My mobile home park manager embezzled over $50K from us

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snackdaddy

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Charlie
I thought this might be interesting to some of you. I retired last year, sold my house and bought a mobile home in a nice 55 and over community. I wanted to retire young enough to be able to do things I want and the best way to afford that was to buy a mobile home in a nice park. I also need to take care of my wife who has had multiple back and hip surgeries due to accident. The park is run by a management company who started a couple years ago.

Well, to get down to why I'm writing this, last month the president of the management company comes knocking on my door to discuss a past due balance over $3,000. I was surprised because I've never even been late on any payments. So I have to go to the bank, get copies of all my cancelled checks and show it to them. They come to me later saying it never went into their account.

I go back to the bank to ask them where the money went and they find out the former manager deposited them in her personal account via ATM. Why the bank would allow that is beyond me. Not only that, the woman embezzled from 18 other people. Most very elderly in their 80's and 90's on a fixed income. So far they've discovered at least $50,000 was taken by this woman.

So the company tells us not to worry, just file the police report and fraud reports with the banks. They tell us the past due will show for a few months and just pay the current amount. Well, on Monday the 10th we all get these pay in 3 days or face eviction notices. The company was trying to bully us into paying something we already paid.

Some of the elderly widows were scared of being evicted for something they were a victim of. Well, all that did was piss me off. I'm probably the youngest one here at 62 years old. I contacted our local newspaper and gave an interview to a reporter. Showed him all the documents that I paid, the police report and the eviction notice. He contacts the president of the company for a comment on this. Well, low and behold, the manager comes to me this morning with a letter rescinding the pay or vacate notice along with an apology.

Meanwhile the police were dragging their feet for an arrest warrant. The lead detective even told me there was no guarantee she would be arrested. The reporter contacted the police department for a comment on that and sure enough, the paper work is being submitted today to the District Attorney to serve an arrest warrant.

I hope this woman gets what she deserves putting so many innocent people through the ringer like this. And she can thank me for getting the ball rolling when I contacted the news. These news people just love stories of the big, bad corporations evicting little old ladies during Christmas time.

As soon as I find out she's been arrested I'll update with more info. Sorry for the long rant. But I feel better now.
 

FaulkSF

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I can't even fathom how someone could be that desperate to take advantage of people like that. Seriously, was that how you were raised to take advantage of people?
 

Prime Time

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My wife's father passed away in 98. He had been suffering with prostate cancer and other ailments so the family hired a caretaker named Wanda. After he passed on we found out this woman had embezzled around $70,000 from him that should have been inherited by the family. Lawyers were hired, the police were notified, but nothing ever came of it. This was in Colorado Springs, CO.
 

snackdaddy

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My wife's father passed away in 98. He had been suffering with prostate cancer and other ailments so the family hired a caretaker named Wanda. After he passed on we found out this woman had embezzled around $70,000 from him that should have been inherited by the family. Lawyers were hired, the police were notified, but nothing ever came of it. This was in Colorado Springs, CO.

That really sucks. I was fortunate the paper got involved. They love stories of greedy companies or greedy people victimizing the elderly. It was the reporter's call to the company president that motivated the company to back off on it. I was able to help some of them by pointing them in the right direction on how to file the necessary reports. My bank provided a notary for me at no cost.

The reporter seemed a little disappointed that the company rescinded the pay or vacate notices. Although our outstanding balances are still not resolved. He called me today to ask if I was satisfied. I told him not 100 percent satisfied until the outstanding balance is wiped clean and the woman is in jail. Hopefully the jail part is coming real soon. Maybe today. As far as the letter, well, its not a legal document because it wasn't signed.
 

LesBaker

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Name that tune:

Suckers took my money since I was seventeen
If it ain't no pencil pusher, it got to be a honkytonk queen
But I'll sign my contract baby, and I wan't you people to know
That every penny that I make, I'm gonna see where my money goes

ME:
I hope she gets caught and gets a hot grease and broken glass enema.
 

…..

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I’ll be home next week, maybe I’ll read the story at my parents house.

Good job taking control of a bad situation.
 

snackdaddy

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Well, they did run the story. A one minute video of the interview with me is included. If anyone wants to see it its in the Merced Sun Star website. https://www.mercedsunstar.com/ Its the one that says Two Weeks Till Christmas and More Than a Dozen Residents Get Eviction Notices.

They only allow a few views before you have to subscribe. Maybe you guys can view it. I already reached my limit of views. Its supposed to hit the news stand in the paper tomorrow. I hope she shits when she sees it. Unless they've already arrested her.
 

Memento

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Awesome job. As someone who is disabled, I've run into problems with plenty of corrupt institutions who like to take advantage of their cliental. Keep fighting the good fight!
 

snackdaddy

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Well, this is really getting bigger. The Fresno TV news station interviewed me today over this. It was a good half hour so I imagine they will condense it. I have a feeling they're going to portray the company as a greedy evil corporation who wants to evict elderly people from their homes. If anyone's interested. Google Action News Channel 30 Fresno TV station. They told me it will go up on their website later today.

And you want to know the best thing? I was wearing my Rams hat during the interview! (y)

PS, I hope the camera didn't make me look fat. :eek:
 

CGI_Ram

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Wow. Quite the story @snackdaddy

That’s terrible what she did and how it has impacted others so badly.

Sounds stressful too.
 

12intheBox

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Taking advantage of the elderly is way too common - I can’t tell you how many cases I have seen of home health nurses, cleaning helpers, and most often - family members who steal from some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

You might consider having a consultation with a civil attorney and explaining things - see if this company wants to make things right for this community.
 

CGI_Ram

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Here's the link to the story and video interview on the local TV station. You can see my Rams hat. I was worried they'd used a wide angle lens and make me look fat. Looks more like they used an old one because damn, I'm looking old. Oh wait, I am old. :homercrawl:


https://abc30.com/society/residents...on-notice-two-weeks-before-christmas/4900759/

Well done, @snackdaddy

giphy.gif
 

snackdaddy

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I hope the company isn't the type that would retaliate. The reporter told me she tried to talk to a couple others but they were too afraid of repercussions. I don't scare that easily so I didn't care. I was too pissed to care. Funny how they rescinded the evictions right after the news contacted them. This company owns or manages about 50 parks around the state. Last thing they need is the bad PR. They don't own this one. I wonder what the owner who's paying them to manage it is thinking about them right about now? And I surely hope this woman who took the money spends time at my old job the women's prison in Chowchilla.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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Nice work Snackdaddy.

I am trying to understand what the retirement/trailer park company was thinking on this? It wasn't any of the residents' fault. They paid their Bill. The company knew it too. So, did someone figure that they would just try to get back their lost money by scaring it out of the residents? Or did someone not get the info that the money had been embezzled, and followed procedure?
 

Selassie I

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I hope the company isn't the type that would retaliate. The reporter told me she tried to talk to a couple others but they were too afraid of repercussions. I don't scare that easily so I didn't care. I was too ticked to care. Funny how they rescinded the evictions right after the news contacted them. This company owns or manages about 50 parks around the state. Last thing they need is the bad PR. They don't own this one. I wonder what the owner who's paying them to manage it is thinking about them right about now? And I surely hope this woman who took the money spends time at my old job the women's prison in Chowchilla.


I suspect that bitch has some kind of inappropriate relationship with the "boss" of the management company... or is related to the boss somehow. Something smells big time there. Follow the money and the truth will be revealed. There's no way that nobody at that management company didn't see this happening long ago.