A landlord out on bail for allegedly setting his tenant’s apartment on fire was rearrested on Thursday.
Kurt Wendleborg, 52, was released from jail and almost immediately returned to the apartment he owns in Hillcrest and began harassing the tenant, police said.
He allegedly started banging on doors around 12:30 a.m. Thursday and demanded the tenant to leave. Police arrived less than an hour later at the apartment on Herbert Street and arrested him again.
Wendleborg was first arrested Wednesday after a tenant accused him of setting fire to the same apartment. In that incident, police received a call from one of the tenants who said she saw her landlord on the back porch of her home. She said he set fire to her outdoor curtains.
The man was uncooperative during the first incident and a 90-minute standoff ensued. Police eventually had to knock down the door to get to the man, who was arrested for attempted arson.
Marc Whitham, founder of Tenant Defender, a website , Whitham not only calls Wendleborg’s actions wrong, but said it’s a clear violation of tenant rights.
“Once a landlord has resorted to that where they’re physically threatening or assaulting or damaging property a person should involve the police,” said Whitham.
He said by law a landlord needs to give 24 hours written notice to the tenant before even setting foot on the property.
“Many times landlords lead tenants to believe it’s my house, it’s my condo I can do what I want,” said Whitham. “That’s simply not true.”
Whitham said if this tenant chooses to break the lease, they have every right.
“Nobody should stay in a property where their rights are being abused or threatened.”
Wendleborg now faces additional charges of witness intimidation, obstruction of a police officer and committing a felony while out on bail.
Source: fox5sandiego
