Scam alert (Lee: mortgage, credit report, loan)

[yachtcare]

I've heard this problem mentioned several times in the past two or three months, and would of thought most others had as well. Yet on this evenings late news, another story on this scam, and this time the "victim" is victimized twice........
It seems with all the vacant, foreclosed houses in the area, some creative individuals have decided to "rent" them out. They break into a vacant home, that is now owned by a bank, change locks, clean it up, put an ad in the paper. Collect first, last and security and hit the road. A couple weeks later the cops come and arrest the new "tennant" for felony trespass. Now the "tennant" is out several thousand dollars, out on the street, and has to post bond to get out of jail, and go to trial on felony charges. Victimized by the scam artist, and victimized by the bank and the court.
Anyone renting in these parts, NEEDS to verify the party they are dealing with, are indeed the legal owner of the property, before giving up your cash.

[DailyJournalist]

This seems to be happening all over Florida, this is why some of my friends will only rent at apartment complexes.

[Bette]

It is easy to verify ownership of a property. Some of the counties have some of the best websites in the country.

If they are OK with NOT running a credit report on you as a prospective tenant, that is a red flag.

[rusty78]

Originally Posted by yachtcare

I've heard this problem mentioned several times in the past two or three months, and would of thought most others had as well. Yet on this evenings late news, another story on this scam, and this time the "victim" is victimized twice........
It seems with all the vacant, foreclosed houses in the area, some creative individuals have decided to "rent" them out. They break into a vacant home, that is now owned by a bank, change locks, clean it up, put an ad in the paper. Collect first, last and security and hit the road. A couple weeks later the cops come and arrest the new "tennant" for felony trespass. Now the "tennant" is out several thousand dollars, out on the street, and has to post bond to get out of jail, and go to trial on felony charges. Victimized by the scam artist, and victimized by the bank and the court.
Anyone renting in these parts, NEEDS to verify the party they are dealing with, are indeed the legal owner of the property, before giving up your cash.

Where there is money to be made...someone will figure out a scam or just copy one...back in the early 80's...when studio apartments were renting for $1500 plus a month...in NYC...the best scam every was invented and/or put in motion......this couple lived in a two bedroom apartment on Broadway...that they had rented for two years while the owner had moved to England...about three months before the owner was to return...the renting couple took out an add advertising "The Apartment For Rent"...for $2500 a month...they collected...1 month security, 1st and last month's rent...and to add insult to injury...collected another $1000 to hold in the event of damage to the building property while moving in....for a total of $8,500 per person/couple......

Thirty plus moving trucks showed up the first day...with others showing up daily after that over the next week...the owner...had to prove to well over a hundred potential renters...that he had been in England for the last two years and he had rented his place via a real estate company and had never met the couple...about the only thing worse than this scam is the one in Florida where the duped are not only loosing their money...but ending up in jail as well...

[firemed]

If it has to do with Florida realestate in any way you should think Scam Alert, People are stealing appliances, AC units, Pool pumps, Spa heaters, Doors, Windows, I even know of a home that had all the wiring cut out. If you don't live in it, you will be open game for some kind of scam.

[thebigr]

I know someone that was renting a house that went into forclosure. So they found another house to rent. One month later it also went into forclosure. This person use to work in realestate. I guess that helps explain why the housing market is such a mess here.

[FloridaandOhio]

Good thread....this is a scam that has been used all over the country but seems to be more evident in Florida, California, and parts of the midwest.

[yachtcare]

Originally Posted by Bette

It is easy to verify ownership of a property. Some of the counties have some of the best websites in the country.

If they are OK with NOT running a credit report on you as a prospective tenant, that is a red flag.

Agreed on all points Bette... However, Because of the fact that many of the potential renters in these parts,(Maybe, the MAJORITY?) are the very same people that have lost their home in foreclosure, etc. The landlord pretty well knows that running credit checks, and the like are going to turn up credit problems, particularly if the potential tennant is up front and explains the situation they are in. The cost of the credit report is just another expense that isnt really necessary. The landlord can only ask himself how many potential "squeaky clean" tennants will come calling this week? The most important criteria NOW is to verify that the tennant IS employed, and CAN afford to make the monthly rent payment. Beyond that, in this economy, it's all a crap shoot.
I know people in this very scenario, on both sides of the fence, as it were. Everyone is struggling, and most are simply looking for an uncomplicated win-win for each side. Trust is required of both parties, and the scammers are taking advantage of that. Red Flags DONT always mean trouble, but Reagan's axiom, TRUST BUT VERIFY very much applies today.

[firemed]

Originally Posted by thebigr

I know someone that was renting a house that went into forclosure. So they found another house to rent. One month later it also went into forclosure. This person use to work in realestate. I guess that helps explain why the housing market is such a mess here.

Thats so common in Lee County. People are not paying the mortgage and just keeping the money from the rent. Well 115% financing was not a good Idea so I don't feel sorry for the banks, I do feel sorry for the people that lost jobs and are unable to make payments. But the get rich quick speculators with no money to start with should be in jail. A red flag is a 500k loan to someone with a 35k a year job and no down payment. These are the people that made this mess and walk away cash and all the appliances. What in the world happened to common sense! This whole mess was just greed from the top to the bottom!

[Suncoast Guy]

Originally Posted by firemed

Thats so common in Lee County. People are not paying the mortgage and just keeping the money from the rent. Well 115% financing was not a good Idea so I don't feel sorry for the banks, I do feel sorry for the people that lost jobs and are unable to make payments. But the get rich quick speculators with no money to start with should be in jail. A red flag is a 500k loan to someone with a 35k a year job and no down payment. These are the people that made this mess and walk away cash and all the appliances. What in the world happened to common sense! This whole mess was just greed from the top to the bottom!

Don't just point out Lee County, because it's not only Lee County!! This sort of thing could happen anyplace, anytime!!