Darien Landlord Harasses Business Tenant: Police

DARIEN, IL – A Darien landlord was insistent that one of his tenants fix his heater, getting so upset that he pushed the tenant in the chest, police said.

The tenant, George & Son's HVAC, called police to the business, which is at 8412 Wilmette Ave.

Police said the landlord owns Super Steam Carpet Cleaning, which is in a nearby unit.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the police report.

Last Tuesday morning, the landlord, a 68-year-old Willowbrook man, entered George & Son's seeking help with the heater in his shop in a nearby unit, police said.

The owner of George & Son's, who was in a meeting, told the landlord that he would work on it as soon as he got out of the meeting. He told the landlord several times to leave, police said.

After the meeting ended, the owner and his son walked toward the landlord's unit. When they got there, the landlord argued with them, giving them the middle finger and pushing the 50-year-old owner in the chest, police said.

The landlord told police he ended up fixing the problem himself, discovering a tripped breaker and resetting it.

The landlord originally said the tenant pushed him, but later changed his statement to say no physical contact occurred, according to the report.

The landlord was charged with misdemeanor battery and given a court date.

The next morning, the landlord showed up again at George & Son's and approached a 54-year-old woman working in the office, police said.

For the last several months, she said she has argued with the landlord over rent. The company pays the rent on time, but the landlord repeatedly comes into the office, demanding to speak to the owner, police said.

This time, the woman told the landlord that the owner was not there. The landlord screamed insults at her, flipped her off and said he needed to speak to the owner "because he had me f–ing arrested," according to the report.

The owner's son stepped in between the woman and the landlord because he was concerned the argument would turn physical, police said.

The landlord continued with his insults against the woman and flipped her off from behind the owner's son's back, police said. The business called police.

Officers spoke with the landlord, whose driver's license is suspended, at his house. The man said the female employee screamed at him, so he did the same to her, police said. She threatened to call the police, so he decided to leave, police said.

The landlord was charged with disorderly conduct and driving with a suspended license.