PINE HILLS, Fla. — A mother of four said she fell for a rental scam on Craigslist, and she is facing a trespassing arrest by the Orlando Police Department.
The woman said she paid more than $4,000 to a man who claimed to work for the bank who owns the property on Norwalk Place in Pine Hills.
But police said that was untrue.
Raw: Woman talks about Craigslist rental scam
The woman said she has a key and a lease.
"I found this home on Craigslist. It was listed for rent," said the woman.
A notice she found on her door Thursday stated that she was ordered to leave by 6:00 p.m. Thursday.
"Yesterday, we got a knock on the door from the police, saying we were illegally rented this house," she said.
WFTV is not identifying the woman due to an ongoing domestic dispute, involving her children.
The woman showed WFTV receipts which she said proved she paid to live in the home.
"I spent a lot of money moving into this house, and I have four children, and I don't know what to do. I really don't," she said.
The home is owned by the Bank of New York, and "undisclosed" was written on the lease's landlord address.
WFTV's calls to the property management company in charge of the home went unanswered.
"Nobody seems to be listening to us. They're acting like we're criminals, and we're not," she said.
Neighbors said they believe the family is squatting.
WFTV's legal analyst said that either way, it's a civil manner that should not involve police.
Orlando police said based on a new training memo they received, they must force the woman and her children out without an eviction, even if it means taking her to jail for trespassing.
"We can't even afford a hotel room for the night, because we just paid rent. So, I would just tell people to be very wary of people renting out houses," she said.
The property manager will decide whether the family has to go or if they'll be granted more time to find a place.
If they're forced out, the family said they'll have to go to a shelter.
WFTV
