A Florida lady who’s attempting to promote her home was flabbergasted when she returned dwelling one night earlier than Christmas to search out that somebody had eliminated her complete driveway.
“I didn’t understand at that time why this person was doing this,” Amanda Brochu advised Fox Information. “Now I’m left with dirt.”
Brochu believes she acquired caught in the midst of a rip-off that targets contractors, and now she’s attempting to warn other homeowners.
The only mom of two listed her Orange County dwelling on the market in early December. She was below contract to purchase a special dwelling within the space, and wanted the cash for the down cost, she mentioned.
Quickly, her son advised her individuals had proven up on the home and began measuring the driveway. Brochu mentioned about half a dozen completely different contractors got here by over the course of some days, usually whereas she was gone.
She caught one in all them and requested what he was doing. He advised her a person named Andre had requested a brand new driveway. Brochu advised him Andre wasn’t the proprietor of the home and requested him to not return. Then she known as the Orange County Sheriff’s Workplace to report {that a} stranger was sending contractors to her dwelling.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office confirmed the Dec. 13 report and advised Fox Information {that a} deputy made contact with Andre, who mentioned he unintentionally supplied the mistaken handle.
However on Dec. 21, Brochu’s driveway disappeared.
MOM ‘LEFT WITH DIRT’ AFTER STRANGER TAKES HER DRIVEWAY:
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“I was in unbelievable, like, utter shock,” Rocki Sanchez, Brochu’s actual property agent, advised native news station WFTV. “I’ve never seen this before. I’ve never had this happen to myself or anyone in our office.”
A picture from Brochu’s Ring digicam confirmed somebody ripping up the driveway utilizing some kind of building equipment.
“I was at work as it was happening,” Brochu mentioned. “Then my son came home and saw it. And then I came home from work, and I’m just like, ‘Oh my God.’ But they were already gone.”
After WFTV shared the baffling story, Brochu mentioned contractors reached out to her and mentioned it appeared she’d turn into a casualty of an overpayment scam.
Within the scheme, a scammer pretends to personal a home, normally one on the market or prone to be vacant, and asks contractors for an estimate for exterior work. Then the scammer mails a test or sends one other type of cost in extra of the worth, asks for a refund for the additional cash and, as soon as they get it, cancels the cost.
“But in this case, I got in the middle of this scam because my driveway got taken out,” Brochu mentioned.
Amanda Brochu mentioned her Ring digicam captured a picture of somebody utilizing building equipment to tear up her driveway on Dec. 21, 2023. The particular person was gone by the point she acquired dwelling from work. (Courtesy Amanda Brochu)
The sheriff’s workplace is “still trying to determine whether there was a criminal violation,” the spokesperson advised Fox Information.
“The homeowner did the right thing in this case by reporting the suspicious activity to law enforcement,” they wrote in an e mail. “We advise all residents to report anyone who comes onto their property without their permission or attempts to perform work they have not requested to call their local law enforcement agency.”
Brochu spent the vacations pressured about how she would pay for a brand new driveway and get her home bought. However the group sprang into motion, donating greater than the $10,000 she was quoted to exchange the concrete in a matter of days. Then, a separate contractor provided to exchange the driveway without cost, so Brochu has now pledged to donate the cash raised to an area charity.
“People came out for me when I was in need, so now I just want to go ahead and give that back,” she mentioned.
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She additionally hopes her story serves as a warning for others.
“There’s scammers out there targeting for-sale homes because they think it’s vacant, not knowing that I was still living in the home,” she mentioned.
To listen to from Brochu, click here.
Ramiro Vargas contributed to the accompanying video.
