Well, here’s a case that was
reported in the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel where a landlord apparently didn’t do that, and it cost him dearly.
A landlord in the Milwaukee
area unknowingly rented a building to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The agency used the building to run an
undercover sting. When they moved out, they left behind broken doors and walls,
unpaid utility bills, and damaged carpeting from an overflowing toilet.
The landlord asked
the ATF to pay for the damage to the building and unpaid utility bills. ATF
supervisors in Milwaukee and regional headquarters in St. Paul refused.
When the landlord pressed
his case, an ATF attorney warned him to stop contacting the agency or it may be
considered threatening a federal agent.
He settled for a
fraction of his original claim because he wanted to end the fight with ATF and
move on. He has since sold the building and said the episode has made him
distrustful.
He is still upset
that the agents put him and his son in harm's way. Both were at the building
several times when ATF customers — felons selling guns and drugs — were inside.
After ATF cleared out, he encountered customers looking to do business with the
Federal agents.
Best wishes,
George
