NEWS
Landlord may hold tenant to lease after fiancée’s murder at residence
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Cara Harshman:
- Landlord to let victim's fiancé out of fall lease (April 15, 2008)
- City receives boost for Allied redevelopment (April 15, 2008)
- Zimmermann, Marino detectives working together on cases (April 14, 2008)
- 911 call reports junior was shot (April 10, 2008)
- UW student's killer forced way into home, police say (April 11, 2008)
Related Stories:
- Landlord to let victim's fiancé out of fall lease (April 15, 2008)
- Tenant Education Week starts today (April 8, 2002)
- Tenant education week highlights students' rights (April 9, 2002)
- Tenant center informs of renting issues (February 24, 2005)
- Landlord-tenant meeting looks at current city ordinances (February 20, 2004)
by Cara Harshman
Monday, April 14, 2008
The University of Wisconsin student who found his fiancée dead in their West Doty Street apartment might have to stay a resident there for another year unless city and university officials and student activists have things their way.
Madison alders, UW officials and students from the Student Tenant Union are trying to intervene on behalf on Jordan Gonnering, roommate and fiancé of Brittany Zimmermann, to help him find a way out of his lease.
According to City Council President Mike Verveer, District 4, Gonnering and Zimmermann signed a renewal lease with Wisconsin Management Company on their first floor apartment at 517 W. Doty St. through August 2009.
Verveer said Gonnering came out of a meeting Thursday with police and Zimmermann’s family, with no assurance Wisconsin Management would release him from the lease.
Along with many Madison properties, Wisconsin Management owns 517 W. Doty St., where Gonnering found Zimmermann dead April 2 around 1 p.m.
“[Jordan Gonnering] found her body after she was killed,” Verveer said. “It’s completely unreasonable and insensitive for a landlord to assume Jordan could stay a resident there.”
Russ Endres, owner of Wisconsin Management, told the Wisconsin State Journal the company will not comment on the situation until Gonnering speaks personally with Wisconsin Management.
Verveer said the Student Tenant Union is planning a rent strike for student renters until Wisconsin Management relieves Gonnering’s lease.
“This would be the first rent strike in Madison in over 30 years,” Verveer said.
UW senior Brian Johnson has four months left in his lease on the Wisconsin Management-managed apartment above Zimmermann and Gonnering at 517 W. Doty St.
Neither Johnson nor his roommate were home the afternoon Zimmermann was murdered, but Johnson said he knew Zimmermann on a passing basis.
“The only interaction we had was talking about the incredibly high energy bills,” he said.
When Johnson and his roommate told their landlord, Luke Jorgensen, they felt uncomfortable living in their apartment, Jorgensen said the two had no options.
“He said it’s an unfortunate thing that happened, but a lease is a legal document and you can’t break it,” Johnson said, adding Jorgensen told the tenants, “I can’t do anything to help you,” when they asked if moving to another apartment owned by the landlord was possible.
Johnson went to the Tenant Resource Center for information on how to get out of the lease, and he said it would mean being sued on purpose — leaving, not paying the rent and leaving the decision up to a court judge.
Johnson said he and his roommate have resumed living in their West Doty Street building, but the mood has been strange and uncomfortable due to the continued presence of television news media and detectives outside the building.
“It’s just this kind of awkward feeling of always being watched,” he said.
Johnson said he and his roommate were booted from their apartment on Wednesday April 2 so detectives could scavenge the building and surrounding area.
UW officials offered the students a room in university housing, though they decided to live with friends.
“Throughout this whole ordeal we’ve been in contact with the Dean of Students’ office,” Johnson said. “[Lori Berquam] has been really helpful offering to help us out with any way she can.”
The second floor tenants have independently taken safety precautions to make their apartment more livable, but some of their requests of the landlord have gone unnoticed for the past week, like installing a porch light.
Johnson said he is furious the same thing is happening to Gonnering, adding he and his roommate are offering Gonnering and his family any help they can give.
“[Wisconsin Management] are just acting like machines, robots — they have no hearts,” Johnson said.
Joe Lindstrom, with the Student Tenant Union, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment Sunday.
Correction: Due to a reporting error, the original article should have said Wisconsin Management Company only manages 517 W. Doty St., but the company does not own the building. We regret the error.
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 7:02am):
This is a PR disaster for Wisconsin Management. It's stupid for them not to terminate the lease without cost and then raze the house.
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 7:40am):
I can't see razing the house... clean it up and move on... However, I completely agree that they are stupid not to let him out of his lease. Their current course will only lead to less profits when they get labeled as "The" management company that was so cold hearted they didn't let the boyfriend of the murdered girl out of his lease... I know if I were looking for a place to stay, why would I look at one of their properties....
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 8:29am):
I'm wondering if anyone who rents from Wisconsin Management is as unsurprised about this as I am. I feel horrible for Gonnering and I hope this gets sorted out but I am so happy that WMC is finally geting some bad press, because they deserve it.
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 9:13am):
Perhaps a lawsuit for the poor builing security would motivate the SOBs.
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 10:00am):
Wisconsin Management does not own the property, but rather act on behalf of the landlord. They too have an obligation to fill, to the owners of this house. Banks don't release people of mortgages either. It's sad how people are so quick to express anger when they don't know all of the facts. Really, the focus should be on finding this crazy animal. Let's work together as a community, instead of wasting our energy with such senseless negativity. Start a fundraiser to pay for his rent, lets be proactive folks!
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 10:29am):
"Along with many Madison properties, Wisconsin Management owns 517 W. Doty St..."
WMC does NOT own 517 W. Doty Street. They manage it on behalf of the out-of-state owners (Janet and Carl Van Rooy).
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 11:13am):
I am sure the owner still has to pay the morgage.(Or go after the bank who still wants the morgage paid) There are rules out there most places have to protect themselves. Too bad the renters didn't have some type of insurance to help. Maybe the people who want to do a strike should put their energy into something good like a fundraiser.
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 12:10pm):
i emailed the company today to express my disgust and they wrote back saying that he will be released from the lease.
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 12:20pm):
Just an update...they decided to let him out of it.
(But don't worry, I'm sure they'll continue to treat the rest of their residents poorly--as usual.)
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 2:00pm):
How about this: Gonnering agrees to consider not suing Wisconsin Management and its owners for every penny they ever had for their failure to provide a safe environment to their tenants, and Wisconsin Management agrees to let Gonnering out of his lease. That sounds more than fair to me.
Anonymous (April 14, 2008 @ 10:30pm):
WMC and the out of state owners should be scared out of their minds for the lawsuits to come. The emotional distress of finding your fiancee's body is enormous, then it gets compounded when the same landlords who provided the unsafe housing force you to relive that experience day after day.
Add a comment
We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.
Login...
Not registered? Sign up now.
It's quick, free, and the email address you provide will not be sold or solicited.
