ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- One bad experience has a Jacksonville woman tired of being a landlord and frustrated with a mess left behind and deceit.
Patty Hill had hoped to keep her former home, a town house in Orange Park, as an investment property. Now she is ready to move on and sell it.
Out-of-pocket expenses that top $3,000 have Hill selling her home after making repairs and cleaning up a mess.
Besides all the damage, Hill says what bothers her the most is dishonesty.
"She told me she lived in a condo previously for three years and the person I talked to said late once (rent). The actual landlord never talked to me," said Hill.
Harry Cepeda was the landlord Hill wished she would have talked to. Cepeda said he too was duped by the same woman.
"When you checked her prior references did you get someone? Yes. Legitimate or not? Not," said Cepeda noting he was out $4,000 in back rent.
Both Hill and Cepeda wished they would have checked out the Clerk of Courts website to see if the woman they rented to had any prior evictions, bad checks or judgements.
Hill says she found the woman , her tenant, had all three.
Hill says she has a prospective buyer for her home and if the deal closes she will be out of the rental business.
"This is my first experience being a landlord and my last. I won't try it again," said Hill.
First Coast News