Letter to the Editor

Your view: Renter beware

Monday, September 10, 2007

My husband and I were recently scammed by a woman who has a lengthy record of rental evictions. Our home was listed with a well known local Realtor who had persuaded us to let a "pre-approved" buyer move in a few weeks early, which we reluctantly did. We soon learned that she didn't have a pre-approved loan and the Realtors idea of a back ground check was "if she had a clean car, she was a good person"!!! He never checked her out, like he had assured us.

This woman had more rights to our home then we did. We waited 90 days for the agreement we entered with her to expire and then began the legal process of eviction. Thirty days later she was still refusing to move. We then hired an attorney and took her to court to get a judgment in our favor. You would have thought that would have gotten her to move, but legally she still had 10 more days. Once again she had cost us even more money for the additional costs for the Sheriff to accompany us to remove her from our property.

My whole post is a warning. BEWARE of those you allow onto your property. You as the home owner will be the one hurt. Get your background checks and references. No judgment will prevent this woman or the Realtor from doing this again. We were her fifth victims, will you be her next?!?!

Michelle Wallace Benton