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Here are some of cases handled by SVC Offices in 2010.
Region 1 Case Synopses
Misunderstood Financial Instrument Delray Beach-Palm Beach
County An elderly gentleman entered
the Delray office with the following complaint.
Upon visiting his bank, the complainant was engaged in conversation with
a bank representative. The
complainant was given a description of a financial instrument with percentage of
interest figures. The complainant
shifted his savings fund into the new instrument.
Upon his reviewing of the new investment, he realized it was not an
instrument he fully understood. The
banking institution was contacted and after some conversation they reviewed the
request to free the complainant of obligation.
The bank granted the request and the funds were returned to his account
without penalty.
Reimbursement for Damages West Palm Beach-Palm Beach
County A female senior citizen
requested assistance with the following problem.
She could not start her car and had engaged a towing company to take her
car to a repair shop. As the towing
company was delivering the car, it rolled off the flat bed truck and into a tree
causing damage. When she went to
pick up the vehicle, she was presented with a bill for covering the insurance
deductible and the hubcaps on her car were missing.
The towing company was contacted numerous times.
A settlement was reached whereby the complainant was reimbursed the funds
for the deductible and received monies for the replacement hubcaps.
Contractor
Refused Refund Okeechobee-Okeechobee County A couple requested help,
complaining about a contractor not refunding their money.
A contractor was hired for work around the couple’s home. Monies were
paid and no work was performed.
When the couple could not get their money returned, the Okeechobee
volunteers contacted the contractor.
After several conversations, a schedule of repayment was established and
resulted in the recovery of a substantial amount of the funds owed.
The contractor had developed legal problems and finally a small claims
judgment was issued for the remainder of the funds.
Billing
Dispute Coral Springs-Broward County A complaint was received
from a woman concerning a doctor’s bill.
She had visited the doctor’s office and was treated.
A bill was then sent to her for the services which she claimed had been
covered by her insurance. After
contacting the doctor’s office and explaining the insurance coverage, the
charges were reviewed. The
complainant was refunded the disputed amount which was caused by a billing
error.
Region 2 Case Synopses
Financial
Exploitation
West Polk, Lakeland
Office-Polk County A 74 year old complainant
went to an auto dealership to cosign for her grandson for the purchase of an
automobile. Later, after she reviewed the paperwork, she discovered that she had
actually cosigned for two cars instead of one. One vehicle had a balance of
$49,897, and the other had a balance of $58,871. Her grandson did not make any
payments as agreed, and as she was living on a fixed Social Security income, she
could not afford the payments. The vehicles were reposed, but the dealership
indicated that since the vehicles were used, a remaining balance was still owed
after resale of the vehicles.
Once she contacted Seniors
vs. Crime, the finance company agreed to allow her to pay $97.00 per month with
no interest on the loan. At the proposed rate, she would have the loan paid off
in 93 years. Additionally, this complainant also allowed her son to purchase a
washer & drier from for a total of $3,935.00. He also did not make any payments.
After Seniors vs. Crime contacted the vendor, they agreed to reduce payments to
$65.00 per month, with no interest.
Dental
Overcharges West Polk, Lakeland
Office-Polk County A 75 year old complainant
was in the process of having dental implants. He initially paid $25,000.00 for
the procedure, and later submitted an additional $11,400.00. At his final
appointment, the dentist requested an additional $13,500. The patient contended
that the procedure had been paid for in full and they should not be entitled to
any further payments. The paperwork was reviewed by our Senior vs. Crime
sleuths, who concluded that the patient was correct. After lengthy conversations
with the Dentist’s office and their review of the paperwork, they determined
that in fact he did not owe any further payments. The dentist apologized and
informed him he should return to complete the procedure.
