Commercial Rental Buildings...The Tenants From Hell!

The Tenant From Hell!

An interesting event occurred just recently, and I felt it should be documented, and published for all the building owners out there who have rentals.

NY Rental Scenario, that got really interesting. Seemingly becoming a common rental scam.

A woman claiming to have 7 storage units worth of stuff to sell moves into a commercial store front location. A prime commercial area, and location. Upon arrival, she claims she is also going to be living there, and she is also inviting her so called aid to live there too. As well as her married boy friend staying there. She was advised that it is not suited for someone to live there, and it would absolutely be forbidden to have additional people at all.

She proceeded to do as she pleased, completely ignoring the owner/agents rules. She proceeded to live in the store front, knowing this was against the rules, especially since she claimed she needed this alleged aid to cater to her.

Creating a impossible situation, they became hostile towards the land lord, calling the police for knocking on the door to collect the rent. Which by the way was not paid on time, and she also bounced checks. In which she spoke to the agent of the property, about the rent check, and the reason she gave for bouncing the rent check was because she wrote several post dated checks to her ex husband the vet, for her dogs staying at his office. The agent, (who is also a legal assistant for over 25 years) responded by advising her it is illegal to post date a check in any other situation other than with a law firm, or collections agent. They are the only ones who have to honor post dated checks. She refused to listen, and proceeded to do it anyway, despite the agents response. Banks do not have to honor post dated checks. Any business can run a post dated right away, and a bank will honor it if the funds are available. Which is exactly what happened. The vets checks were honored, and the rent check was cast to the side, returned as NSF, (non sufficient funds).

Realizing this individual was not competent to make a logical sound decision, the agent advised her in writing that the reasons given for the NSF rent check were unacceptable, and damages have been caused. The tenant became hostile, and uncooperative for the duration of the stay.

The Sabotage Begins:

Apparently while all this was going on the additional squatters were helping her plot ways to avoid paying rent. Many conversations about discussions they had about how to avoid paying rent took place, and were over heard by the agent. On more that a few occasions sentences were heard like, “We’ll just say this, or we’ll just say that”. They proceeded to tamper with the electric in the store front, shutting off all the breakers repeatedly, causing a Sony TV to fry, and computer issues with the service coming into the building. They pulled outlets out of the walls, and turned off water mains under the sinks, removed light bulbs from fixtures, turned the thermostat all the way down to give it a nice cold feel. Upon doing all of this, she/they proceeded to call the building dept in the town. Fabricating the foundation to the conjured complaint, in an attempt to live there for free. All the while creating a harassment diversion, of a shed she was promised, and told she has to pay for materials to enclose it. Never setting up anything to actually sell. The agent realized this was a premeditated scam they were running, because all three of them had individual situations of having nowhere to go. It was a scam to gain a free place to live, for an extended period.

Feelings of trepidation In Collection of the rent prevailed. In the real estate agents opinion, and experience with real estate, and legal work, the situation was identified as a professional tenant, and measures were being taken to remedy the situation to have her, and her illegal boarders evicted. This tenant thought she was slick, and could take over someones location for free, and not have to pay rent for a very long time. They continued sabotaging the building electrical, and had the intent to cause great harm against the owner of the building. Who happens to a very nice person, which is what got them in the door. This woman begged, and pleaded with the agent, and owner to let her sell her stuff here. Looking back it was all an act, to carry out a deceitful plot to cause others harm.

While she continued being completely uncooperative, failing to comply with all the rules of the lease, the town, the agent, and commercial requirements, she was caught physically by a friend of the family disposing of her garbage illegally. Caught red handed, illegally dumping garbage on a neighbors property. She was immediately notified in writing that this was illegal, and forbidden in the rules of the town, lease, and signs posted on the neighbors property. She became abusive, and hostile to the agent, when she was confronted with that, or any other matter that was to be addressed. Prior to that incident, she was putting objects out at the curb. That is against the rules, and must prearranged for a special pickup. On more than one occasion the agent, and company had to physically remove items put at the curb, and place them in front of her door with notes that it must be disposed of properly. Which she continued to ignore.

The Building Dept. The finally...

Three guys appear from the building dept. Their approach, and method of delivery leaves a lot to be desired, and at some point a written complaint will sent to them about their improper behavior towards to female owners/agents of the property.

It was dark, and cold. The phone rings, and 3 men appear at the rear entrance of the building. They immediately begin siting charges at the agent. I do mean “at”, because it immediately became apparent, they were feeling their power, and taking it to a level of strong arm bullying tactics. The agent continued to ask them why they were being rude to her, and that there really was no reason for them to act this way. They were speaking to the agent as if guilty of what a scam artist just ran on them. They continued with the strong arm tactics, preventing the agent from completing a sentence. Never learning that this professional tenant, with a verifiable wake of damages on many left in her path of destruction. The agent was not able to overcome this approach with these 3 men, and went completely silent. It was obvious they were going to conclude on their own that this lying illegal tenant was giving them facts. (which of course were quickly proven wrong, officially). After determining it was pointless to continue to try to speak with these tyrannical individuals, (who felt the need to strong arm, and bully women) she took the papers from them, and went back inside, silently. I guess it fueled their ego’s right?

Well remembering the above mentioned about the electrical sabotage, the building dept of course found these items to be a violation. In which they proceeded to threaten the (2 Females) owner, and agent with jail time. Jail time! I’m not kidding. Two women bullied individually, by 3 men each, and told they will go to jail for a year or more if they failed to comply within 24 hours!

