A New York man tore down his house while his wife was out running errands on Monday. 

James Rhein allegedly rented a bulldozer and levelled the 840-square-foot home himself. Neighbours said his wife, Diane Andryshak, was flabbergasted.

"She was in the middle of the road screaming, her house, what happened to her house?" Darryl Horn told reporters. 

Andryshak, who is the legal owner, said she had no idea of her husband's plans.

Rhein acknowledged that his wife was upset, but said her feelings have changed. 

"We're good," he alleged. "I'm a good husband. What can I tell you?"

Reportedly, the couple's belongings were inside the Middletown home when it was demolished. Rhein said all the items were replaceable. 

The 48-year-old claimed the house was falling apart and needed to come down. He tried to get a demolition permit, but couldn't because it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He decided to proceed anyway. 

Rhein said he called his wife to tell her that he was going to tear down the house, but she didn't answer the phone. 

"I took it down, that's it," he told WNBC-TV. Water and power at the home had already been shut off. 

Rhein was arrested while he was filling dumpsters with house debris, and charged with illegal dumping and criminal mischief. He was released after posting $300 bail, and is due back in court on January 30.