A New York man who rented a bulldozer from a local construction company and demolished the house that he lived in with his wife, whose name is on the deed and who did not know about the razing, told NBC 4 New York he did it because it was dilapidated and needed to come down.

The foundation of his Middletown home was crumbling from years of disrepair, 48-year-old James Rhein said Tuesday afternoon, and he tried to get a permit to demolish it himself Monday but couldn't because the office he needed to visit was closed due to the federal holiday.

"So I took it down, that's it," said Rhein, who was arrested Monday in the process of demolishing his home. Police said he was knocking the single-family house to the ground with an excavator and tossing the debris in Dumpsters when they arrived; they said he didn't try to run and was cooperative.

Rhein's wife is the legal owner of the home. She was not there when it was razed and police said she had no idea it was happening. Rhein said he tried to call her before beginning the demolition but she didn't pick up her phone; all items left in the home when it was destroyed were replaceable, he said.

Neighbor Darryl Horn said Rhein's wife drove up to find her home reduced to rubble.

"She was very upset. She was in the middle of the road screaming, 'her house, what happened to her house?'" said Horn.

Rhein admitted to NBC 4 New York his wife was distraught initially.

"But now she's over it," Rhein said. "We're good. I'm a good husband, what can I tell you?"

Man Rents Excavator, Bulldozes Home Without Telling Wife: "She's Aware of it Now; We're Good" | NBC New York (http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/House-Demolish-Woodlawn-Middletown-James-Rhein-Police-Wife-Bulldozer-289199611.html)

What a dumb-ass. My guess is he will end up seriously regretting this.

"Honey, can you please stop buying the two-ply? It irritates my..."

"~SHUT UP ABOUT THE TOILET PAPER, DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU BULLDOZED MY F****** HOUSE YOU JERK! BUY YOUR OWN TP!!!"

"That was 15 years ag..."

*MY ENTIRE HOUSE*

He doesn't know what he's done ... but he will.

Reminds me, in an overkill sort of way, of a cold blustery day I sent a overly aged car off to the salvage yard.
One and only time I did so without discussing the plan in advance with my lovely, and the only time I ever needed a parka in Oklahoma on an August afternoon.

Also reminds me of a night I was a part of except the guy in the house bulldozing story seemed to mean well. The guy in my incident didn't. It was 1980 give or take a year. I worked for the Fairgrounds Speedway and the Fair was on it's last day. The last thing at the track every Fair was a demolition derby. A guy pulled up to the registration gate in a really nice gold colored Lincoln MK-V. He said he wanted to enter the derby. He was told all the glass had to be removed and the battery had to be better secured. He produced a hammer from somewhere and smashed every bit of glass out of the car. One of the guys that did derbies often helped with strapping the battery down. When the flag dropped the guy pretty much just let everyone take free runs at the Lincoln. After the derby and a couple of cold ones we asked why he would do that to such a nice car. His reply? He had to give the car to his ex-wife the next day and nothing in the divorce decree said what condition it had to be in.

Maybe the guy has money to build a new one? I don't know. That's crazy though. I would like to have seen what it looked like before.

"Honey, can you please stop buying the two-ply? It irritates my..."

"~SHUT UP ABOUT THE TOILET PAPER, DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU BULLDOZED MY F****** HOUSE YOU JERK! BUY YOUR OWN TP!!!"

"That was 15 years ag..."

*MY ENTIRE HOUSE*

That was, without a doubt, the best summary of a news event, ever. Thank you. No kidding: Brilliant.

And I fold her toilet paper into a point every morning and what do I get?

And I fold her toilet paper into a point every morning and what do I get?

work t-paper to a point and whadda you get?
poin-ty paper ... poin-ty paper

Its almost like you can smell the impending divorce. :P

Yep, pointy paper! Work yer fingers to the bone and whatya get-boney fingers! Was that Red Foley?

Yep, pointy paper! Work yer fingers to the bone and whatya get-boney fingers! Was that Red Foley?
Nope. Hoyt Axton. His mom invented Liquid Paper. Oh. Wait. That was Mike Nesmith's mom. Sorry.
Hoyt Axton's mom wrote Hound Dog.

Nope. Hoyt Axton. His mom invented Liquid Paper. Oh. Wait. That was Mike Nesmith's mom. Sorry.
Hoyt Axton's mom wrote Hound Dog.

RM,
I don't know about Hound Dog, but she did write Heartbreak Hotel. Your probably right, like I said, I don't/didn't know.
C. T.

Contrary to popular belief, Hoyt Axton's mom wrote Heartbreak Hotel and had nothing whatsoever to do with Hound Dog or Liquid Paper.