SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
No decision has been made by the NWT rental officer following a hearing Tuesday involving a woman flooded out of her apartment and Yellowknife's largest landlord, Northern Property REIT.

Margaret Beauchamp sits on her couch at the Capitol Suites Hotel ­ where she is currently staying after her apartment flooded in May ­ and reflects on what has happened to her and where she's going next. Beauchamp is seeking reimbursement from Northern Property REIT, her landlord, for costs she incurred following the flooding. - John McFadden/NNSL photo

Margaret Beauchamp is seeking damages from her landlord for costs incurred after her apartment flooded last May. She laid out the nightmare she has been experiencing since her pipes burst May 12 inside her first floor unit at the Matonobee North building on Franklin Avenue.

She told the hearing there were actually four different leaks in her apartment that night.

Beauchamp said maintenance crews from Northern Property made repairs that night only to have further leaks happen after they had left.

A fire in the laundry room of the building that night only added to her stress, she added.

The woman and her son Jordan Cochrane provided the hearing with several photos and videos of the leaky pipes and the resulting flooding.

Beauchamp, who was interrupted several times during her testimony by Northern Property staff challenging her assertions, testified that both she and Cochrane stayed in the unit that night despite the dampness.

"Northern Property initially said it was not their responsibility and offered very little help," said Beauchamp.

She and Cochrane stayed the next night at the Days Inn at her own expense.

Beauchamp said Northern Property eventually did contact her later that week and showed her two other units in different buildings.

She said one of the other units cost $60 more per month in rent while the other did not meet her living standards. Northern Property eventually offered to put her up at the Capitol Suites Hotel, said Beauchamp.

She said her and Cochrane have being staying there ever since, except for a stretch of days in early June while she was housesitting.

Beauchamp said the company has been paying for the hotel room, but has also directly withdrawn her rent ­ $1,540 per month ­ for May, June and July.

She testified she has come to an agreement with Northern Property for her to move into a new apartment at the Richview North building, not far from the damaged unit at Matonobee North.

Northern Properties was represented at the hearing by Aya Burshan, who handles accounts receivables for the company.

Burshan testified the two sides had come to an agreement to keep Beauchamp's rent at the same amount at least until the end of the year. She also testified that Northern Property would waive its no-pets clause at Richview North, allowing Beauchamp to keep her dog.

Several Northern Property maintenance workers also testified on the landlord's behalf, with one saying repairs were made repairs to Beauchamp's apartment as quickly as possible the night the leaks occurred.

But he also admitted a weld on one of the pipes failed that night and that there had been a flaw in the installation of new pipes during earlier work in her bathroom back in December.

He admitted that could have been a factor in the May 12 flooding incident.

Burshan did not dispute the flooding occurred, but said repairs were made as quickly as humanly possible.

While Burshan agreed Beauchamp's rent had been withdrawn for May, June and July, she said Northern Property had provided her with a place to live over that time.

"It has cost us more than $10,000 to keep a roof over her head at the Capitol Suites Hotel," said Burshan.

Beauchamp said moving into the new unit appears to be her best course of action at this time, as her Matonobee North unit has still not been repaired. She is now looking to be reimbursed.

Beauchamp said Northern Property should be picking up the tab for her cable, Internet and utility reconnection charges at her new unit, as well as reimbursing her for the night she and Cochrane stayed at the Day's Inn.

She added she would also like to be reimbursed for the four days she had to take off work to pack up some of her damp belongings.

In attendance at the hearing was Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins, who had advocated on Beauchamp's behalf to Northern Property at the time of the leak.

"I attended the hearing simply to offer Beauchamp moral support," Hawkins said.

Hal Logson, the NWT rental officer, said he was pleased the two sides had come to an agreement on a new place for Beauchamp to live.

"I hope to make a decision on the case and Beauchamp's expense claims in the next few days," Logsdon said.