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True Story. Landlord Has Bad Tenant, Not Paying, Needing Eviction. Used Chainsaw.

By
Real Estate Agent with MOOERS REALTY ME Broker License 106759

    chainsaw,maine renters,landlords,eviction process,mooers realty

Don't try this at home kids.  Actually, don't ever try this method to remove a bad, non paying / high damage tenant. 

A home owner decided they were not going to wait for the process of eviction to be served. No time for the slow, expensive wheels of justice to turn. 

The renter had taunted him with "you can't get me out for months...I have rights and know them and do this move in, don't pay dog and pony show each year."

This renter helped produce the video on "How To Park In A Property, Never Pay Rent And Then Watch Owner Waste Months Trying To Get Me Out". 

This owner after being told by renter they were not going to move without deputies serving them and dragging their personal belongings out to the curb, calmly went to his shed to locate the chainsaw.  He put the choke partially on, went to the property with the arrogant non paying tenant that was trashing his house. 

Landlord rat-a-tat-tat knocked on the door, went into the kitchen carrying the chainsaw and when inside, started it.  The put put put got everyone in the home's attention.

The chainsaw choke left partially on caused lots of 2 cycle engine oil blue smoke to fill the premises. 

The noise was deafening inside a home. And thoughts of the movie trailers in your head from horror flicks involving chainsaws help cause heart beats to race as well.  The landlord shouted he was going to do a little remodeling, and not to worry, it would not take long. 

He tramped down to the cellar, cut an electrical cable somehow avoiding a shock to himself.  Ahhh, rubber sneakers, good old Chuck Taylor converse kind. Cursed for effect loudly. Then trigger finger the saw to life from an idle a few times..

Move on to the main plumbing line. Cut it. Holler loudly "we have a water problem guys..." Shut off main water line to stop the major leak on the plumbing artery.

It was around 1PM when suddenly the Maine house goes pitch black. No power, no plumbing either serving the entire household.

Landlord shuts off chainsaw, tramps up the cellar stairs and say "whoops...sorry. Got to run to the hardware store for an electrical coupler...some plumbing supplies too".

"Got a whisker too close to the power supply and waterworks with a little work I was doing down there.  Be back in a couple hours. Have some other ideas for a skylight over your bed upstairs, more remodeling" and then leaves. He stayed away the rest of the afternoon and when he returned at 6 PM the tenant was gone.

Highly illegal, really something a judge could consider threatening with a chainsaw for tenant apartment / house eviction not cricket. 

I asked him what possessed him to go to such extremes and did he know you can go to jail for that? He said at the time, he did not care about jail.  They had gone to court, been delayed long enough.

The landlord had chased them for rent, they had trashed the place and were letting garbage pile up.  Using the garage bays as giant dumpsters. Can you smell the rotting food, dirty diapers.. see the rats?

The tenant had kids, a slew of them that were destructive and ruining the home and he would not have had much house left if they were still there two months from now.

The time eaten up with eviction notice service and court date for forceable entry and removal operation. 

The Maine landlord had lost income, was going to have to repair the whole home and was not spending another cent on an attorney and further delay in getting the tenants  out of the place. 

Do not try this process for the tenant home eviction. 

Just think if it had escalated to a fight with one party wielding a chainsaw and also kids there watching the show. Would you be a good landlord or a good tenant in the real estate game of life ?

I'm Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

Comments(12)

Karen Webster...Grand Rapids, MI Realtor
5 Star Real Estate, Grand Rapids MI - Grand Rapids, MI
...and this is why I'm not a landlord.  Creative solution, though.
Mar 28, 2008 10:05 AM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker
Worked but could have ended the landlord in jail!
Mar 28, 2008 12:20 PM
Nobody Here
Cold - Algoma, ON

Crazy. Very risky, but effective.  I can understand the landlord's frustration, especially after the tennant admitted he was doing all that on purpose. 

Mar 28, 2008 12:49 PM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker
Low tech, high concept.  He was taunting him.
Mar 28, 2008 01:05 PM
Jason & Deanna
Breckenridge, CO

I like it!

He actually was not threatening anyone. He said: "whoops...got to run to the hardware store for an electrical coupler...got a little too close to the power supply with a little work I was doing down there.  Be back in a hour..and have some other ideas for a skylight over your bed upstairs..." He was just being smarter than the dirt bag renter. If you have ever been a land lord I can feel his pain. I would not do it but he got the desired result.

Mar 28, 2008 01:17 PM
Martha Boutwell
Tiger Town Realty - Baton Rouge, LA
This was pretty risky but apparently worked.
Mar 28, 2008 03:56 PM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker
He was successful.  They vamoosed! 
Mar 28, 2008 04:08 PM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker
He was successful.  They vamoosed! 
Mar 28, 2008 04:11 PM
Keith Perry
Coldwell Banker - Hiram, GA
REALTOR - West Metro Atlanta
As a landlord WOOHOO!! I hope that in your State he is OK. These graohic words to post are getting wierd by the tick." zubrovka"????
Mar 28, 2008 04:24 PM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker
Sounds like a Vodka...Russian perhaps?
Mar 29, 2008 01:36 AM
Anonymous
rose

l think the man is right !the bad tenant need this .l like it,vevy good!

Oct 17, 2008 09:11 AM
#11
Charles Odom
Positive Properties LLC - Laurinburg, NC

I love it. I tell ya, thoughts like that have crossed my mind too. The problem is, in this area, tenants are treated like gold and landlords like scum. I would be in jail so fast. I have been trying to get a non-payer out (legally) since November 4th, 2008. The Sheriff's dept. is the hold up. I went throught the whole process, notice, waiting 10 days, Summary Ejection, wait 2 weeks for court date, court, wait another 10 days then orderd the writ of possession to be executed on Nov. 17th...dead stop. I am told that the Sheriff's office is busy.

Jan 23, 2009 01:46 PM