Landlord Says Former Tenant Threatening To Burn Down His Properties

Rusty Surette, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY – A metro landlord said a former tenant is threatening to burn down his properties, including several rent homes in Edmond, Bethany and Oklahoma City. One of those homes was already torched in a fire over one week ago.

Jay doesn't want his face shown or his name released because he said he's the target of a tenant he evicted from a now-charred home on N.W. 25th Street.

"This is the worst case I've ever had," said Jay. "It seemed like the problems started from about the third day in."

A month after the woman and her boyfriend were kicked out for falling behind on payments, the house caught fire. Jay had a shocking voicemail left on his cell phone after the blaze. He said the message is from the woman he evicted, and called it a threat.

"And get the [expletive] out of my face or you will have something to regret and it won't be just that house burning down," said the voicemail.

"I was mad. I was mad. I felt like I was being taunted," he said.

Jay said the voicemail is proof the woman had something to do with the fire. The message has been turned over to investigators, but he's now he's worried about retaliation.

"If I don't leave her alone on this, I'm going to have other rental properties get burned or maybe my personal home get burned down," Jay said.

News 9 got the woman on the phone Wednesday evening and she insisted she had nothing to do with the fire.

When asked why Jay is accusing her of setting the fire, she responded "Because he's an idiot. He's looking for somebody to blame. He burned it down himself."

But just before the call ended, she made a threat.

"I don't appreciate it and I don't take it laying down. I will [expletive] find his [expletive] and burn his house down," she said.

News 9 is not naming the woman because she hasn't been arrested or charged, but she was in jail the night of the fire on unrelated charges. Despite that, Jay still believes she somehow had something to do with fire.