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A frustrated landlord hasn't been paid in months. He can't evict his tenants, due to the COVID eviction ban. He and 2 men kidnap the tenants at gunpoint between 1 and 8 am. They tie up the tenants and drops them off at cemetery.
Police: Albany landlord tied up, 'evicted' sleeping tenants, dumping them in cemetery Albany man faces kidnapping charges; tenants were bound with zip ties, tape and pillowcases over heads https://www.timesunion.com/news/arti...g-15972981.php
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ALBANY — An Albany landlord has been charged with kidnapping after allegedly tying up two tenants with zip ties and tape, placing pillowcases over their heads and driving them at gunpoint to a rural cemetery in Columbia County where he dumped them in the snow before dawn on Sunday, according to law enforcement sources and police records.
The landlord, 48-year-old Shawn Douglas, allegedly was armed with a firearm throughout the incident and may have received help from two other suspects, according to police records. No other arrests have been reported. The alleged kidnapping unfolded between and 1 and 8 a.m. on Sunday.
The incident began at the multi-unit Grandview Terrace residence where Douglas and his two tenants have resided in the city's South End. Douglas, who police records indicate has been arrested previously for charges ranging from assault to violating an order of protection, has owned the residence since 2006, according to property records. The tenants were a 21-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man. They could not be reached for comment.
Douglas had apparently grown frustrated because he had been unable to evict the tenants due to COVID-19 restrictions, law enforcement sources said. The tenants were both sleeping at the time that he is accused of attacking and tying them up. The 32-year-old male tenant was allegedly punched and kicked by Douglas and two others before being tied up.
Police reports on the incident do not provide any details on the other suspects.
After the man and woman were bound, Douglas allegedly loaded them into what they told police was a Dodge Durango. With the help of the two other unidentified suspects, they drove the man and woman to a motel that the victims told police may have been in Colonie. From there, they were driven to the isolated cemetery in Ghent, a rural town in Columbia County about 35 miles southeast of Albany.
Police reports indicate Douglas left them tied up in the snow-covered cemetery and drove away. The woman was able to untie herself and walked to a nearby residence to summon help.
By allegedly leaving the pair tied up and abandoning them in the wintry conditions, Douglas "did expose the victims to a risk of serious physical injury," a police report states.
Douglas was arrested Monday afternoon and arraigned on charges of second-degree kidnapping. He was being held at Albany County jail Tuesday afternoon on $50,000 bond.
A frustrated landlord hasn't been paid in months. He can't evict his tenants, due to the COVID eviction ban. He and 2 men kidnap the tenants at gunpoint between 1 and 8 am. They tie up the tenants and drops them off at cemetery.
Police: Albany landlord tied up, 'evicted' sleeping tenants, dumping them in cemetery Albany man faces kidnapping charges; tenants were bound with zip ties, tape and pillowcases over heads https://www.timesunion.com/news/arti...g-15972981.php
I understand his frustration.. But he probably could have found a better outlet for it.
That being said.. if you're gonna go.. Go all out.. And he sure did!
They were hauled off to a good site
Cuz graveyards don't have that much light
" Folks just never behave "
Said a voice from a grave
" When they come here that late at night "
Cuomo should have protected landlords from the mortgage lenders and gas and electric companies. How long must landlords absorb all the costs while the tenants get a free ride?
Cuomo should have protected landlords from the mortgage lenders and gas and electric companies. How long must landlords absorb all the costs while the tenants get a free ride?
It's not fair that landlords have to absorb all of the costs.
Someone posted in another thread that their rent was close to $2,000 a month on houses they own. He said if someone didn't pay rent for the last year it's $24,000.
How is someone going to repay that? Chances are they're not so the landlords are out all that money.
As a homeowner the bank let us defer the mortgage but my hub went back to work in October. It will be an extra $3,000 a month on top of the mortgage payment.
I can understand the landlord's frustration too although I disagree with his methodology for removal. The loss is going to be his regardless of what happens. Those people most likely were not going to catch up on payment. Given the landlord's method of removal, I am kind of curious about how these two were as tenants.
I think landlords across the country right now wish they could do and get away with what this guy did. Having lived near the South End, this doesn't surprise me lol. Pretty rough landlords and tenants there.
It's not fair that landlords have to absorb all of the costs.
Someone posted in another thread that their rent was close to $2,000 a month on houses they own. He said if someone didn't pay rent for the last year it's $24,000.
How is someone going to repay that? Chances are they're not so the landlords are out all that money.
As a homeowner the bank let us defer the mortgage but my hub went back to work in October. It will be an extra $3,000 a month on top of the mortgage payment.
They aren't. And taking the tenants to court is often more money down the drain. Even if the landlord wins how are they going to collect? They can hire a collection agency to go after said tenants. However, it'll take years to recoup the lost income (assuming you ever do) and you can expect the collection agency to take a big cut for their troubles.
No, the landlord is out the 24 grand.
The best the owner can hope for is when the renters ultimately leave... they don't trash the place.
I can understand the landlord's frustration too although I disagree with his methodology for removal. The loss is going to be his regardless of what happens. Those people most likely were not going to catch up on payment. Given the landlord's method of removal, I am kind of curious about how these two were as tenants.
My guess is they were horrible tenants
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Originally Posted by john3232
They aren't. And taking the tenants to court is often more money down the drain. Even if the landlord wins how are they going to collect? They can hire a collection agency to go after said tenants. However, it'll take years to recoup the lost income (assuming you ever do) and you can expect the collection agency to take a big cut for their troubles.
No, the landlord is out the 24 grand.
The best the owner can hope for is when the renters ultimately leave... they don't trash the place.
Some landlords are able to evict because the lease expires. Evicting because of that and not because of rent owed usually results in a win for the landlord. Courts are still in session, they're doing them via zoom. The landlord doesn't need an attorney for a simple eviction.
Wait, he's blamed for this guy's actions too? I'm not enamored with the guy, but really?
I won't blame him specifically, but yes.. I will blame politicians overall.
they've put out this eviction moratorium.. So you can't toss people out for non-payment.
ok.. How many states say that the property owner can skip their tax payments? or don't have to upkeep the property? Don't have to pay HOA fees?
That rent money isn't just income for the property owner. Much of it goes right back into the home.
Now.. Something I do not know.. If someone is being protected by this moratorium and can't be evicted, but they were in a property with utilities included in the rent.. Does that now mean that the property owner has to continue paying that?
I would suspect.. An argument could be made that since they have violated the lease due to non-payment, they could migrate them over to a month-to-month lease and that new lease could NOT include utilities and they could force the renter to have hookups in their name.
Which, might be difficult because they're not paying rent, and when the electric company looks at it, will probably require a substantial deposit.
Anyone know the answer to that?
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