A Florida woman says someone randomly stole her driveway, and she’s trying to figure out who is behind the act.
Amanda Brochu told WSVN that her concrete driveway was ripped from the ground outside her Orlando residence in December, leaving her appalled. It came after she placed her home on the market and decided to revamp her roof and do other upgrades on the property.
Unbeknownst to Brochu, about five odd contractors appeared at her home within a few days to measure her driveway. One of them claimed that a man named Andre, who lives in Tampa, inquired about the price of a replacement, according to the report.
The man apparently gave the contractor Brochu’s address and identified himself as the landlord, WFTV reported. Andrew was given a $7,200 price, which he agreed to pay, text messages obtained by the outlet show.
However, Andre ghosted the contractors when they asked for the money and proof that he was the homeowner. Brochu decided to reach out to authorities, who are still investigating the case.
“After the cops spoke to them, they called me back, and they said that he said it was a mistake; he just got the address wrong; nothing else will happen again,” Brochu told WSVN.
To her surprise, her driveway was still taken a week later while she was out of town. Her realtor, Rocki Sanchez, says the whole situation is bizarre, per WFTV.
“I was in unbelievable, like, utter shock,” Sanchez added. “I’ve never seen this before. I’ve never had this happen to myself or anyone in our office.”
When Sanchez posted what happened in a Facebook group, other real estate agents shared stories about similar scams. Speaking to WFTV, a contractor said that not only are homeowners targeted by scammers, but also people in his field who are inexperienced.
According to the report, the scammers usually find a house listed for sale online, contact contractors about exterior work, and agree to their asking price. When the scammer sends a check via mail, they will send more than the original price to be refunded the additional money.
“Instead of being $20,000, there’ll be $22,000,” Jeff told the news station. “Then, they’ll get a call from the supposed homeowner saying, ‘Oh my gosh, there was a mistake.”
The scammer would receive the extra funds from the contractor, and the original check would bounce, per the outlet.
Brochu created a GoFundMe and raised over $13,000 to help her get a new driveway. However, a radio sponsor agreed to pay for her replacement. Now, she’s donating the money to local organizations.
