We had rented a house in a small rural town. Not many places available there to rent that were livable. The landlady kept the utilities in her name but they were mailed to our PO Box and we paid them.

She had an opportunity to sell the house but it was subject to it being vacant. We could not move as no other places were available and we were only going to be there about 4 more months. She did not give proper notice and we got a local judge to cancel the notice by which time the sale fell through and we stayed until we were ready to leave, being 100% sure to give proper notice to end our month to month rental.

She had the utilities turned off one Friday afternoon. Just before a long weekendp so it was Tuesday before we could order the reconnect and was Thursday before the utilities were restored.

All the contents of our freezer were lost, we had to eat in restaurants or use our camping equipment. We had to haul water from a hand pump in the yard to flush the toilet. We had to shower at my wife's work place as mine did not have showers.

Next winter, in Canada at - 30 I am at a friend's house in the nearest city, where I knew she had moved to, and see the landlady loading up her car at the house next door.

My friend confirms her name and that she often left for the weekends.

I went over later and turned off her gas and electric at the meter. That is easy to do and only takes a couple seconds if you know how. It stormed that night which covered my tracks and kept her from returning for a couple days. After a storm it typically drops to - 40 for a day it two.

Water pipes froze, house was soaked, in the spring we watched her cart out all the drywall and insulation from most of the house.

I never told my friend it was me and he never asked but I am sure he knew or at least suspected as he knew the history.

That was more than 40 years ago and this is the first I have ever said of it.

I never told my wife, and am not sure if she even knows it happened because she did not like that friend and I usually only saw him without her.