Q: extortion?
I have a tenant who has texted many messages threatening to expose information he believes he has that would hurt my reputation and he thinks is criminal if I file eviction against him for nonpayment of rent. Even though what he believes he knows is untrue so there is no criminal problem it would damage my reputation if he spread these lies. Is it extortion or blackmail to threaten to expose this information, even if not true, in order to gain free rent? He also texted these lies to a new employee I just hired to care for my properties so she would " know what kind of a person she worked for". Suing civilly is a waste as if he can't pay rent there's no way to collect but I am proceeding with eviction. do I have any criminal recourse against him? I ask local police but they said not unless he followed thru on the threats which I don't think is right.
A: You need to consult with an attorney to get specific legal advice on this issue. You need to go over this in detail with the attorney. Preferably one who handles libel and slander type cases.
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