Alberta renter declared his home an embassy

CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Police in Alberta said they arrested a man who had declared the property he rents to be a sovereign embassy.

Calgary police said the man, who goes by the names Andreas Pirelli and Mario Antonacci, rented half a duplex in November 2011 and received permission from owner Rebekah Caverhill to exchange handyman work on the property for three months' rent, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday.

Caverhill told police she returned to the property a few months later and discovered the man had changed the locks. The man informed Caverhill he was a "Freeman-on-the-Land" and the home was now his sovereign embassy.

A judge ordered the man to vacate the house by Friday and he was arrested when he refused to comply. Calgary police said they are exploring possible charges against the man. They discovered he is wanted in Montreal on allegations of assault against a former landlady.