Q: Is it blackmail or extortion if a property owner threatens to sell after payment refusal?
I have been living on a property owned by my relative for 20 years, during which I paid all property taxes, including back taxes. Recently, after receiving a damage claim unrelated to the property owner, I was threatened to give half of the claim money to the property owner or face eviction. When I refused, the property was put up for sale and subsequently sold, making me homeless. Is this considered blackmail or extortion?
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A:
In this situation, the threat to force you to give half of the damage claim money in exchange for avoiding eviction could potentially be classified as extortion. Extortion generally involves coercing someone to provide money or property under threat of harm, such as eviction in your case. If the property owner used the threat of eviction to force you into giving up money that wasn’t rightfully theirs, that could be seen as an illegal act.
While blackmail typically involves threatening to reveal harmful information about someone, extortion involves threats of harm or deprivation, which seems to align more with what you're describing. If the property owner’s actions were intended to intimidate you into handing over money or face eviction, this could be considered extortion depending on the details.
You may want to consider contacting a lawyer to discuss your options. They can help you determine whether the property owner's actions violate any laws and what steps you can take to protect yourself, including potential claims for damages or unlawful eviction. Keep any evidence you have of the threat and subsequent sale of the property, as this could be important for your case.
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