Man Saws House In Half In Title Dispute

Man Saws House In Half In Title Dispute
Rogers Charged With Vandalism, Aggravated Menacing

POSTED: 10:41 pm EDT September 24, 2007
UPDATED: 10:38 am EDT September 25, 2007
wlwt.com




CINCINNATI -- A man who became fed up with friends who had agreed to build him a house was arrested in connection with threats made against the homebuilders and destruction of property, police said.

Rodney Rogers, 66, had made an agreement with his friends, the Bowers, to buy a house the Bowers were building after it was completed.

Rogers was living in the home while the final renovations were being made, and he said he agreed to pay the Bowers with cash. After the house was completed, however, the Bowers wouldn’t give him the title and would not tell him for how much they were going to sell it, police said.

Rogers, who lost patience with the Bowers, according to his faimly, sawed the entire house, through siding, drywall and windows, in half, police said.

"(He's the) nicest guy you ever met -- real good guy. (He) treated me well," Rogers' neighbor Zyndall Russell said.

Rogers then showed police what he had done and told them he was going to "take care of the Bowers."

Police said they found a loaded gun inside Rogers' home and arrested him on vandalism and aggravated menacing charges.

"I think he was just trying to throw that out there and maybe use some scare tactics to see if anything would get accomplished that way," Rogers' nephew, Mark Rogers, said. "He's just worked his butt off his whole life, and he's got nothing to show for it, and this home was his pride and joy up there. So I just want him to get out and enjoy the rest of his life."

Mark said Rodney Rogers is a diabetic and suffers from carbon monoxide poisoning to the degree that he was told he would not live past last August.

Mark said that he believes what Rodney Rogers did was wrong, but he said Rodney deserves what he paid for.

The Bowers said they would have sold the title to Rodney Rogers, but he never offered money to buy it.

Rodney Rogers' family said they want him to be treated fairly in regards to getting the rights to the home.

He is scheduled to be back in court Thursday.