(Disponible en français)
Welcome.
This video is Part 2 in our video series on what to expect when you join a virtual hearing by Zoom video with the Landlord and Tenant Board or, "LTB".
Part 1 of the series showed you what to expect when you join an LTB virtual hearing and during the sign in process.
In this video, we will show you what to expect after sign-in is complete, and when you move to a hearing room with an adjudicator.
Please note this video provides general information. Your experience may be different. This video is not intended to be legal advice.
Once most parties have been signed in, the adjudicator will introduce themselves in the main session. The adjudicator is the person who will hear your case and make a decision.
Next, the adjudicator will provide important information, such as rules around expected behaviour and the order in which they will hear the matters. This is called a preamble.
If you were having private discussions in a breakout room, you will be moved back to the main session to hear the preamble.
Those who have not been signed in yet will be signed in after the preamble is finished.
You will remain in the main session until your matter is ready to be heard by an adjudicator or, until you are called to start mediation or meet with Tenant Duty Counsel, if you have selected one of these options.
You will be called by your name when it is your turn to meet with Tenant Duty Counsel, participate in mediation, or to join the virtual hearing room.
If you hear your name being called, unmute yourself and respond.
Once your name is called, you will be moved to a breakout room. A pop-up will appear - click yes or join.
If you need to step away from your device, use the raise hand feature and inform the LTB that you will be temporarily unavailable.
If you find yourself disconnected at any point in the hearing, go back to the link in your Notice of Video Hearing and reconnect. You can also dial the phone number in your Notice to call into the hearing. To mute or unmute press *6, to use the raise hand feature press *9. There is also information about joining by phone in the Notice of Video Hearing package.
If you have technical issues on the day of the hearing, you can contact the LTB's virtual hearing technical support line by emailing LTBHearingSupport@ontario.ca, or by calling 416-212-9064 or toll-free at 866-769-7865. Staff will help you join the hearing.
If your matter is called and you are not there or do not respond, it may take place without you, as stated in your Notice of Video Hearing.
Once you have been signed in, when your matter is ready to be heard, you will be moved into a virtual hearing room with an adjudicator.
This is a public hearing room so there may be other people present. There may be another hearing underway when you join the hearing room. Please stay on mute until you are asked to identify yourself.
When it is time to hear your matter, the adjudicator will call your file number, rental unit address, and the party names.
The adjudicator will tell you how your hearing will proceed and when you will be able to talk, ask questions, and present your side of the case.
The applicant will tell the adjudicator why they filed the application. They can tell their side of the story and give any information they have themselves. They can also have other people, called witnesses, come to the hearing to talk and give evidence.
The respondent is the person or organization the application was filed against. They will also have the chance to talk, ask questions, and present their side of the case. They are also able to have witnesses come to the hearing and give evidence.
During a hearing, witnesses will be kept out of the hearing room until it is their time to speak. The LTB will move the witnesses into the hearing room when they are needed.
The adjudicator can also ask questions of all parties anytime during the hearing.
Remember, parties are required to send to each other anything they want to rely on as evidence at a hearing to support their case. This may include documents, pictures, audio and video recordings and text messages. Parties must also file these materials with the LTB.
The deadlines and instructions for sending documents to the other parties and to the LTB are set out in the Notice of Video Hearing and in the LTB's Rules of Procedure, which can be found on the LTB's website.
If there are specific pieces of evidence you want the adjudicator to consider, you must refer to it when you are presenting your case. The adjudicator may show the evidence on everyone's screen for all parties to see.
After everyone has had a chance to speak and present their case, the parties have one final chance to provide a summary of their case. This is called closing submissions.
After the hearing, the adjudicator will issue a written decision, called an order. In some cases, the adjudicator might also tell you their decision at the hearing.
After your hearing is over, you can leave the hearing by clicking the "Leave Meeting" button.
Thanks for watching this video! Remember, your experience before the LTB may be different.
Make sure to read your Notice of Video Hearing before your hearing date. Visit the Landlord and Tenant Board website for more information and contact the LTB if you have questions.
Check out our other videos with helpful tips on attending a hearing on Zoom.