When they met this individual she alleged she wanted the location for the purpose of selling things. The owner of the building happens to be an Antique expert for over 35 years, as well as a jeweler, and collectible authority. Her and another associate, who is an expert in antique furniture visited the said storage units, and found few items of value. It was moldy, damaged, and a huge mess, very similar to the show “Hoarders”. Some items were sold for her, and the money given to her in credit off the last months rent. She was paying over $1500 per month for these storage units, for over 4 years now, and continuing. As the owner, agent, and associates realized that this individual was not only incompetent, she was also a hoarder! We tallied the cost of these storage units, and asked her if she tried a liquidator to sell all of it as a package, and she had said she was offered $400 for everything. Which of course she refused. Each time contact was made with her, she repetitiously recited that her stuff was worth a pretty penny, and she would get all her money back. In other words it was worth a fortune, but in actuality, the experts confirmed the vast bulk of it was nothing but junk. None of it could be sold, and most of what they looked at was damaged, and or worth nothing. Keeping in mind these people do nothing but antiques, jewelry, and collectibles all day, every day. They are recognized as authorities on anything of value that is collectible.

Upon hearing this from them, she became despondent and the lack of cooperation began. The store front became a target of malicious intent from this individual. She had verbally stated too many times to count that she intended to sue a host of people, claiming hoards of people screwed her. In time we came to realize it was all just plots to take advantage of many. Including the storage units. Her so called valuables were moved several times from storage unit to storage unit, as a result of her burning every bridge she crossed. Once she couldn’t get anything for free in a given situation, she became hostile, and malicious, attacking, and slandering many people, including her own attorneys. She actually did this in front of an international attorney, demonstrating her plotting techniques with the cohort paramour, about how to beat the paramours poor wife they were presently screwing. They actually thought because they were having an affair, in a state that does recognize adultery, that he had grounds for divorce. When in actuality, (told to them by this attorney), it was actually the poor wife who had grounds for a divorce, not him. The attorney found them to be evil as well, and told them he would not handle the case.

What they admittedly did was demonstrate that they are committing adultery openly, with an official who can inevitably testify to this fact. The poor wife who supported this grifter of a husband, to this day has no clue what these two con people are up to behind her back. The are leaving a verifiable trail of damages in their wake, and quest to live for free. Not because they have no income, investments, savings, but because they just want everything for free, and also want the top top dollar for all the garbage in her storage units. One of the storage units is completely jam packed with teen porn videos, tapes and more. Imagine paying over $72,000 plus, to store this, and 5 more units of non valuable stuff, for over 4 years, and still going! She is still currently paying over $1500 per month to this day to house this garbage.

Hence the madness of thinking they can live for free, the mentality fits the whole theme here. However the tables turn, and one never knows when that can happen. Intentional deceit sets a forum for failure, which is exactly what they got. This story has an awesome ending, as to the results she got, with her partners in crime. The fact is it was all a lie from the start, and there was never any real intention to sell anything. None of them had anywhere to go, and the boy friend certainly could not bring her/them home to the poor wife, who he was deceiving. So he too had nowhere to go. Hence the plot to beat us out of rent, and tie up the building with a sabotage.

Unfortunately for them this attempt failed miserably. Luckily a few minor electrical things, (they caused themselves, in the attempt to sabotage us) were found to be violations. The building dept, did not actually do a full inspection. They merely wrote a report of her frivolous claims, that were actually set up by them. It was a pack of lies created to use as a tool to allow her to live there for free. The only problem was, it back fired on her. The building dept took “her” word for everything, and told her in writing she must vacate the building within 72 hours! Ah Ha...who knew?!

They had also pulled ceiling tiles out exposing old fixtures we stopped using years ago, in an attempt to make the lies look true. What she failed to realize is, you are not allowed to lie to get into a place, not pay the rent, bounce checks, and then sabotage the building owner to continue to live for free. When her bogus health claims were denied for payment, and she was unable to live for free off insurance, is when the store front became the next most convenient target for this scam.

Much to her own surprise, she now had to pack quickly, and get out! Which is exactly how it went. It cost under $1000 to fix the damages from the sabotaged electrical issues, and the place certified by experts as to be perfectly functional. She tried to claim there was no water, no heat, no electric, and more. When none of it was true, and it was immediately proven in writing within 24 hours of the alleged claim. To think, all she had to do was the right thing, and pay the rent. She chose the hardest way of all, and the cheapest way for the owner/agent to get her out.

None of us have never witnessed a tenant getting themselves evicted so quickly. Had it been known that the Building Department could do this, the owner would have called them themselves! It took 3 days to purge the infestation of culprits with malicious intent to harm another. It was a great blessing in disguise, and the owner/agent could not be more satisfied with the speedy results her own plot brought. It was literally the fastest “Self Inflicted Eviction” ever seen! We are greatly relieved to be finalizing the status, and condition of the building. They are still suing them for unpaid rent, and utilities, as well as the tampered electrical, and urine, and feces damages left by them.

What you don’t know...can hurt you! When she was told to vacate the building in 72 hours, she suddenly began saying hostile things about the building inspector, also failing to comply with him as well. You see it was no longer convenient for her, because she didn’t get the results she thought she would get. He actually had to contact her repeatedly to remind her this was her doing, and she must comply. Each time the electrician, plumber, or inspector came to certify that everything works, the police had to be called to force cooperation. The moral of this story is...sometimes people are so good at screwing people, that they actually seal their own fate in the process.

I decided to write about this incident for the sake of educating home owners/building owners who are in rental nightmares, with tenants from hell. There could be several other ways to remedy situations, but I loved this story so much I had to publish for all Land Lords to be aware of. It's tough enough to get reliable people in the first place, but to end up getting scam artists, and being able to get them out is an opportunity in disguise. We had no idea that the building dept could do this. Now we know, and you know too. Make a note of it, and beware of the Tenant’s From Hell! They seem to be everywhere.

I like to call this a rebound affect in self inflicted “lightning speed” eviction, and justice all at the same time. The ultimate satisfaction in a plot foiled!