By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-09-27 17:48:39 | Updated at 2024-09-30 11:31:03
2 days ago
A sorority who plunged a suburban street into chaos after bussing in loads of girls to a rental property have defended their move.
Alpha Omicron Pi held a recruitment event on Sunnyside Drive in London, Ontario, Canada, last weekend - much to the chagrin of of the local neighborhood.
In a statement, the president of the local chapter based out of Western University said they had informed the home owner of what they planned to do with the house.
'When reserving spaces for events, our chapter has been transparent about our needs for a venue and will be respectful of that space,' Sabina de Crescentiis told CBC:
'When reserving spaces for events, our chapter has been, and will continue to be, transparent about our needs for a venue and will be respectful of that space.'
Alpha Omicron Pi, seen here, held a recruitment event on Sunnyside Drive in London , Ontario, last weekend - much to the chagrin of of the local neighborhood
The move by the sorority angered neighbors after footage emerged showing a long line of students outside of the rental property.
Officials in the Canadian city are currently investigating the property which has operated as a short-term rental for over two years.
Footage shared on social media by local man Chris Prater shows a long line of the students outside of the rental property for the event
Earlier this week, owner Jithin Das, a local realtor, told CBC that he had not been informed of the move to have hundreds of young women bussed to the property.
He said: 'I'm working with Airbnb and they're investigating how it happened. We were not aware this was going to happen.
The president of the chapter Sabina de Crescentiis, seen here, said they had informed the home owner of what they planned to do with the house
'I was not told. They said 30 to 40 girls would be coming in turns. I'm extremely sorry to the whole neighborhood and the community.'
Sorority president de Crescentiis also told the outlet: 'Before booking this residence, we shared with the owner that there would be multiple groups of 30-45 women at a time rotating in and out of the property over the course of each day.'
The president reiterated that the event was an opportunity for those looking to join the sorority to meet others.
She added: 'Our event was planned to not serve any alcohol. We did not use the pool and we were very conscious of noise ordinances so as to not disturb the neighbors.
'Our events were concluded by 5 p.m. each day. We are sorry to have been an unknowing party in this ongoing dispute.'
Owner Jithin Das, a local realtor, said that he had not been informed of the move to have hundreds of young women bussed to the property
According to local man Chris Prater, who filmed the long lines of the young women, they had been dropped off by the busload.
He said: 'It's not what you want in a residential neighborhood. It's not an appropriate use of the house. It's a traffic concern, it's noisy and we just didn't sign up for that.
'They would get dropped off, get some instructions from some other girls on the driveway, march into the house and be inside for about an hour before coming out chanting and singing their sorority song.
'Then they would wait in the driveway for about 25 or 30 minutes before another bus came, dropped off more girls and picked up the ones that were already inside.'
While Marion Warren told CTV News that neighbors have been complaining for years about the various groups that rent the house for short stays.
The home was purchased in March 2020 for $673,000 and was most recently listed last year for $1.2 million
She said: 'This weekend was horrific. School bus loads of young females were being dropped off and apparently were being interviewed in this house for a sorority.'
Warren also spoke with CBC, saying that there was constantly new cars in the driveway and that the noise from the pool in the backyard filtered down the street.
Other neighbors told the outlet that it often attracts large parties or several families at one time. A stripper showed up for a bachelorette party once, one person said.
The home was purchased in March 2020 for $673,000 and was most recently listed last year for $1.2 million.
A spokesperson for Airbnb earlier this week said: 'Airbnb bans parties, and we’ve suspended the listing and the booking guest as we look into the reported behavior.'
