 Todd Shandro (top) and Cori-Anne Neuman. (Photos supplied)
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An Edmonton man has won a court battle to regain possession of his own home after a judge ruled his ex-girlfriend - whom the man had told to get out - must leave.
And now, Todd Shandro is just hoping the woman doesn't trash the place in the two weeks she has before she has to go or try to leave with the $3,500 worth of purchases she racked up at Costco using a joint American Express card.
"I'm finally glad to be eventually going home," said Shandro, 36, yesterday, adding his happiness is tempered by the time and effort it took to get back his own property.
HARD LESSONS
"We don't have a justice system - it's a legal system," he said bitterly. "Life is certainly not fair and I have certainly learned a lot of lessons the hard way."
On Friday, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Donald Mandersheid ordered Cori-Anne Neuman, 29, and her two children to vacate Shandro's 11325 102 St. home within 15 days after ruling she was not a tenant and did not qualify under the law as a common-law spouse.
The judge also told Shandro that in the future he might want to consider the matter "more carefully" when choosing whether to allow someone to live in his home.
"I took it to heart," said Shandro yesterday.
While he waits for the March 14 deadline, Shandro is forbidden from going near the home and is worried Neuman will try to take things she bought on credit that he has since paid for, including a flat screen TV, a camcorder, a GPS unit, a microwave, an X-Box 360 and lots of games.
The problem began about eight months ago when Shandro invited Neuman to move into the home on a "trial" basis after dating her for more than a year.
In October Shandro realized he wanted to end the relationship with Neuman and asked her to leave, but, despite repeated requests, she refused to go.
On Dec. 5 he came home from work and found both Neuman and her mother there and asked them both to leave. When they refused, he went out to a pub.
He returned after having a couple of drinks and again asked them to go and the mother told him to go to the bedroom and lie down. He again left, but then quickly returned and demanded they leave immediately.
At that point, he allegedly tried to physically escort them out of the home. Police were called and Shandro was charged with two counts of assault.
After his arrest, a justice of the peace released Shandro on $500 bail and issued a no-contact order barring him from going within five blocks of his home.
The JP also told Shandro he could revisit the residence issue by bringing his ownership documents to court, but despite appearing before two judges, he was unsuccessful in having the bail condition amended.
Shandro said he was frustrated that the system allowed for someone who was "essentially a squatter" to prevail.
"I've always been the title holder to the house and she had no right whatsoever," he said.
