Harrow man evicted from his car, after two years of living in a Dodge Caliber

Windsor, Ont. -

By-law enforcement with the Town of Essex issued a “cease and desist” order against Mike Tales, 58, who had been living in his car for two years, because it “creates a public nuisance.”

“Nobody in the neighbourhood had a problem with it,” Tales says. “If I was loud and there was garbage around my car, alcohol bottles you know and bothering the neighbours I could understand it.”

Tales says residents on Secord Street would bring him food and clothing, and he says he had the approval of the owner of the home he parked in front of.

“I don’t wanna be in my car but there’s nothing available so you know why come down on me?” Tales says.

Tales’ letter from the town reads: “Occupying a vehicle in a residential area is not permitted. This action creates a public nuisance and is not conducive to the surround neighbourhood.”

Tales was issued the letter on Oct. 26 and told to find somewhere else to go by Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Councillor Sherry Bondy concedes the property standards by-law is in place to ensure residents help keep the town clean and tidy.

Tales’ problem, however, Bondy believes highlights a much bigger issue: rural homelessness.

“There was no housing available,” says Bondy. “He (Tales) wasn’t a danger to himself. He wasn’t a danger to others. He wasn’t hurting anybody and he didn’t have any other options.”

Tales says he broke his ankle in 2017 and then lost his home when his mother died the same year.

He says he “couch surfed,” living with friends for family for a while, but says he “didn’t want to be a pain in the butt” anymore, so he decided to just live in his car.

“You don’t got much of a say in the matter, right?” says Tales. “If you wanna survive you gotta deal with whatever they’re throwing at ya.”

Bondy says she learned about Tales in mid-2020 and has been trying to help him ever since, including talking to Dave Mota about it.

Mota is a Kingsville resident, who volunteers to help the homeless in Windsor.

“There’s times I think about Mike when he’s in his car and I can’t sleep because it’s upsetting to see that,” says Mota.

He says he reached out to various town councillors and social services agencies trying to find housing for Tales.

“People would say go to a crisis centre in the city,” says Bondy. “Mike doesn’t belong in a crisis centre in the city. He belongs right here in Harrow.”

“We rattled the cage and we ended up getting a few people to help him out,” says Mota, who admits he sometimes had to be aggressive in how he advocated for Tales.

“Sometimes reaching out in (an) angry, frustrated way. But it seemed to work.”

Mota is now helping Tales move into social housing in Harrow, in a one-bedroom apartment with a balcony.

“I haven’t had luck in a long time but I think my luck is starting to change,” says Tales.

Mota is thrilled Tales has a place of his own but adds, “I feel we band-aided it by helping Mike, because it’s one person.”

Mota had planned to hold a peaceful demonstration Sunday at 4 p.m. at “the three corners” in Harrow at Queen and King Streets, to help Tales find a home.

Now that that has been achieved, Mota and Tales are more determined than ever to carry on the fight for the homeless or for those who need better housing.

“I wouldn’t consider it a Windsor problem,” says Tales “It’s a big problem and what’s out there, you really can’t afford anyways. So that’s the bigger problem.”

“Anybody’s welcome to come out, to come up with some ideas if they want to. You gotta start somewhere,” says Mota. “It has to stop.”