America’s most heartless landlord tried to force grieving mom Danelle Eckert to pay her murdered son’s rent.
If that weren’t bad enough, the property company demanded an “early termination fee” because he didn’t give notice in advance that he was going to leave the apartment.
“How was my son supposed to know he was going to be killed?” asked distraught Danelle, who lives in Kenosha, Wis.
The mother-of-four refused to pay the $2,000 demanded by CCRT Properties of Brookfield, Wis.
“It’s unbelievable people can be so ruthless and heartless,” said Danelle, 43.
Danelle’s nightmare began Feb. 21 when her oldest child Colin, 24, a devoted special education teacher, was murdered.
“He was living his dream,” says his anguished mom. “He was popular, and helping young kids as a teacher. His girlfriend was about to graduate from college, and they were looking forward to getting engaged and starting a family.
“Then one evening as he was leaving a club with friends, he was attacked. He was hit in the face by someone he didn’t know and suffered fatal head injuries when his head hit the pavement,” said Danelle, a respiratory therapist.
Colin’s roommate notified the landlord, CCRT, of the brutal slaying and said he would be moving out of the Kenosha apartment as a result of the murder. Friends and family cleaned it out in early March.
“I notified Colin’s cell phone company, his student loan and credit card people about his death and everybody was wonderful,” said Danelle.
Then April 22 she received a disgraceful, heart-wrenching letter – addressed to Colin’s estate.
“CCRT Properties demanded rent from Marsh and April, late fees, and c charge for terminating the lease without proper notice. I couldn’t believe my eyes,” said the still-grieving mom.
“I immediately called the property manager and said: “I assume you don’t know my son has been murdered.”
“She said, ‘No we understand your son had been killed, but we have the legal right to go against the estate of your son for breach of the contract because he signed a lease and he breached it by not giving a 30-day notice.”
“I was dumbfounded. ‘How could he give a 30-day notice when he didn’t know he was going to be killed?’” I asked.
“She said she was following procedure.
“I was like what? You have to be kidding!”
The Wisconsin Department of Consumer Protection says the estate of a person who has died could be liable for unpaid rent, but not the person’s family.
Colin, who was only months into his career when he was struck down, had no estate beyond his final paycheck, according to Danelle.
CCRT Properties did not answer calls from The ENQUIRER. And a person who answered the management office phone at Kenosha apartment building refused to comment.
“Trying to deal with Colin’s death has been hard enough,” says the young man’s crushed mom. “Why would any company want to torture us like this?”
One small bright spot: Martin Walker, the man who allegedly attacked Colin, has been charged with murder and faces trial June 25.
