Sudden Eviction Demand by Landlord... Refusal Leads to 'Electricity Bill Bomb'

[Financial News]  A story has emerged of a self-employed person who received an electricity bill three times their usual amount after refusing a landlord's eviction request.

On the 26th, a person who has been operating a personal studio on the first floor of a building for five years posted a message titled 'Electricity Bill Bomb After Landlord's One-Sided Eviction Threat... Please Help' on the self-employed community 'It Hurts Because I'm the Boss'.

The writer, Mr. A, said, "After the initial 2-year lease contract, I have been using the building under an implicit contract extension for the 3rd year. The implicit extension was made on April 1 this year," adding, "But in early April, the landlord suddenly called and said, 'Vacate the store within a month or two.'"

He continued, "When the landlord said they would use it themselves, I replied that an implicit extension had already been made," adding, "I also said it was difficult to leave immediately because I had invested in interior and facilities, but the landlord said they didn't care about the rights fee or facility costs and told me to leave everything and go."

Mr. A explained that this was when the difficult times began.

Mr. A wrote, "After that, the landlord suddenly entered the store, called, and sent texts," adding, "I said, 'I was very surprised by the words that were difficult for me to bear as a tenant. Let's talk properly again when our minds have calmed down.'"

In response, the landlord replied, "I haven't raised the rent for the past 5 years, is that unfair too? I will raise the rent and add management fees starting next month."

Mr. A said, "No matter how much I explained the legal aspects, the landlord just kept repeating, 'I don't know about that, why can't I do what I want with my building?' I wondered why they were doing this to me, who had never been late on rent even when times were tough."

Eventually, Mr. A sent proof of content to the landlord, and the situation seemed to be settled. Then, Mr. A received an electricity bill three times the usual amount.

He claimed, "In shock, I went to the studio, unplugged all the sockets, and turned off the circuit breaker. I haven't been able to go to work or use the store at all," adding, "Checking the electricity usage app, I found that the electricity usage spiked even on days I didn't go to work."

Finally, "There is a garage right behind the store belonging to the landlord, and I suspect the studio's meter is connected to the garage. Since the day of the dispute, the electricity usage has suddenly increased tremendously," adding, "If it is confirmed that the landlord was using my electricity, I want to know if criminal and civil lawsuits are possible," he concluded.

y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon Kyung Reporter