Condo living can be tough. Thin walls, stiff owner dues, TVnappings, insurrections. Y'know, the usual.

Seattle police are on the hunt for Belltown condo owners who are apparently holding their condo association's flatscreen TV hostage as part of a coup to overthrow the building’s owner association leadership.

Police search warrant records say on March 30^th, staff at the Ellington Condominiums on 1^st and Clay received an email from someone calling themselves “Prince”:

Dear home owners association board of directors,

Since you decided to give me a fine during 2009 for running the garage gate I have taken the club room TV. I wil return it when ALL of the fines levied against residents of the Ellington over the last 18 months have been refunded. You do not have the right to fine us, and since you will not listen to us, a few of us got together and will hold the TV until our voice is heard.

Also, we demand that ALL board meetings take place in public, with any Ellington resident allowed to attend. We do not like how you have your secret meetings and then let us enter after to talk. You operate off of our HOME OWNER DUES. It is our money. Yet everything is secret and the appropriations are not made public.

Further, dues costs at the Ellington are sky high, and they should be reduced by 50%.

Signed,

Prince and his loyal followers

After reading the email, a concierge working in the condo building went to the community room and found that a 36” Panasonic flat screen TV was missing.

The condo association reported the theft to police and contacted several residents “whom they believe may be responsible for taking the television” but have not been able to identify the suspect, police records say.

SPD detectives have requested information from Yahoo on the Prince's email account.