In a case of life imitates art, a San Francisco landlord couple has been charged with felony stalking, burglary, and conspiracy after they allegedly went bonkers trying to evict tenants.

The 1990 movie Pacific Heights, also set in San Francisco, starred Matthew Modine and Melanie Griffith as a couple who rent an apartment of their recently renovated dream house to nightmare tenant, Michael Keaton.

In real life, 32-year-old real estate agent Nicole Macy and her husband, 33-year-old software engineer Kip Macy were charged after they had were unsuccessful in evicting a tenant and turned to terrorist landlord tactics.

The pair had workers cut a hole in the tenant’s floor, shut off his electricity, cut the phone lines and ordered workers to cut the support beams from underneath the apartment. The pair is also charged with entering another tenant’s apartment and pouring ammonia on his belongings.

From the website SF Tenants Union and the eviction process in San Francisco:

The Eviction Process
There are five main steps before you can be evicted:
1. You must receive a three (”fault” evictions) or sixty day (”no fault”) notice.
2. You must receive a copy of the eviction lawsuit (called Unlawful Detainer); Note that you only have FIVE DAYS to respond.
3. You and your landlord go to court and tell you story to a judge or jury.
4. There must be a court judgment against you.
5. The sheriff must come to evict you if the court rules against you; only the sheriff can have you physically removed, even if the court ruled against you.

We’re not sure whether the Macy’s tenant will be allowed to remain in his apartment if the couple is convicted and sentenced to time in the slammer.

Source – Amarillo.com – S.F. Couple Charged in alleged plot to terrorize tenants
Source – IMDB – Pacific Heights
Image – Pacific Heights

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