“He didn’t know or he reacted emotionally to the concept and couldn’t get his head around it and then resorted to violence,” MacDonald said.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors allege Chagniot shot Bigone with a MAC-10 submachine gun equipped with a silencer.<\/p>\n
The civil lawsuit claims that Chagniot required rent to be paid in cash and alleges he “demanded that all rent be paid in cash so they did not have to report those earnings to the state and federal government on their taxes.” The family says Bigone had been paying $3,200 a month in cash since 2023.<\/p>\n
The complaint alleges Chagniot “began a campaign of harassment towards Bigone,” including sending unlawful notices to enter the unit without reasonable notice. It also claims Chagniot and his wife “repeatedly threatened Bigone with eviction if he refused them access,” attempted to intimidate him, refused to accept rent and falsely claimed they would invoke the Ellis Act.<\/p>\n
The Ellis Act is a state law that allows landlords to evict tenants when they are withdrawing a property from the rental market, though it requires compensation.<\/p>\n
INTERACTIVE: Take a look at the ABC7 Neighborhood Safety Tracker<\/a><\/p>\n MacDonald said aggressive landlord tactics are not uncommon.<\/p>\n “The near equivalent is a lockout or turning off the heat,” he said.<\/p>\n According to the complaint, a day after the alleged killing, Chagniot sent a condolence message to Bigone’s son, and Chagniot’s wife called to offer condolences and ask when the son would vacate the home.<\/p>\n “It’s extraordinarily callous. It reminds me of ‘The Sopranos.’ Show up at funerals and offer condolences. Very sordid,” MacDonald said.<\/p>\n MacDonald also pointed to financial incentive as a possible factor.<\/p>\n “The price of the house may be $200,000 more (when it’s) empty,” he said. “This is what’s driving this.”<\/p>\n The alleged motive has not been proven in court.<\/p>\n The victim’s son is seeking general, punitive and other damages in the lawsuit. An attorney for the defendants did not respond to a request for comment on the civil case.<\/p>\n Chagniot is scheduled to return to court Aug. 28, when a preliminary hearing will be set for his criminal trial.<\/p>\n
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