A landlord/tenant dispute in Canada

From the Kingston, Ontario Whig-Standard:

Tenant, landlord locked in battle
A bizarre standoff between a landlord and a tenant has been dragging on for nearly a year in Gananoque.

The battle - over a duplex that has had no power, water or heat for nearly that long -shows no sign of ending any time soon, despite the involvement of the provincial agencies and boards that are supposed to be able to police such disputes in Ontario.

The man at the centre of the dispute says it's a stark failure of the system that is supposed to protect tenants.

"I'm angry and I'm frustrated, and I'm just too stubborn to leave," said Jamie Davis, who moved into half of the North Street rental unit last year.

Before taking possession, Davis signed a three-year lease for $800 a month, utilities included, with a proviso that he would fix up the rundown house in exchange for not having to put down the customary last month's rent.

The landlord lives in the other half of the duplex.

Soon after moving in, though, the utilities to both sides of the duplex were shut off over non-payment of bills, and Davis says he has been in the dark -literally -ever since.

A bit more:

The landlord, Sam Gilbert, now faces charges under the provincial offences act for failing to provide vital services. The charge was filed by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing after Davis complained to their investigations and enforcement unit.

And the money quote:

Gilbert, a cigarette held in shaking fingers, said he couldn't explain the judgments against him or why he hadn't done what the tribunal ordered him to do.

"I can't read or write," said Gilbert, who said he works in construction and claimed that Davis had not paid him rent.

"He was supposed to pay me $800 a month, but he only ever paid me $200 to $300 a week," he said.

Sheesh...