Crappy landlords. We’ve all had one or two over the course of our adult lives. It’s just the reality of being a renter. But chances are you’ve never had one quite like Olly McLellan and Scott Cole’s.
The couple just went public with their landlord horror story, which includes no shortage of nasty notes, passive aggressive parking insults, illegal trespassing, trash dumps, and harassment all garnished with a healthy serving of homophobia.
“His behavior was just shocking because homosexuality and same sex marriage is not unheard of anymore,” 32-year-old Olly tells Metro.
Related: Landlord Demands LGBT Center Take Down Its Rainbow Flag
How about we take this to the next level?
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It all started back in January when the guys moved into a house owned by landlord Jason Gwillim. According to the couple, everything was fine at first. Until Gwillim learned that they were gay. That’s when he started blocking their driveway with his car and ignoring repairs.
“I’m not sure if the estate agents told him before we moved in that we were gay, they thought two guys were moving into a two-bed house,” Olly continues. “But it’s got nothing to do with him whether we’re just friends or in a relationship so long as we pay the rent on time.”
The situation quickly escalated. Olly says Gwillim began letting himself into the house when they weren’t home, and shouting homophobic slurs at them whenever he saw them.
“He was there all the time and was shouting abuse at us like ‘poofs’,” he recalls. “It was just a nightmare. We were scared to come home if he was there and to leave the house if he was outside.”
Olly says they started to feel like “prisoners.”
“It got to a point where we got home for work and saw him in the house,” he says. “We went and waited in a supermarket carpark until he had gone.”
Related: Man Admits To Killing Landlord, Burying Body In Concrete And Stealing His Identity
When they tried reporting Gwillim to authorities, the men were told it was a civil matter and police could not intervene. Six months into their 12-month lease agreement, they finally reached their limit and moved out.
They found another house located more than ten miles away. But shortly after moving in, they returned home to find the following note:
Days later, piles of rotting trash and yard waste were dumped on their front doorstep.
While the couple isn’t sure Gwillim is behind these latest incidents, they still reported everything to police.
“Police are investigating following an incident at an address in Rickmansworth,” a spokesperson said. “It has been reported that a card containing an offensive message was delivered to an address and that bags of rubbish and grass trimmings were left outside the front door.”
All the men want is to live their lives in peace, but they fear that may never be possible.
“We spent seven months being so paranoid, from moving out of that house into a new one felt like we’d finally not have to worry,” Olly says. “But then to realize he’d found us and sent us more abuse was just unbelievable.”
“We didn’t think he would know where we live and now we’ve just been left worrying about when he’ll next attack us.”
Related: Popular YouTube Star Evicted From His Apartment For Allegedly Having Loud Gay Sex
h/t: Metro
Sluggo2007
What a bunch of BS this is. If you find someone in your house who doesn’t belong there, just call the police. They MUST respond.
trell
Only some aspects of their report to police is a civil matter. The fact that they think that the landlord’s behaviour is motivated by homophobia, however, DOES make it a police matter. It is a hate crime pure and simple, and one that UK police are duty-bound to investigate properly.
On the one hand, the landlord’s behaviour and activities, such as entering the premises without the guys knowing, ignoring repairs or blocking their cars etc., as it stands, would not constitute any crime in itself, and it would be a civil matter. I’m fairly certain though it would breach all sorts of contractural landlord agreements.
But if the victims think that the abuse is homophobic and is a course of insulting, or offensive actions or behaviour that causes them harassment, alarm & distress on more than one occasion, there is a criminal offence of harassment right there, and the discrimination aspect of it could potentially add 2 years to any sentence handed out.
What these guys need to do is to document everything, whether they keep a diary or video record interactions etc.. They need to separate the incidents where they will not be able to realistically prove homophobia, treat it as just a bad landlordand report that to the letting agent/council/citizens advice bureau, but any documented homophobia would definitely be a police matter, and if the police dismiss them again, they would have a case for the IPCC.
