‘Cautionary tale’: Renters warn of Port Charlotte listing

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PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. Kelly England says he and his wife put down thousands of dollars to rent a home listed on Craigslist, but the keys never came.

“We’re lucky in that we had people to fall back on,” he said. “Otherwise, we would have been on the street, plain and simple.”

Kelly England and his wife signed a lease and paid a $2,000 deposit June 3 for the home on Aquilos Court, he said. He arranged to pay Kevin Murphy, who said he was the owner, first month’s rent on June 23 and move in June 29.

But Murphy stopped answering their calls, England said. He tried to track Murphy down at the home but was unsuccessful.

“I knocked on the door, no answer, so I got a really bad feeling in my stomach,” England said. “Now we’re supposed to move in three days.”

Right before the Englands were supposed to move in, Murphy finally called back and told him he had broken the lease for failing to pay the first month’s rent.

Stephanie Perez and her sister answered the same Craigslist posting earlier this month. Perez turned over a $2,000 deposit but heard a warning from someone who lives near the house.

“I’m driving away, and the neighbor says, ‘Hey, you’ve just been scammed.'” Perez said. “I said, ‘No not me.’ She says, ‘You’ve just been scammed.'”

Sue Gody, the neighbor who warned Perez, said she saw what happened to England and was determined not to let Perez fall victim.

“The first guy seemed like a pretty nice, educated guy,” Gody said. “He had transferred here for a job, he was looking for a place to live, he got taken. This young woman did not need to be taken.”

Perez didn’t take long to decide Gody knew what she was talking about.

“Within 30 seconds, I park, jump out, bang, bang, bang, I need my check back,” Perez said.

She got her money back from Murphy, and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating.

Murphy didn’t return several voicemails left for him seeking comment. He also didn’t answer the door at his home.

“This is a cautionary tale,” England said. “Just be very cautious, especially if it’s on Craigslist and you’re not going through a management company.”

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