The University of Wisconsin student who found his fianc?e 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 fianc? 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.