the foundation where they had excavated, he said.

 A house at 290 Roxton near Ossington Ave. and College St. partly collapsed Wednesday night.

This house in Toronto collapsed, after the Building Division under Director, Mario Angelucci, had initially gave its approval, for renovations to it. It was also a single family dwelling and similar to the one that the two landlords, Abul Bashar and Shamsun Bashar, has the approval from Angelucci, to carry out building constructions, some of which should also have been done, at the beginning and also prior to them having any tenants.  The public safety, is not on their minds. These buildings were not designed, to withstand extreme pressures, on its original structure. Hence the reason for the current by-laws, to prevent the extensive use of those houses, into a multiple use dwelling. 






















ROXANNE PARIS, A MANAGER, IN THE URGENT CIVIL INTAKE OFFICE, AT THE SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE, TO BE FACE A CHARGE, OF OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE, CONSPIRACY AND CORRUPTION, AND BREACH OF PUBLIC TRUST. IN DELIBERATELY, BLOCKING, MY URGENT MOTION, IN THE COURT.

AFTER FILING MY URGENT MOTION, AT THE COURTHOUSE, IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WENT DIRECTLY, TO THE CIVIL URGENT MO...