However, the tribunal rejected Foka\u2019s request to repossess the second unit, which she had planned to use for her parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe obtained the repossession for one of the two units, but not the other,\u201d Foka told CityNews. \u201cWe\u2019re a large family, and it will be very difficult for 10 of us to live in a five-and-a-half. I bought this property because I wanted enough space for my family.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Armelle-Foka-1024x768.jpg\")
Armelle Foka stands in front of the duplex she owns in Ahuntsic-Cartierville on July 21, 2026. (Lola Kalder, CityNews)<\/p>\n
As part of the ruling, Foka was also ordered to pay the departing tenants $3,500 in moving expenses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a huge amount for me,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter buying a property like this, I don\u2019t have that kind of cash available. But it\u2019s the law, it\u2019s what was decided, and I\u2019ll comply with it. Even if I have to take out a loan, I\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foka and her family had previously been living in a trailer parked outside the duplex after leaving their former rental home, believing they would be able to move into the building following the repossession process.<\/p>\n
She said they have since moved out of the trailer and are now staying in the basement of a neighbouring home after residents offered them temporary shelter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe put mattresses directly on the floor,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ll manage until Sept. 1, but it feels very far away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foka said the timing is particularly difficult as the move coincides with the start of the school year.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy children are already registered at the neighbourhood school,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_6230-scaled-e1784147757910-1024x577.jpeg\")
Armelle Foka\u2019s two sisters with her children sit inside the trailer they\u2019ve been living in since July 1 for lunch. Taken on July 15, 2026. (Lola Kalder, CityNews)<\/p>\n
The tribunal rejected the repossession of the second unit after questions were raised during the hearing about Foka\u2019s mother, who is in Canada on a five-year super visa rather than permanent residency.<\/p>\n
Foka said the apartment was always intended for both of her parents. She told CityNews that only her mother was referenced during the hearing because she was in Canada to attend the proceedings. Her father\u2019s move to Canada has been postponed several times because the family has not had space to accommodate him, despite his super visa and insurance having been in place for months.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother has a five-year super visa and has already been in Canada for three years without leaving,\u201d Foka said. \u201cFive years is a long time. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s fair that someone can live here for that long and still not be able to occupy a home.\u201d<\/p>\n
For now, Foka says she does not plan to appeal the decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m tired,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t have the energy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melissa Lemieux, a lawyer with the Quebec Landlords Association, said appealing a TAL decision can be costly and, in many cases, landlords are better off filing a new repossession application the following year.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless there\u2019s an error in law or fact, my recommendation is usually to try again next year,\u201d Lemieux said. \u201cAn appeal can easily cost more than $10,000.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lemieux said she had not reviewed the tribunal\u2019s written decision but found the issue surrounding permanent residency unusual.<\/p>\n
She said if the issue arose unexpectedly during the hearing, requesting a postponement to provide additional evidence demonstrating the parent\u2019s long-term residence in Canada may have strengthened the case.<\/p>\n
Lemieux also described the $3,500 compensation order as reasonable, noting the tribunal typically awards tenants reasonable moving expenses based on evidence presented by both parties.<\/p>\n
Foka says while she\u2019s relieved to finally regain one unit, the outcome still falls short of what she had hoped for.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dream was to have enough space for my family,\u201d she said. \u201cThat dream won\u2019t come true. We\u2019ll still be living crowded together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n
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