October 1st, 2013
Self-proclaimed sovereign arrested at the rental home he declared his embassy
We wrote about the horrible situation facing Rebekah Caverhill.
She is the Calgary landlord whose story we called “Landlord Feels Like a Prisoner After Freemen On The Land Declares Rental Property His Embassy.”
Some Good News
As reported last Friday in the National Post the almost two year battle for Caverhill was finally coming to an end.
According to the Alberta Landlords Association Calgary police moved in at around 2 am and made an arrest. The tenant was arrested on several outstanding warrants issued by courts in Quebec.
Tenant Andreas Pirelli was charged with pushing a landlady down a flight of stairs in Montreal in 2007.
An arrest warrant was issued in May 2010 when he failed to show up during his trial.
Police said Mr. Pirelli will remain in custody until he is transported back to Quebec.
Landlady Returns To Her Duplex
Caverhill was nervous about the opportunity to finally get back her home.
According to the Calgary Sun she said “I don’t know what I’m walking into when I walk in there, but that’s nothing. Bricks and boards can be fixed but there are some things that are far more precious then bricks and boards — that’s the idea of freedom and standing up for what you think is right.”
When she went into the basement unit on Monday she was met with a letter saying the Freeman had put a lien of $17,000 against the property.
This is the second lien he filed against her.
When she began to see what had happened to her rental property the Alberta senior broke out crying.
Looking at the mess and led her to say it was extremely painful for her to see what was left over. She was extremely upset.
Screen, Screen, Screen
What happened to Rebekah Caverhill can happen anywhere in Canada and is a wake-up call for landlords across the country.
She rented to this ‘Tenant from Hell’ based on the recommendation of a friend and didn’t sign a lease with him.
One of the lessons police are urging to public to take from this incident is the important of full background checks on potential tenants.
“It’s really important to contact prior landlords and check all references for people who are potentially going to be renting your property,” said Calgary police.
Calgary landlords are aghast at what happened. But it’s a situation that can happen anywhere in Canada at any time.
Remember to thoroughly screen your tenants before handing over the keys to your rental property.
Good screening includes a credit check and a criminal check.
Protect yourself, your family and your rental property investment. Spending a relatively small amount of money at the beginning can save you thousands of dollars later on.
Tags: calgary landlords, credit check, Landlord Legal Issues
