SF Chronicle: S.F. landlords charged with tenant terror

[El Pinko]

Seems like this couple of scumbags have really embraced Bush's concept of an "Ownership Society".



http://tinyurl.com/6x8adb

S.F. landlords charged with tenant terror
Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, April 24, 2008


(04-23) 19:04 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A landlord couple have been charged in San Francisco with waging a campaign of terror against their renters in a South of Market building, including cutting out the floor supports at one apartment after the tenant went to court to keep from being evicted, authorities said Wednesday. Software engineer Kip Macy, 33, and real estate agent Nicole Macy, 32, who have addresses in Sausalito and Incline Village, Nev., were arrested Tuesday and charged with felony stalking, felony residential burglary, conspiracy and other counts in the bizarre case of apparent landlord rage. They posted bail after their arrest and could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

...

When one of the tenants, Scott Morrow, successfully fought eviction, the couple allegedly told workers in September 2006 to cut the beams that supported his apartment's floor. They also shut off Morrow's electricity, cut his phone line and had workers saw a hole in his living room floor from below, prosecutors said. Morrow has since sued the Macys.

...


Prosecutors said the Macys broke into the tenants' apartment last June and stole $2,000 in cash, a Gucci watch and a cell phone. The tenants, Erik Hernandez and Jason Lopez, later filed a lawsuit accusing the Macys of first changing the locks on the apartment, then illegally entering their unit and dismantling some of their furniture.

When Hernandez came home and confronted Kip Macy as the landlord was ransacking his apartment, Macy kicked him in the chest, the suit says. Threatening notes then started appearing at the tenants' door, and the water was shut off after the Macys stopped paying the bill, the suit says.

[Mnemosyne]

1. And I thought I had it tough in 1979 when the landlord wanted to cut

my rent in exchange for a blow job.

[femrap]

7. My new landlord in 1980 cancelled

the vermin exterminators and I was inundated with mice. They wanted me out so they could raise the rents.

I would have preferred the blow job request....I guarantee it would have been his last one!!! LOL.

[Mnemosyne]

11. He was too gross to even consider giving the blow job!

I'd give * one first! And only if it would get him impeached, ONLY. :evilgrin:

Your old landlord, what a human bean! Remember, what goes around does come around, always. :)

[femrap]

12. I love Karma!

So * will somehow find the way to The Hague!!

[MadHound]

2. There are some insane landlords out there, but these two are really out there

I had a landlord cut the utilities on me because he wanted me out early. I had a contract through June, and in March he was wanting me out in order to tear down the place and put up new, super duper apartments. I took him to court and got the utilities back on, but he wasn't insane like these two. One more reason that I won't live anywhere without a big dog, keeps out pesky intrusive people, like thieves and landlords.

[Robb]

3. In the old days

When the landlord wanted you out, he'd just take the front door off its hinges. Take it home. Wait.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Slumlords are the lowest scum

But the Trailer Park Boys are a class act! Finally saw the movie yesterday. Hilarious and true.

[Froward69]

5. Just dumb

I currently have a tenant that I call my charity case. he owes me three months, because of a car accident. we have been waiting for the insurance settlement. now he calls and asks for yet another month. while not knowing I have figured out he has 1) fallen off the wagon again. 2) actually quit his job rather than go back to work. 3) has begun abusing his girlfriend. 4) The insurance settlement we were waiting for was a flat out lie.

he is out.

whether he pays me or not. (because of the abuse of his girlfriend issue)

last night I cut the phone call he made to me short. just now I typed up the forms to evict. I will not entertain his lies any longer. Thankfully here in my state if I ask for "simple possession" and not any money. a writ to the sheriff will be issued in three days. Regardless if he shows up to court or not. California has no such rule. the landlords in this story are amateurish at best. they let frustration take control, and then acted stupidly.

rec #6

[Elspeth]

8. They seemed quite young. I wonder how they came to own the building.

..

[Hell Hath No Fury]

9. I can tell you how that happened...

It is a well-known story here in SF.

I am willing to bet this young couple bought the property in the past five years with a shitty, no money down/interest only loan that is about to triple in monthly mortgage payments -- because of the strong rent control laws in the City, they have to get rid of the old tenants to reset the amount of rent they are allowed to charge new tenants.

This recently happened to a friend of mine -- he had been living in the same flat for 20+ years in the Haight and was only paying $850 for a space that would go for $2000-$2500 a month on the open rental market. New owners arrived and bought the overprized building, then panicked because the rental units did not bring in enough money to cover the mortgage. They did everything they legally could to coerce my friend from his unit. He told them to piss off. :) The building was sold within a year and a half because the owners couldn't make the payments anymore. The new owners are working to have the flats made into condos, so my friend is not out of the woods yet.

[Elspeth]

10. Ah.. That makes a lot more sense. It explains the desperate measures too

What a no-win situation.

[grace0418]

6. That reminds me why it's worth the aggravation to own a condo.

Good grief, what is wrong with those people? It's San Francisco for crissake, they're already getting boatloads of cash in rent no doubt.