ChrisK
@Sluggo2007: At least here in America you have the right to shoot them too.
nmharleyrider
It’s a shame you do not publish the addresses of people like that landlord so that the thousands of us who are outraged at this kine of behavior in 2016 could write letters of protest, cease and desist to him. No threats, just bury him with hundreds of letters to get him to stop.
silveroracle
You’re right. In this day and age these kind of things should not be happening.
europeanguy
being called “ugly poofs” really kind of just sounds like mild harassment, i could probably live with that, seems mild. but something should be done about him though, especially after leaving others of his kind outside their door and on their lawn. (hehe you know, garbage)
ChrisK
@europeanguy: I could handle the Poof part but ugly. Bitch you just crossed the line.
darren michaels
Following the Orlando shooting studies were reiterated to the fact repressed urges can sometimes be expressed as their opposite; in other words, a person may lash out against what he finds unacceptable in himself. Freud termed this defense reaction formation, and when one has unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction, they may be expressed as homophobia.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/07/17/study-homophobia-homosexual_n_7816390.html
damon459
@ChrisK: @ChrisK: Actually you don’t have the right to shoot the owner of the home. Nmharleyrider that would be illegal and would only end up making the landlord look like the victim. This is in fact a civil mater and they should sue rather then whine to the press..
Curtispsf
Something about this story doesn’t pass the smell test. You found him uninvited into your home and you just went and hid? You were afraid to leave your home? Bitch, please. I could be wrong but this passive aggressive behavior doesn’t add up. If he was on your property not making repairs why didn’t you just ask him to leave? Or ARE you poofs?
robho3
Yeah something about this is off. I think there is more to this story them what we are being told.
Hermes
@Sluggo2007: Strictly speaking, not true. I don’t know British law well – but I do know American rental law quite well as we have a fair number of units that we (my partner and I own). So in this particular case, if it were in the US and in our state – actually we DO have a right to enter any unit we own as long as we do not “prevent the tenants from peacefully enjoying the property” when they are there. The later matters verge into harassment, but the first one is actually standard behavior for many landlords – though we do not engage in it.
Kind thoughts.
Hermes
@Curtispsf: Note my other answer to Sluggo – with an addendum – not only could he legally be in the structure – at least here – when they were not, BUT in addition to that, many women and many many gay men are non-confrontational. It’s not this big deal some of you folk are making it.
ohiogreg
The old landlord probably got their new address from the post office.
batesnight
One of the guys said he was shocked because because homosexuality and same sex marriage is not unheard of anymore. That’s the BIG misconception. Just because it’s not unheard of anymore doesn’t mean people have changed their stance on it. If they didn’t like it before, they most certainly don’t like it now. There are some gays who wanted same sex marriage for equal rights, which doesn’t give you equal rights anyway unless you get married, but they were under the impression that it would mean that gays would be totally accepted. That’s just not the case. Unfortunately.
Jack Meoff
Why are these two guys running away and hiding like a couple of wimps instead of standing up for their rights? Sounds like there is a side to this that we aren’t hearing. What did they do to him that he would go to the trouble of tracking them down once they have moved out?
Sluggo2007
@Hermes: So maybe it’s OK in your state for the Landlord to enter, but I DARE my Landlord to have me catch him in my apartment without my permission. It WON’T be pretty!
He BGB
Gwillim is the name of the Sixth Finger mutant in the Outer Limits ….anyway this must be Wales or England with “poofs” used because a fag in England is a cig. Anyway, when are stupid landlords going to learn to PREFER gay people as tenants because they fix the place up and make the property value go up. What a moron. I’ve never had a homophobic landlord but most are pretty horrible people. They kiss your ass but after you move in treat you like dirt. Read your lease! Is all you get. Where I live if your car is stolen or you’re held up by a person with a gun WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE call 911. And it’s said in the most hateful way possible
He BGB
@batesnight:
I was thinking the same thing. Before, ignorance was bliss but after AIDS and gay marriage, etc, people (ignorant people) have to show how hateful they really are because we are out now.
jkb
@nmharleyrider: I’m one of the people who should not know his address.