Vacuum
Cleaner Sales West Polk, Lakeland
Office-Polk County An elderly female complained
that she was approached in her driveway by a man and a woman offering to sell
her a new vacuum cleaner. They made a prolonged high pressure presentation and
convinced her to pay $2000.00 for a new vacuum cleaner. They took her old vacuum
cleaners. The next day she realized what had happened and put a stop payment on
her check. When she contacted the salesman, he informed her that she could not
back out and that she had committed a crime by stopping the check. When Seniors
vs. Crime contacted the company, they promptly cancelled the contract, picked up
their machine and returned the complainant’s old vacuum cleaners
Refund on
Bathtub East Polk,
Haines City Office-Polk County An elderly complainant
signed a contract to have a walk-in bath tub installed in her home for her
disabled husband. $5000 was paid upon signing the contract. The tub
was delivered and payment of an additional $5000 was made. Upon removal from the
crate it was discovered that it was too small for her husband to use. The
tub was then put back on the truck and returned to the company. The
complainant put a stop payment on the 2nd check and asked the company to refund
the 1st $5000 paid. They refused to do so. A certified letter from
Seniors vs. Crime resulted in a refund check $5000. The company sent the check
to the complainant with no letter or explanation.
Telephone
Service Englewood Office- Sarasota
County An elderly widow contacted
the Englewood SVC for assistance relating to a new phone service issue.
She had recently moved to the area and needed to establish her phone service.
She settled on a provider and placed her order. A technician ran a cable
from the street to her home and called in the order to finalize installation to
activate service. The complainant never heard anything else from the
provider. After several days she contacted the provider, but was told there was
no record of the order for service. At that time she discovered long
distance calls were not included in her service and would be billed per minute.
She then instructed the provider to cancel the service. She was told there
would be a charge for activation of service. She advised the service
representative she would not pay the bill as service had never been activated.
The next month she received a bill for $167.95. After several calls to the
customer service, there was no resolution. One of our sleuths contacted
the company and after several conversations, a senior supervisory representative
finally agreed to waive the fees and close the account with no negative impact
to the client.
Air
Conditioning Scam Englewood Office-Sarasota
County An elderly man was
encouraged to buy 2 new unneeded air conditioners for himself and his son who
lives at a home on the same property. The complainant is legally blind and
the son is a paraplegic with health issues. His AC unit was dripping water
and he called for service. The AC technicians responded and told the man
his units had mold and must be replaced. The man was also told his and his
son’s AC units were obsolete and not good for the environment. New units were installed
that day and the elderly man signed a contract for $19,954 for the new units.
Previously, in December 2009, he had paid $1,800 to the same AC company for 2
ultraviolet lights that were to prevent mold, which included a 3 year contract.
A family member tried to intervene without success and Seniors vs. Crime was
contacted to take the case. Eventually, the complainant
was referred to the North Port Contractors’ Licensing Board. The North Port
Contractors’ Licensing Board utilized the testimony of an expert witness and
determined that the company was at fault and the AC Company’s license to do
business within their jurisdiction was revoked. A recommendation was also sent
to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation for further
action.
RV purchase Englewood Office-Sarasota
County An elderly lady contracted
to purchase a 2011 RV for $59,000.00 and trade in her 2000 RV. She made a
deposit of $3000.00 with a credit card. Several days later, she changed
her mind and called the salesman to cancel the purchase. She was told she
could not cancel the purchase. She had not delivered her RV for a trade in
or taken possession of the new RV. At the time, she also purchased
insurance on the new RV via a credit card deposit for $333.81. The woman
contacted Seniors vs. Crime. Seniors vs. Crime contacted the RV dealer seeking
resolution. The receptionist at the RV dealer took detailed information
RE: Seniors vs. Crime and the complaint. She indicated that they would research
the problem and someone would return the call. After 2 days with no return
call, a letter was mailed to the president of the RV dealer requesting a return
call and information on their response to the complaint. Subsequently, a
voice mail message was received from a representative of the RV dealer to say
the $3,000.00 had been refunded to the woman’s account. A sleuth called
the woman who checked with her credit card company to learn the refund had
posted to her account. The woman was advised to call the insurance company
and let them know she did not buy the RV and to cancel the policy. The
woman later called to say the insurance deposit had also been refunded and to
thank Seniors vs. Crime for helping her.
