Richard Elder and concerned local residents secure the front window of a property over-run by squatters just hours earlier. Elder is trying to sell the property, formerly owned by his late brother. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

evicted

Squatters booted from notorious Nanaimo property, home owner plans to sell

Aug 21, 2020 | 1:53 PM

NANAIMO — Several people were kicked out of a well-known Milton St. nuisance property to the applause of concerned citizens.

Out-of-town property owner Richard Elder told NanaimoNewsNOW people living illegally at 560 Milton St. left without incident at his request on Friday, Aug. 21 while the RCMP looked on. BC Hydro cut power to the house the same day.

“It was finally time to take a stand and get it done with, I have to do it. I live on the Sunshine Coast, so it’s hard for me to come over and deal with this,” Elder said.

The house was owned by Elder’s brother, who passed away last October.

He said a tenant hadn’t paid rent since November and the number of trespassers inside the house grew.

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“When squatters take over there’s not much you can do. The RCMP have been here many times, their hands were tied because they couldn’t do anything until an authority figure like me, the property owner, said ‘get out.'”

Elder said he’s in town to secure the property and get it in a reasonable condition to sell, adding a recent pending sale fell through.

He was apologetic for the negative impact the property had and thanked area residents for ongoing clean-up efforts.

Barb Cowell lives nearby and helped Elder board up windows on Friday.

She and others have “lived in fear” for months, pointing to drug dealing, prostitution and constant fighting with neighbours and among the squatters themselves.

“Which means that the traffic alone was multiplied three or four times than it was normally and it was a really calm neighbourhood at that time when they came here,” Cowell said.

In March it became clear to Cowell 560 Milton St. was “out of control”. She said people who took over the home and their visitors set up several camps in the vacant lot across the street from the home.

Cowell estimated 10 people in the home packed up their belongings and left Friday morning.

Another local resident Joy Reavley said the home forced local kids inside due to safety concerns. She said one positive is the community taking ownership of local problems.

“It’s amazing how fast it happens, how long it takes to get it shut down, but the thing is the community all came together and we all did it together,” Reavley said.

In recent weeks dozens of concerned citizens helped clean up piles of debris and needles in the vacant lot across the street from the shut down Milton St. home south of Albert St.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com
On Twitter: @reporterholmes