Many of you have followed my, “What do you call someone who…,” posts on Facebook, and many have guessed that each shocking scenario indicts the same person. This will (hopefully) be my final post about this woman – until I’m finally free to reveal her identity.
What do you call a woman who exploits the CARES Act to stay in a home four months past the end of her lease – without paying a penny to stay there – and, with law enforcement nipping at her heels for a plethora of complaints, finally abandons the home in this condition?
Home, Sweet Home
The sweet home at the center of this nightmare story was the first home I ever purchased on my own. A newly single mother of three, I had always fancied the home on the corner of the cul-de-sac where I spent my high school years but it was out of my price range. I was so proud when I finally earned enough to purchase it all by myself.
My parents sent me off to college from a little bi-level house a few doors down; and by the time I graduated, they moved to the crown jewel of the neighborhood a couple of blocks away. For years, my older sister lived halfway between my parents’ and mine; so this house and this neighborhood have been part of my family forever.
Holdover Tenant from Hell
The whole nightmare story will be revealed in another blog, but the abbreviated version is that the holdover tenant (which is a polite way of saying squatter) from hell would not allow us inside my house to inspect and prepare it for sale. Through her pro bono Legal Aid attorney, she threatened to file a harassment complaint if we wouldn’t leave her alone. The 6’2″, 300-pound mother of three told him she was intimidated by my husband and the scary gun he wears as part of his uniform, and she was afraid we might bring COVID-19 into her pristine environment if we came to inspect my property (which is hilarious, given what we know now).
No, there was not enough notice to make her feel safe; and while she wasn’t actually paying rent to live in the home, we still had to abide by landlord/tenant laws and the even more onerous CARES Act for as long as she chose to stay. (The Sapulpa water company wouldn’t even allow me to close the water account IN MY NAME for as long as she chose to squat in my home.) So, all we could do was drive by on the way to my parents’ home and observe the burgeoning ghetto slum from afar. Even then, whenever she saw us on the street, she chased after us or sent photos to her attorney, who renewed threats of having us arrested for trespassing and harassment. For driving on the public road between our home and my parents’ home.
Well, no wonder
After months of dealing with the holdover tenant from hell, she finally abandoned the property (I’ll tell the full story very soon). When we were finally able to get inside and inspect, I understood why she fought so hard to keep us out. I was so overwhelmed by the squalor and destruction, I nearly threw up.
The nightmare that won’t end
Within seconds of entering the home that held so many warm memories of holidays, birthdays and first days of school, my legs were swarmed by mites or fleas or some other disgusting organism left behind by a half dozen dogs, which were obviously allowed to use the carpet as their litter box.
One of the toilets had feces smeared all over the bowl, and sitting atop the tank was an empty toilet paper tube that appeared to be used as a wipe. (On the counter two feet away was a full roll.)
More than one door had the appearance of being kicked in, and will need to be replaced.
All I could think as I reeled from room to room was, children lived in this feculence.
There’s no way this level of mess was the result of a sudden, vindictive decision to twist the knife of bitterness over forfeiting her deposit. Grime this encrusted requires years of utter neglect. No, this was a lifestyle, and photos could never do it justice.
I’m so sorry
To the neighbors in this serene little corner of heaven, I am so sorry if you were impacted by this embarrassing filth. We’re cleaning it up as fast as we can, and I promise, I will do my best to ensure whoever purchases the home will be worthy of our beautiful little hidden secret.
This woman stole every bit of the equity I earned in this home – not only because the cost of repairing the destruction will run into the tens of thousands, but because of the cost of the legal battle to defend my rights as a property owner and to get her out.
The fat lady is warming up
In the end, it wasn’t even our legal maneuvers that finally ejected her. As Sapulpa police came inquiring about a barrage of criminal complaints against her, with an outstanding warrant for her arrest in another money judgment she failed to pay, Creek County probably started feeling a little cramped for her style. We discovered that as part of her newly-signed deferred sentence agreement for embezzlement, she gave the Rogers County District Attorney an address in another county as her residence. That was how we learned she had finally abandoned my home.
Yes, we’ve reported everything to Creek County authorities, and yes we’ve filed a lawsuit; but any lawsuit we win will be added to all the other money judgments she will never pay. Where do we fall in the collection line for this charlatan with a record of not honoring her commitments? Whether we’re first or last, we’ll all get exactly the same recompense: Bupkes.
So, what’s the moral of this story?
I wish I could say justice will prevail in this case and that we’ll have our happily ever after. With the pandemonium that is Oklahoma law enforcement amid COVID-19 and the SCOTUS/McGirt decision, little white collar crimes like fraud are the least of their worries – especially since all a suspect has to do is invoke the “I” word (Indian) and they get an automatic pass. That’s what our renter did when Sapulpa police came questioning. Remember, one of her unpaid money judgments resulted in an arrest warrant, which means exactly zero in today’s Law and Disorder climate.
With revocation of her four-year deferred sentence in Rogers County looming, and an outstanding warrant for her arrest in Creek County, she told Sapulpa police she’s a member of the Comanche tribe, and the investigation came to a screeching halt. Before they could proceed any further, they had to verify her status as a tribal member.
Of course, lying liars can always be counted on to lie. While police were figuring out she’s as Caucasian as Wonder Bread, she was off to a new life in a new jurisdiction, probably already targeting a new unwitting victim. The instant she stepped out of Creek County, she became someone else’s problem.
So, what’s the point? Perhaps, through our story, others will be spared the heartache and expense we’ve suffered, just because we wanted to help a young mother to accomplish what I accomplished – to purchase her first home, where she could build a life for herself and her family. Perhaps others will realize people are not always who they say they are. Perhaps they’ll be smarter than to trust that a contract offers any kind of protection from someone with no honor. It doesn’t matter how many protections or fees or fines or penalties you build in to a lease, all the iron-clad language in the world means nothing to a woman who probably didn’t even read it when she signed it. A bazillion-dollar late fee is adorable to a woman whose plan is to pay zero dollars for rent.
What do you call someone who leaves the path of pain and destruction this grifter left? The only appropriate label is inmate, but sadly, that’s not up to me.