Air
Conditioning Scam Bradenton Office-Manatee
County The Bradenton office
received a call from a gentleman in California indicating he had seen our
website and wanted to make a complaint. He indicated that his 90 year old,
legally blind mother had been sold an unneeded air conditioning unit. He stated
that his mother had an air conditioning unit that was only one year old. Another
air conditioning company came by and inspected her unit, telling her that it was
no good and had to be replaced. She was charged $6335.00 for a new unit. The complainant also
discovered, through the internet that there were others who had been scammed by
this company. He contacted the others, and then came to Florida to fill out a
complaint with Seniors vs. Crime. He also took the paperwork to four others who
indicated they had been treated in a similar manner. The Bradenton office put
together an extensive case and presented it to the Attorney General’s Economic
Crimes Office. The complainant later received a full refund.
Driveway
Scam Bradenton Office- Manatee
County An elderly complainant was
charged $1,750.00 for a driveway repair. Within a very short time, the cracks
allegedly repaired reappeared, as the vendor used some type of paint to apply a
thin coating on the driveway, just enough to hide the cracks.
This vendor was the subject of several similar complaints in several
counties, and was subsequently arrested by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
Region 3 Case
Synopses
He Just Wanted To Be Heard
Jax Regency- Duval County
One day we had a
call come in to the office in which a man was being told by his water softening
company that he needed to file his claim about the softener with his home
owner's insurance. His issue with this was that the unit was only 2 months old
and under warranty. The technician who came out to assess his unit stated that
it had been struck by lightning and, as an "act of God", was not covered. We
made a few phone calls and we got pretty much the same answer. "Why won't he
just file a claim?" He did not want to file a claim because he knew there was no
lightning strike and that the system had suffered from an electrical short. The
client's answer struck a chord with all of us. He said "I know whether there was
lightning or not. Why are they treating me like an idiot just because I am old?
It is so frustrating, you know?" We DO know. After much negotiation a manager
from the company came out to assess the problem. It had been an electrical short
all along! In addition to his system being fixed because it was under warranty
he was also issued a formal apology, from both the manager and the customer
service agent.
No Passport Required
Jax Regency- Duval County
Much of what we
do at Seniors Vs Crime involves going into the community and speaking to seniors
about scams and how to protect themselves. It was at one such engagement that we
met this client. He and his wife were sent a "free cruise" ad in the mail. They
decided they were going to take advantage of this special deal. They called
about the cruise and were talked to about an upgrade and they did upgrade the
cruise. Our client specifically asked about passports and was told that no
passport would be required to leave or return to the U.S. After watching the
news and seeing issues with passports our client grew weary of taking the
cruise. He had no desire to get a passport and did not wish to be stranded in
another country. The Vacation Planners insisted that he could go and he received
a final bill and a rapidly approaching expiration date. He came to our office.
While he was there we made a few calls. By the end of our conversations with the
Vacation Planners, he was able to transfer his funds to what they call a "Land
Cruise." They issued new vouchers and gave the client an extra year to utilize
the package.
You Won!
Jax Regency-Duval County
While speaking to
a group of seniors, one gentleman raised his hand. His question was about his
bank. They had frozen his funds and he was unable to pay his bills. This was on
the first of the month and he was panicking. I asked him to stay after the
speech and we would see what we could do to help him. We went into the office
and he called his bank. He gave them permission over the phone to speak to our
representative. What transpired was that he had deposited a fraudulent check
sent to him as "lottery winnings". The bank had frozen his account so the check
would not adversely affect his account until it showed it could clear. It would
never clear. The man he had spoken to about his winnings, a "Mr. Zach" had told
him that in order to free the funds from his winnings he needed to wire transfer
the taxes owed. That would release his winnings. We explained to him that this
was a scam to get his money and he agreed to file a complaint with the bank.
When we met, he had every intention of sending all that was in his bank account
to "Mr. Zach" in order to free up his winnings. If he had done this, he would
have lost a month's worth of income, been behind on all his bills, and be unable
to pay for anything! Seniors vs. Crime and his bank's diligence saved him over
$1,700.00.
