Killer had history of property disputes,
‘He seemed nice, but he ... took everything,’ says man who lost home
One of the victims in Nova Scotia’s weekend massacre had been living in a home that was once at the centre of a court battle involving the man who would kill her.
It’s a small detail — one of several to emerge — in the picture that is slowly forming of the man responsible for Canada’s deadliest mass shooting.
Gabriel Wortman, it seems, had a history of contentious property disputes.
At the time of the shooting last weekend, he owned six properties in Nova Scotia: three on Portland Street in Dartmouth, including his denture clinic there, and three in Portapique, N.S.
He was also involved, for a time, with a fourth property in Portapique; one that triggered an acrimonious dispute with his uncle — a property that was ultimately bought by Lisa McCully, who is now among 22 people killed in a rampage that has stunned the country. In November 2010, Wortman’s uncle, Glynn Wortman, purchased 135 Orchard Beach Dr. in Portapique. It was right across the road from 136 Orchard Beach Drive, a property his nephew bought a month later
ccording to a court affidavit filed by Glynn Wortman, he needed help with financing. That money was provided by his nephew, and both their names went on the title.
According to Glynn Wortman, his nephew’s name went on the title as a security interest, meaning Gabriel Wortman had recourse in the form of the property if his uncle defaulted on the loan, as opposed to an outright partial ownership of the property.
Seven months later, Glynn Wortman transferred $150,000 to his nephew’s account as repayment for the financing. But to his chagrin, Gabriel Wortman refused to remove his name from the title.
For the next three years, as his uncle tried to convince him to remove his name, Gabriel Wortman found one reason after another not to.
According to Glynn Wortman’s affidavit, the house was eventually sold in September 2014, and the proceeds were held in trust pending the outcome of the title battle.
Eventually, Glynn Wortman took the case to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, which ruled in July 2015 that Glynn Wortman was entitled to the full proceeds from the sale of the home. Lisa McCully eventually bought the property at 135 Orchard Beach Drive from Glynn Wortman. On Sunday, she was among the first victims of the mass shooting that began in Portapique on Saturday.
The Beach Driver property was not the first that had placed the shooter at odds with others.
In 2004, Steve Zinck’s property dispute with Gabriel Wortman resulted in him losing the Mineville, N.S., home his dad built.
“I’ve been trying to forget about it for 15 years. That was my home and my entire life,” the repairman told the Star on Wednesday.
Zinck said that in 2004, he was unable to renew the mortgage payment on the Mineville home. He claims Wortman, whom he’d met through a friend just six months earlier, tricked him into signing over ownership of his home.
“He seemed nice, but he knew exactly what he was doing,” Zinck said. “He took everything.”
Zinck said that because Wortman seemed like a successful, smart man, he sought advice about his mortgage situation.
The denturist then made what
Zinck believed was a “good faith” offer to front him $38,000. Zinck said Wortman told him that money would help get the bank to approve the renewal of his mortgage.
They agreed later that Zinck would pay back the debt by paying $650 every month until he reached the total amount, plus interest, which totalled $50,000. But events quickly spiralled from there.
Zinck said he only learned that Wortman had taken full ownership of his home when he received an eviction notice. “He somehow changed the paperwork to make him the sole owner of my property,” Zinck said.
In a May 26, 2004 ruling by Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations, it was decided that Wortman, whose name was on the deed, was Zinck’s landlord, that Zinck’s $650 per month was rent, and that since Zinck was refusing to give Wortman access to the property, Wortman could evict him.
Zinck said he’d hoped to fight for his home, but couldn’t afford the $25,000 retainer for a lawyer.
A month later, Zinck was still in the house and Wortman got a sheriff to evict him.
Zinck said Wortman brought in “18-wheelers and moving trucks” to haul away all his belongings, including clothing and furniture, then auctioned them off in town.
“I had absolutely nothing left. I lost my home. I had no money,” Zinck said. “He conned me right in, took advantage of me big time.”
He said he pleaded with Wortman to at least give him the proceeds from the auction of his properties, but Wortman refused, citing the cost of the moving trucks.
“He acted like a friend. It took a lot of years for that go away,” Zinck said.
“He’s smart, he knew exactly what he was doing. You don’t lose money on land.”