In Arrondissement de Ville-Marie, when a tenant is evicted following a judgment, all the furniture and personal goods that remain in his/her dwelling are taken out, then collected and stored by the Borough. The tenant has 60 days to retrieve them, failing which they are destroyed. One of the conditions to claim the household goods is to be the tenant whose name is written on the lease.
Occasionally, things belonging to a roommate whose name does not show on the lease are stored with such a lot, but this person cannot claim his/her goods back. Following our discussions, Arrondissement de Ville-Marie adopted a new procedure to improve things for these third parties, all the while limiting the financial impact on the Borough.
Henceforth, if a person whose name is not written on a lease claims to own some of the stored belongings, the Borough will immediately notify the storage company. Subsequently, the company must offer this third party the possibility of retrieving his/her goods, as soon as the official tenant signs a release or at the end of the 60-day legal storage period. A delay of one week is then given to the unofficial tenant to retrieve his/her goods, after which they will be destroyed, in conformity with the usual procedure.
Should many third parties claim ownership of the same property, it will be their responsibility to provide the Borough with sufficient proof of ownership. Failure to do so will result in the property being destroyed.
