250 Frederick Street ownership tied to alleged reno-victions in London, Hamilton
An investor with ties to apartment buildings across Ontario appears to be connected to 250 Frederick Street in Kitchener.
The building has been subject to allegations of illegal evictions and pressure tactics to try and force people out.
At the very least, tenants of 250 Frederick Street are sending their money to a numbered company in which Michael Klein is the sole director.
Records obtained by renters rights advocacy group ACORN shows Klein is also tied to buildings in London and Hamilton.
In London, soon after the Webster Street Apartments were sold to a new buyer, some tenants received N13 eviction notices.
As with Frederick Street, tenants of the London property also send their monthly rental cheques to the same numbered company directed by Klein.
In Hamilton, an apartment complex on Melvin Street has also been linked to Klein.
Again, tenants in those building have made claims of reno-victions.
Within the organization ACORN, the name Michael Klein is well known.
“Very well known, I would say pretty renowned,” said Jacquie Wells, a former tenant at 250 Frederick Street and current member of K-W ACORN.
Wells said Klein’s involvement set of red flag right away.
“When I first reached out to ACORN about the building being purchased, I told them that it was Michael Klein and they were very concerned,” said Wells.
Wells said the fact it is hard to determine who owns the building is by design.
“He hides behind numbered companies and he puts himself at arm's length and that is a strategy so that people can't kind of establish a pattern of behavior,” said Wells.
Putting the Pieces together
The listed owner of 250 Frederick Street is corporation called 250 Frederick Inc. it’s listed director is a person name Ludmila Karakulov, a search for information on Karakulov found very little information.
Tenants in both Frederick Street and Webster Street apartments were asked to complete a pre-authorized debit plan to 1524256 Ontario Limited.
A record search for 1524256 Ontario Limited show the company director as Michael Klein.
In Hamilton tenant’s received official letter from Torbolton LTD.
A record’s search shows Michael Klein is the director of TorBolton LTD.
According to ACORN, to help improve transparency they believe Ontario should create a landlord registry.
“So that landlords actually have to be publicly known who they are so people can find out who their landlords are on a publicly available landlord registry.”
CTV News reached out on numerous occasions to Michael Klein, including asking the management at 250 Frederick Street for contact information. No contact information has been provided and limited other contact information is publically available.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.