A costly judgment was recently awarded against a family after their downstairs tenant resoundingly won a BC Human Rights Tribunal hearing. (Image Credit: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

By NanaimoNewsNOW staff

landlord nightmare

Tribunal rules disabled renter severely mistreated, orders $100K damages 

Feb 4, 2026 | 12:00 PM

VANCOUVER —  A substantial BC Human Rights Tribunal (HRT) ruling blasted the conduct of a landlord’s family members who made life miserable on a vulnerable Lower Mainland downstairs tenant.  

Catherine Lloyd, a senior with arthritis and mobility restrictions, was determined to be discriminated against by homeowner Fernanda Almeida, her daughter and son-in-law, Diana and Wayne Rosso. 

The pair moved into the upstairs suite of the Vancouver area home at the end of 2018, while Lloyd had resided at the home issue-free since November 2014, the HRT ruling published on Jan. 8 stated. 

For four years, the tribunal found the respondents restricted access to Lloyd’s driveway parking, laundry, garage storage, heat, scooter parking, and a backyard seating area.  

A prolonged harassment campaign led by Wayne Rosso was also waged against the complainant, who also resided in a suite containing mold, the ruling stated.  

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“The heart of this case is whether the Respondents have justified their adverse treatment of Ms. Lloyd. The evidence is clear that their conduct is not justified,” Tribunal member Laila Said Alam found. 

Lloyd, represented by legal counsel before the HRT hearing held in January 2025, provided five witnesses corroborating the abuse she had sustained, while she also gave her own testimony. 

Wayne Rosso self-represented the Respondents. 

At no time during Lloyd’s six-years in the two-bedroom suite was she presented with a written tenancy agreement. Her tenancy was orally agreed to, with Lloyd paying roughly $950 rent when she eventually moved out on her own accord.  

“Immediately after the Rossos moved in, the Respondents restricted Ms. Lloyd’s access to the driveway and laundry room. The Rossos parked their car in the driveway and told Ms. Lloyd she was no longer permitted to park her car there. They said they would exclusively control use the driveway from that point forward because they were the owners,” the Tribunal ruling stated.” 

Lloyd testified that two days after the Rossos moved in, they changed the laundry room locks, temporarily restricting access to the room to Mondays only. 

A February 2019 Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) application by the Rossos was made to end the tenancy with cause, arguing clutter in the suite caused health and safety concerns.  

The RTB noted the respondents attempted to change the terms and conditions of Lloyd’s tenancy in multiple ways, including removing her right to vehicle and scooter parking. 

The RTB also previously found the Rossos were at the source of the difficulty in the landlord-tenant relationship. 

Lloyd did not cause any health or safety issues to the suite, did not cause mold or any damage to the unit, the RTB found. 

Locking Lloyd out of her unit and harassing her guests amounted to illegal conduct, according to the RTB. 

The Respondents made three unsuccessful eviction attempts. 

The Tribunal’s Laila Said Alam determined Wayne Rosso was not a credible witness, who was evasive, misleading, and lied under oath. 

According to the HRT ruling, Wayne Russo said Lloyd’s unit was never entered without notice. 

“During the hearing, Ms. Lloyd’s counsel confronted Mr. Rosso with a video showing Ms. Rosso entering Ms. Lloyd’s suite. Despite the obvious video evidence, he continued to deny what was readily apparent.” 

He also argued Lloyd’s laundry access was limited because the Respondents required daily use of the machines due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the provincial state of emergency wasn’t declared until well over a year later in March 2020. 

The ruling noted Wayne Rosso claimed he never knew loud music bothered Lloyd, contrary to a police report she filed. 

Lloyd’s support worker reported harassment by the Respondents.  

The worker minimized visits to Lloyd’s home, then stopped going to the property entirely. 

“He had to take stress leave related to his interactions with Mr. Rosso and Mr. Rosso’s threats to his employment. He said engaging with the Rossos while trying to support Ms. Lloyd was a high point of stress in his career, and he eventually transitioned out of the role.” 

Lloyd’s legal advocate at the time was also given a frosty reception by Wayne Rosso when she visited Lloyd at her home. 

“Speaking through the Ring doorbell, Mr. Rosso told the representative that he would report them to the police for trespassing. He also called and threatened to file lawsuits against various organizations that advocated and supported Ms. Lloyd.” 

Uncontested evidence from Lloyd outlined how Wayne Rosso harassed her friends. 

The Tribunal described the discrimination and retaliation suffered by Lloyd as “severe, prolonged, continuous, and escalating.” 

No empathy or remorse was shown for Lloyd, while the campaign against her cruelly isolated a vulnerable, disabled senior in her own home, the ruling stated. 

“The respondents’ conduct was designed to make Ms. Lloyd’s life intolerable and cause her to leave the tenancy,” wrote Laila Said Alam. “They would have continued their conduct until her tenancy ended by eviction or from being run-down by their conduct.” 

Lloyd decided to move out of the suite in November 2020. 

The Respondents were ordered to pay Lloyd nearly $91,000 reflecting expenses caused by Lloyd being discriminated against and for injury to her dignity. 

In addition, $10,000 in costs against the Respondents was ordered to cover legal expenses. 

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