Man destroys own property to get rid of tenant
The wrecking of the property led to a police investigation.
An angry landlord of Celtisdal in Centurion decided to wreck his own property – causing damage of almost R20 000 – after he could not get rid of a non-paying tenant.
Shawn Nortje, who owns a two-bedroom flat in the Havana complex, had made an appointment with his tenant Keith Kinnear (51) about two weeks ago to discuss this ‘non-payment’ issue like gentlemen.
That is what Kinnear believed would happen…
“He pitched with two other people and started to threaten me. I told him I am willing to pay him in instalments, but I cannot move without another place to stay.”
But Nortje was apparently not willing to negotiate. He then allegedly made racist remarks towards Kinnear before he took a hammer (that he brought with him) and destroyed the toilet and the basin.
He also removed the taps in both the kitchen and bathroom, the door locks and took the prepaid electricity box with him.
Kinnear has laid charges against Nortje and the Wierdabrug police are investigating a case of malicious damage to property and intimidation against Nortje while Kinnear and his two children have been without a working toilet, water or electricity.
“We are living like squatters,” a desperate Kinnear told Rekord on Tuesday morning, looking as wrecked as the only bathroom in the flat.
He has to use his neighbours’ bathroom to clean up and ‘borrow’ electricity to prepare food.
When he moved into the flat last year November he still had a well-paying job as an IT administrator and could easily afford the rent of R5 600 per month.
But in December, just before Christmas, this widower lost his job. “I immediately phoned the estate agency I am renting from and told them I want to make an arrangement with the landlord. I managed to pay the rent end of January but could not pay my February rental.”
The estate agent, who is dealing with the case, and who would like to remain anonymous, said she had never seen something like this. “If I could speculate I would assume that Nortje wanted to get rid of the tenant by destroying his own property.”
“I can confirm that Kinnear was indeed willing to make an arrangement with Nortje. At first Nortje was patient but then we decided to follow the right procedures and get an eviction order. Nortje had to pay R15 000 for the court order and he was not willing to do that.”
Kinnear said: “I am desperately looking for a job. I am not a squatter. I have even tried to find a place for homeless people. Luckily my daughter is staying with friends… I do not know what I am going to do about my son.”
The estate agent said Kinnear was trying hard to find a job. “I do not want to take sides, I understood Nortje’s predicament as he could not afford to pay two bonds, but he made the living conditions unbearable for the tenant and that is inhumane.”
Rekord has left a couple of messages on Nortje’s cellphone but by the time of going to print he could not be reached for comment.
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