Solar Water Heating System Scam
Osceola-Osceola County This office appeared to be
the first one to deal with a solar water heating scam and get compensation from
the financial institution that was involved with the company fraudulently
selling the solar system. The case took several weeks to resolve, in part,
because the financial institution advised this office that its company had to
decide how to manage this first case as it knew it was setting a precedent for
the other complainants who had also been scammed in other districts of Florida.
As a result of diligent work, the Osceola office saved the complainant from
wrongly being charged $10,000 and an accompanying exorbitant interest rate.
Instead, it was drastically reduced to the sum of $5,000, the sum that the
complainant initially had agreed to pay. The complainant was extremely satisfied
and wrote a very appreciative letter to the case workers.
Security Alarm System Pricing
Osceola-Osceola County This case concerned the
pricing for the installation of a security alarm system.
The complainant was told that the payment amount was far more than the
amount quoted. When she tried to cancel the agreement within the 3 day cooling
off period, the installation company did everything to delay and not honor her
request. The complainant had previously contacted other agencies to help her
resolve the issue, but they were unable to assist her. After several hours of
work over a few weeks, the Osceola Office brought the matter to a very
satisfactory close for the complainant.
Leaking Roof
Osceola- Osceola
County Our client came forward with
her problem concerning a leaking roof. Her problem was exacerbated by the fact
that the original roofing company, who had provided the quote, outsourced the
repair job. That outsourced company then advised the complainant that a new
skylight was required while the one she had worked perfectly well. However, when
the new skylight was installed, the leak increased. After going backwards and
forwards with the two companies, our Office arranged for an independent
contractor to go out to determine what the problem was. On his advice, we
advised the original roofing contractor that the fault had been misdiagnosed.
Several months later the skylight and the leak had all been repaired to the
satisfaction of another delighted complainant with no additional cost.
Lien on Vehicle
Jax Highland -Duval County Client had his vehicle
towed. He was able to get his
vehicle back, after which he alleged that documents were being removed from his
apartment, including his receipt for payment to have his vehicle released by the
towing company. He advised he
received a notice of intent to place a lien on his vehicle to recoup monies owed
to the towing company. He came to us
requesting that we find out the status of his vehicle and punish the people who
had been entering his room without his permission.
We contacted the towing company to see if they indeed had placed a lien
on his vehicle. They did not and
they further stated that since he had paid what was owed and the vehicle had
been returned to him, they had no further interest in the matter.
Per our request, they provided documents showing that the client’s bill
had been paid in full which we shared with our client to resolve his issue.
Investments of Questionable Value
Jax Highland -Duval County When their investments had
matured, several individuals advised they could not make contact with the
individual who had sold them the investments.
We able to find the individual who sold the products and so advise the
clients of his contact information.
Damage to Goods in Transit
Jax Highland -Duval County We assisted our client in
completing and filing a claim form for his goods damaged in transit as required
by law and by the transit company.
Case is still ongoing.
Unemployment Compensation Error
Altamonte Springs-Seminole
County A young woman came into our
office with an unemployment compensation problem.
Someone had filed a claim against her account, her employer and her
Social Security number. She wasn’t sure if there had been a mistake or if she
was a victim of ID theft. Her employer had received a copy of the claim and
answered that she was employed and still employed with his company. He advised
that there had been no break in her employment. We faxed all of her paperwork
along with a letter from our Office regarding the incident to Unemployment
Compensation. A week later, we left a phone message with Unemployment
Compensation advising that we had had no response regarding our fax. Two days
later we received a call from an investigator who advised that no more payments
would be paid out on the claim and that our client’s account would be corrected.
No further info could be provided regarding the incident. The lady received a
corrected statement indicating that $550 had no longer been paid out of her
account.
Warranty Plans Cancelled
Altamonte Springs-Seminole
County Through our web site, a
gentleman filled out an online request for assistance regarding a warranty issue
with his car dealer. When he purchased his car, they had talked him into
purchasing a Maintenance Plus package for $1337.00 plus tax, and another Other
Markets plan for $798.00. These plans were added into the financed amount for
the purchase of the car. He had been trying to get a refund on those plans after
he cancelled them on July 1, 2010.
