A Burnaby tenant says former B.C. Lions defensive back Isaiah Guzylak-Messam’s alleged loud stomping caused a light fixture to fall and severely injure her.
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A tenant in Burnaby has filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court alleging that former B.C. Lions defensive back Isaiah Guzylak-Messam caused severe injuries after loud stomping from an apartment above hers dislodged a light fixture that later fell and struck her.
The plaintiff, Cindy Tunde Borsai, filed her notice of civil claim on Sept. 29. She alleges the problem began in spring 2024 at her home in Vista Terrace Apartments, 7465 13th Ave. in Burnaby, when Guzylak-Messam moved into the unit above hers.
Borsai says that loud noises, including loud stomping, started coming from Guzylak-Messam’s unit and prompted her to knock on his door. In the lawsuit, she alleges he continued to cause or allow loud noises emanating into her unit, causing distress.
The lawsuit also names Vista Terrace Apartments Ltd. and CAPREIT LP as defendants, along with unidentified property management and security companies identified as ABC Property Management and ABC Security Co.
Borsai alleges that on many occasions she reported the conduct to CAPREIT, including that the stomping weakened and compromised the integrity of her unit by weakening the ceiling and walls. She also alleges that CAPREIT failed to address her complaints adequately, or at all.
Borsai further alleges that Royal Canadian Mounted Police were involved in addressing complaints. She says that on Jan. 22, 2025, the alleged stomping was severe enough to cause a light fixture on her balcony to fall.
She claims that after additional stomping continued, “a glass light shade from a ceiling fan fell from the ceiling of the plaintiff’s unit and struck the plaintiff’s head.” She alleges the glass shattered on her head, causing a concussion and a laceration with scarring, and that it also injured her dog.
The lawsuit says Borsai suffered a range of harms, including dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, ringing in her ears, weakness, fatigue, memory problems, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other injuries.
Borsai is seeking damages for loss of past and future income, rehabilitation and medical treatment costs, transportation to and from rehabilitation, medication, and other damages. Her claim includes general, special, aggravated and punitive damages, plus costs.
Guzylak-Messam played 90 games for the B.C. Lions, starting in 2018 and ending last year, according to a CFL statistics website. The lawsuit states that none of the allegations have been tested in court, and no responses to the notice of civil claim have been filed.
Vista Terrace Apartments did not respond by press time. CAPREIT said in an email that it has no further comment on the matter, and attempts to reach Guzylak-Messam through LinkedIn were unsuccessful by press time.
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