... but didn't get a key? Had to smash their way in through a window?
Something's fishy here...
These things are not explained so we can’t determine who is holding the dead fish.
[ the family found it listed for rent on Craigslist, they signed a lease by fax, paid their rent via money order...
... but didn’t get a key? Had to smash their way in through a window?
Something’s fishy here... ]
either that or their Lawyer told them to say that....
Let’s see....
Craig’s list ad : Easy to use anonymously
Sign lease via Fax: Easy to use anonymously
Pay via Money Order: Hard to track
I would say kick them out and tell them they just got a 3,000 dollar education in the school of life.
I am betting a few things could be true:
1. The Squatter made up a backstory about renting through craig’s list scammer after breaking/moving in.
2. The Squatter knows the “scammer” and is in on it, went through all the motions to appear as if they are a victim and conspired with the scammer.
3. The Squatter got taken for the ride by an actual unrelated scammer.
It's actually a fairly common scam.
Always track down the owner of record to make sure it is a legitimate deal.
They’re lying. They paid no one.
Something's fishy here...
If it was a vacant house for sale, there might have been a lockbox outside that would be accessible to real estate people. So a dishonest realtor or someone who got a lockbox key from a realtor would be able to get the house key.
When I was selling my house in 2013 this happened. One Friday night a man knocked on my door and asked if my house was for rent. He told me that he saw my house for rent on Craigslist for 900/month. I could get about $1,700 a month. He already answered the ad, and got a reply.
The person replying claimed that he was on a missions trip in Nigeria. also, he was to send him via Western Union the first month’s rent, last month’s rent, and a $900 deposit.