Our involvement came October 30, 2010. We had had dealings with this dealer
before. We attempted contact by
phone, but were unable to reach a live person, left a phone message from Seniors
Vs. Crime, A Special Project of the Florida Attorney General, for the dealership
to call us back regarding our client.
Two days later the gentleman called to say that he had received a check
for $1,337.00 and a letter that advised he should have a check for the remainder
the following week. The gentleman called the following week to advise that he
had received a check for $755.00. This was not the remainder amount promised,
but he was satisfied to accept that amount and we closed his complaint.
Scooter Purchase
Altamonte Springs -Seminole County We received a call from a
woman who advised that she and her husband had purchased a scooter for her
disabled husband. The salesperson
talked them into purchasing a higher end scooter with all the bells and
whistles. The husband wanted to purchase a lower priced chair but the salesman
was persuasive and talked them into the pricier chair. They had 3 days to change
their minds. On the second day the husband decided that he wanted to cancel the
purchase as he was having a problem getting the scooter through the doors in
their home. The wife sent a letter to the local store they had dealt with and
also placed a call to the store to cancel the order. She was advised that they
would pick the scooter up in a couple of weeks. This was troubling as their
right of rescission was up the next day. The wife called our Office with her
concerns. In discussing the problem we realized that the letter cancelling the
sale should have been sent to Texas. We advised the wife to come to our Office
the following morning so we could fax the cancellation to the office in Texas.
We contacted the Texas office and received the name of the appropriate party to
whom to send the fax. We sent the fax the following morning with a request for
an email to our address to confirm receipt. By the following day we had not
received an email confirming the receipt of the fax so we called the Texas
office to be advised they found our fax in a pile sitting by their fax machine.
The person we spoke with said they would put the fax on the appropriate desk to
be taken care of. The couple called the next day to advise that the scooter had
been picked up and were told that “they didn’t have to go that far.”
The couple saved $3100.00.
Antique Clock Repair St. Johns Office-St. Johns
County This case was referred to us
by a St. Johns County Deputy Sheriff. An elderly woman had taken a valuable
antique clock to a shop for repair almost a year before and had not seen it
since. She extended the shop owner the benefit of the doubt when he offered
repeated personal hardship excuses. Finally, as she had a buyer for the clock,
she realized she was being taken advantage of. On first contact with the owner,
our Office Sleuth secured a promise to return the clock, but after a reasonable
time, it did not appear. Next, our claimant received a letter from the accused
saying he was disappointed that she had contacted Seniors Vs. Crime, stating
that he had given her the friendly discount price and now she would have to pay
a higher price to get the clock back. After further contact with our Sleuth, the
shop returned the clock case to the woman (valued at about $2,000) but the
workings were missing (valued at about $5,000). Further excuses and futile
promises were forthcoming, giving the shop owner time to pack up and move out of
the state. Our volunteer then determined the proper jurisdiction and contacted
the St. Augustine Police Department with this new information. After
consideration of the new criminal facts in the case, they issued a warrant for
his arrest.
Pending Higher Premiums St. Johns Office -St. Johns
County A woman’s son contacted us
at our Office in the St. Augustine Beach Police Department. His mother had a
complicated home repair issue. English is not her first language, so the
department offered to us the services of a bi-lingual officer who assisted us in
translation. Due to the alleged condition of her home, her insurance company had
cancelled her home owner’s policy and offered a new one at a staggering and
unaffordable rate. Prior, she had contracted with a county agency that assists
low income persons with necessary home repairs and some of the repairs, but not
all, had been completed. We realized she actually had two entangled cases. Our
sleuth worked with the county agency which cooperated in seeing that the
remaining repairs were fully completed. He also followed through with the
insurance company to ensure that proper documentation of the required repairs
was submitted, processed in a timely manner and acted on by the insurance
company. The results were completion of the contracted repairs and reinstatement
of the claimant’s original lower rate home owner’s policy. Realized gain was
over $28,000, including lower premiums and repairs accomplished. The cost of
safe and secure shelter and her peace of mind? Priceless.
