September 25th, 2013
Landlord said “I can’t handle it, I just can’t. I just want him to leave, get out. That’s all I want.
It appears landlord Rebekah Caverhill’s nightmare is finally over. We’ve seen written about bad tenants before but nothing like this case.
According to a report on CTV News, Freemen-on-the-landlord tenant Andrea Pirelli has been order to get out of his duplex apartment by this coming Saturday.
Pirelli was not in court to hear the judgment but he did have a representative there who refused to provide his name or approach the bench.
CTV News tried yet again to get input from Pirelli and a reporter went to the rental home for the second time in two days to talk to him.
Pirelli came to the window and took our photos but refused to speak.
He calls himself a member of the “Freemen on the Land” movement and believes Canada’s laws don’t apply to him. It’s news that reached landlords all over the country.
Background Story
Rebekah Caverhill rented out half of her Calgary duplex to a man who was recommended as a tenant by a friend. He moved in during November of 2011, but only paid her half of the rent they agreed on. And that’s not the worst part.
The tenant claims to be a ‘Freeman-on-the-Land,’ saying the home is an ‘embassy’ and no longer belongs to Caverhill. He went as far as to change the locks, and do renovations which he then charged Caverhill for…resulting in a lien against her home.
More Details
The tenant told her his name is Andreas Pirelli—which is believed to be an alias. There is a video of him on YouTube under the name Mario Antonacci, where he gives a lesson on what a ‘Sovran Unity Nations Embassy’ is.
Freeman-on-the-Land is a growing movement, that could number as many as 30,000 in Canada. It is also in the United States, where the FBI considers the group a domestic terror threat. ‘Freeman,’ or ‘Sovereign Citizens’ believe that law only governs them if they consent to be governed, and believe they live under ‘natural laws.’ This leads them to avoid taxes, mortgages and utility bills among things.
Caverhill says she’s tried to convict Pirelli to no avail, and police referred her to civil courts, saying it was a landlord-tenant dispute. Police are now talking to Crown to determine if any charges can be laid.
“It may have started out as civil, but this is criminal now,” Caverhill complains. “I have a fraudster, someone trying to take my home.”
Service Alberta is now involved in the case, but Caverhill has been told she needs to get a court order to try and force Pirelli out.
Alberta Landlords and Tenant Screening
This is just another example of why landlords in Calgary and all over Alberta need to make sure you screen your renters carefully.
The days of a simple handshake are over.
Tags: bad tenants, credit checks, eviction, tenant screening
