Isaiah Guzylak-Messam is being sued in B.C. Supreme Court after a neighbour alleged his stomping caused a falling light fixture to strike her head.
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Isaiah Guzylak-Messam, a former defensive back for the B.C. Lions, is being sued in B.C. Supreme Court over allegations that loud stomping noises from his Burnaby apartment dislodged a light fixture that later fell and injured the tenant below.
The plaintiff, Cindy Tunde Borsai, filed a notice of civil claim on Sept. 29, alleging that the problems began in spring 2024 at her home in Vista Terrace Apartments at 7465 13th Ave. in Burnaby.
Borsai said in the lawsuit that Guzylak-Messam moved into a unit above hers and that loud noises began coming from his unit, prompting her to knock on his door to investigate.
According to the claim, Guzylak-Messam “continued to cause or allow loud noises, including loud stomping noises, to emanate from his unit into the plaintiff's unit, which caused distress to the plaintiff.”
Borsai also alleged she reported Guzylak-Messam’s conduct to her landlord on “many occasions,” including complaints that the stomping had weakened and compromised the integrity of her unit by weakening the ceiling and walls.
In the lawsuit, Borsai alleges that Capreit LP and Vista Terrace Apartments Ltd. failed to adequately address her complaints, and she also alleges the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were involved in addressing complaints.
Borsai further alleges that on Jan. 22, 2025, the stomping escalated to the point where a light fixture on her balcony fell, and that later a “glass light shade from a ceiling fan fell from the ceiling of the plaintiff's unit and struck the plaintiff's head.”
She says the glass shattered on her head, causing a serious injury and damage, and also injuring her dog.
Borsai alleges she suffered a concussion and bleeding from a laceration on her head, which she says caused scarring, and that she has experienced dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, ringing in her ears, weakness, fatigue, problems with memory, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other harms.
The lawsuit says she is seeking damages for loss of past and future income and the costs of rehabilitation, medical treatment, transportation to and from rehabilitation, medication and other damages, and she lists general, special, aggravated and punitive damages plus costs.
Along with Guzylak-Messam, Borsai’s claim also names Vista Terrace Apartments Ltd. and Capreit LP, as well as unknown property management and security companies she identifies as ABC Property Management and ABC Security Co.
The notice of civil claim alleges that none of the allegations has been tested in court, and no responses to the notice of civil claim have been filed.
Guzylak-Messam played 90 games for the B.C. Lions, starting in 2018 and ending last year, according to CFL statistics information referenced in the court filing coverage; he was released by the team before training camp in April.
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