Expensive Oil Change St. Johns County-St. Johns
Office This case is reminiscent of
a tune that SVC Sleuths have heard many times. If it were on the country music
chart it would be titled, “I went in for
an oil change and got a bill for $900.00.” The claimant—a woman—disputed
the need for the extra work done on her car, but to which she had reluctantly
agreed. She also felt the charge was inflated. She came to us.
Our Sleuth surveyed surrounding businesses and came up with the going
rate in the area for similar repairs, which he presented to the business owner.
The owner knocked $211.00 off the original charge and presented the claimant
with a check for that amount. Although we were unable to establish the need for
the additional work after the fact, the complainant was thrilled to get some of
her money back and expressed a sense of empowerment. In thanking us she said, “I
am glad I finally stood up to someone and won the battle.”
Bogus Trips Volusia County-Volusia
Office One-hundred three (103)
people opened cases with us against a radio station that was selling bogus
vacation trips which included additional charges for redeeming coupons.
The first person who applied for help with us did receive refunds, then
the refunds stopped. A few persons
filed civil cases against the owner of the station and won resulting in a lien
placed on the owner's property. A
class action suit was attempted to no avail.
The man was arrested on unrelated criminal charges and we closed our
cases as unworkable.
Sale of House/Rental Volusia County-Volusia
Office A lady came to us with a
complaint that she had given a man $20,000 as down-payment on a house which was
in poor shape. She was without heat
because the electricity was in bad condition.
She had received no receipt for the money, no contract for the house and
the owner wanted to evict her. She
came to us and was willing to pay rent for the 3 months she lived there and
wanted the balance of her $20,000 refunded.
She did get the balance, $18,500, in two payments.
Inappropriate Car Sales Volusia County-Volusia
Office A lady saw an ad for a new
car and called the dealership. The
salesperson went to her home and conveyed her to the dealership arriving
approximately 9:00 a.m. He sold her
a car. She didn't know how to get
home. She felt lost and called a
friend who came to the dealership and picked her up.
According to information we received, she had dementia.
The salesman said he didn't notice anything wrong with her.
She came to us to resolve her issues.
The dealership took the car back and cancelled the debt of $21,286.29.
Mystery Shopper
Nassau County-Fernandina Beach Office Our office received 3
requests for assistance from people who had been sent letters from "consumer
research" companies offering free part-time employment. Included in the letters
were very legitimate looking Cashier's Checks for anywhere from $1000 to $3000.
The complainants were told to deposit the checks in their personal bank accounts
and then to proceed with the "research" assignments. The assignments included
shopping and evaluating 2-3 stores such as Walmart or Sears and purchasing up to
$100 in items that they get to keep. The more important assignment (to your
employer) is evaluating the service you receive from Western Union after you
wire $700-$2000 to an unknown person from their local office. You are paid $300
for your "research" work which is included in the Cashier's Check you were sent. The problem arises after you
have completed your assignments and a week later your bank calls to tell you the
check you deposited is no good. So you have spent your hard earned money and
realize that you have been scammed. All three banking institutions were
contacted and told us the checks were fraudulent even though they contained the
correct bank routing number and your bank accepted the check for deposit in your
account. Fortunately, we were able to
intervene with all three individuals early enough to prevent them from
depositing the checks they had received and spending their own money to
accomplish the assigned tasks before the check cleared.
Scooter Lady!
