Landlord

For some reason this caught my eye:

Graham Joins Raid of Apartment Building

D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) participated in a raid yesterday of an apartment building in Adams Morgan after receiving complaints from tenants about gas odors and sewage.Graham, armed with a search warrant and six city building and housing inspectors, watched as D.C. firefighters used sledgehammers and axes to break into 14 vacant apartments that the building's owner had padlocked. There was no sign of leaking gas, but the apartments did have peeling paint, plumbing problems and, in some units, unpermitted construction.

Graham's action came after complaints from tenants and a visit to the 27-unit apartment building last week. Graham had invited the owner, Laurence Drell, a local psychiatrist, to tour the apartment building, but he did not show up. Graham said Drell was issued more than 50 building violations.

My jaw dropped to the floor when I read the last paragraph -- Drell is a former landlord of mine. He was terrible. My housemates had to move out when his pyromaniac son burned down their house, and Drell kicked us out so they could move in. Our neighbor, a lawyer, offered us pro bono legal advice if we wanted to fight him because he dreaded the prospect of living next to him so much.