In Fort Morgan, Colorado a trailer park landlord riding the Trump train sent letters to tenants this week telling them their rent will be doubled if Democratic candidate Joe Biden wins the election.
The local news station, 9 News, reported the owner of the Pagel's Trailer Park Community, Bernie Pagel, sent a letter to tenants this week that informed them of what the landlord will do if President Donald Trump loses the election in just two weeks.
In the letter Pagel wrote:
"Please understand IF Joe Biden is elected as our next President, everything you do and have to pay for will change completely."
"This also means YOUR RENT will be increased to cover these expenses. Most likely, rent would DOUBLE in price!"
Pagel added:
"IF the current President is re-elected, WE WILL NOT RAISE THE RENT FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS!"
After threatening his tenants with doubled rent, potentially making them unable to afford their homes, Pagel attempted a disclaimer stating:
"Voting is your choice and we are not telling you how to vote. We are just informing tenants of what we will do according to the election results."
"If Trump wins, we all win. If Biden wins, we all lose. VOTE on November 3, 2020."
Cindy Marquez, a current tenant of Pagel's, told 9 News that such a blatantly political threat to the community was shocking.
She said:
"I mean everybody was pretty shocked, honestly. It was mainly hurtful, you know? How could someone say something like that or basically threaten us according to something that we can't control?"
Rightfully, people are outraged at the thinly veiled threat.
We've received tips about this letter allegedly signed by the landlord of Ed Pagel's Trailer Park in Fort Morgan warning rent will “most likely" double with a Biden presidency. @COSecofState got a complaint, sent to AG's office.(previous tweet has been deleted for clarity) #9news pic.twitter.com/53ZmF4VyAJ
— Liz Kotalik (@LizKotalik) October 22, 2020
This stuff is disgusting. It is not ok. It is not amusing. It's criminal and dangerous and there should be severe consequences for it. Trump has enabled hatred to come out of the shadows into the spotlight. It is embarrassing that this nation is so divided and intolerant 🤬😔
— Vince Vito (@vince_vito) October 22, 2020
These people should lose their right to rent just like trump lost his right to own a charity
— alex brucker (@brucker206) October 22, 2020
That's 🐂💩. If they are truly passing down tax increases they see what the impact will be, calculate the deficit and update the rates for lease renewal. This is coercion and voter intimidation. Always the same with #CorruptGOP
— Pugmug2019 (@pugmug2019) October 22, 2020
Lol - they don't want to loose their renters who may be able to get out of the trailer park if Biden wins. #BidenHarris2020Landslide
— Jeannine (@Jean9Zierman) October 22, 2020
To 9News: That letter is not “implying" anything. It's flat-out *Threatening*. Shame on you for downplaying what this scumbag landlord is doing!
As someone else pointed out, it's a *Bribe* to offer 2 years' w/o increase, & a threat of *Extortion* to double the rent. 🙀😾
— AmyCat 😺 #VoteByMail Biden/Harris (@BookUniverse) October 22, 2020
It's getting harder to distinguish parody from reality.
— Texan Lincolnite 🇺🇸 (@TexanLincolnite) October 22, 2020
It's called "Ed Pagel's Trailer Park", so he probably inherited it from his dad. No wonder he find trump so relatable.
— The Eggs of March (@Catcahill15) October 22, 2020
The Colorado Secretary of State had a reminder for constituents:
Reminder: voter intimidation is illegal everywhere in Colorado. It is against the law to impede, prevent, or interfere with a person's right to vote. This includes efforts to intimidate, threaten or coerce in a way that interferes with a person's ability to vote.
— Colorado Sec. of State (@COSecofState) October 22, 2020
Pagel apparently has a history of being an upstanding citizen…*cough*
See attached. pic.twitter.com/iodd0hjttV
— Vote Early In Person If U Can (@Miscellaneousmm) October 22, 2020
pic.twitter.com/xv2xX8wwlA
— Antifa Chief Human Resources Officer (@AbridgedThe) October 22, 2020
Voter intimidation is a felony, @berniepagel. His business's yelp page is: https://t.co/tStSIiFWxF https://t.co/e9l2fN1XJY pic.twitter.com/ugATqigtpB
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) October 22, 2020
The Colorado State Attorney General's office is investigating Pagel's letter.