Ottawa landlord Rolf Baumann thought an American embassy worker would be the ideal tenant for his luxury townhouse. But now Baumann is embroiled in an expensive court battle to recoup costs after the tenant claimed "diplomatic immunity" to skip out on two months of rent. The issue of diplomatic immunity made headlines in Ottawa in 2001, when lawyer Catherine McLean was mowed down by a drunk Russian diplomat. Because she was an embassy worker, Baumann discreetly approached a manager there and a Canadian liaison official at Global Affairs to find a solution. Baumann says embassy worker Betsy Zouroudis moved into this luxury townhouse in Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood in early 2016 and signed a three-year lease.

Source: CBC News January 26, 2018 01:26 UTC