Nassau County-Fernandina Beach Office An elderly lady appeared at
our door one day driving a cute, 3-wheeled red scooter. She was very upset and
claimed that her daughter had coerced her into signing papers forcing her to
move into an Alzheimer's assisted living facility she didn't need and away from
her friends. She said that her daughter had also taken away her check book and
left her without enough money to live on. We discussed the scooter
lady's situation with her case worker at Elder Care Services and with the
managers of the home she had been living and the one in which she was living at
present. There was nothing we discerned from these conversations to suggest the
daughter was abusing or taking advantage of her mother. We arranged a face-to-face
conference between the daughter and her mother and two senior sleuths. At the
meeting, the daughter told us that she had been concerned that her mother was
constantly moving in and out of places at a considerable distance from her home
making it difficult for her to provide oversight and assistance. The residences
did not provide the services that her mother required with the onset of
dementia. Also, the daughter showed us the Durable Power of Attorney that her
mother had signed giving her control over her mother's finances. The daughter
had set up a Qualified Income Trust to protect her mother's money and had
arranged to move her into a suitable residence closer to her home. The mother
told us that yes, she really enjoyed frequently moving. After the interview, the
scooter lady told us that she sincerely appreciated our help because this was
the first time she had been told where her money had gone. More importantly, she
realized that her daughter was, indeed, only looking out for her best interests.
Hotel Florida
Nassau County-Fernandina Beach Office A couple from Cincinnati
made arrangements to attend an auto show in northeast Florida last year. They
drove down from Ohio and were looking forward to staying at an historic hotel
they had read about in a travel magazine. Upon their arrival, they
were chagrined to find a CLOSED sign on the hotel's door and realized that the
hotel was out of business and their $240 reservation deposit had been lost.
Later that year they heard about Seniors vs Crime (SVC) opening an office where
they had vacationed and appealed to us for assistance in having their deposit
returned. We attempted to track down
the closed hotel's owner but, not only could not find him, we discovered that he
had left the area owing the City and many others money for services, taxes and
advance room reservations. Upon learning that there was
a new owner of this historic hotel and that he was renovating the property for a
December reopening, we met with the new manager and explained the Cincinnati
couple's situation. We suggested that this was an opportunity to obtain positive
publicity by offering this couple two nights free stay during this year's auto
show. The owner accepted our suggestion and this spring we expect to see our new
friends from Ohio back in town for the auto show.
Region 4 Case Synopses
Major
Toothache
Marion South-Marion County The Marion Office received
eight complaints concerning the billing and financing practices of a local
dentist. The dentist was apparently
using very high pressure sales tactics to get patients to sign up for extensive
reconstructive dental work. The
dentist misrepresented dental insurance approvals of the elective work to
patients. When patients learned
their true out-of-pocket costs, the work was well underway but the dentist would
arrange financing for the patients.
The dentist later sold the finance contracts for cash in his pocket.
Initially, when Seniors vs.
Crime contacted this dentist, he would respond but was uncooperative.
Eventually, he left the area and quit responding to our letters.
Meantime, patients who were also our clients on the financing and billing
complaints began having problems with the quality of the dental work that he had
done—something outside the purview of Seniors vs. Crime. Sleuths at the Marion Office
did not want to abandon their clients so they assisted them in downloading
complaint forms and filing complaints with the Florida Department of Health,
Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA).
For over two years the Marion County Office, under the guidance of Senior
Sleuth Don Henry, coordinated with MQA in pursuing this dentist. The Department of Health
conducted a long, extensive and independent investigation into the various
allegations. On July 7, 2010, after
a hearing conducted June 18th, the Florida Board of Dentistry ruled
the dentist’s actions warranted disciplinary action.
They found him culpable of three instances of Deficient Recordkeeping in
relation to his dental practices, three instances of violations of the Dental
Standard of Care for the State of Florida, and two instances of Fraud in the
practice of dentistry. In their Final Order Number
HOH-10-1657-FO1-MQA, the Florida Board of Dentistry
SUSPENDED his dental license and assessed him costs in the
amount of $12,576.03, which is the cost to the Department of Health for their
investigation. Sadly, the dentist
has left the State of Florida so our clients will be unable to collect on their
inflated and/or false dental bills, and denied insurance claims, the issues
which got us involved in the cases in the first place.
Poor Lawn
Care Marion South-Marion County
Our client was complaining about some
very sloppy lawn work. They had
cancelled their annual contract and wanted a refund for the time not used.
The lawn service was very adept at avoiding her phone calls and messages
so she came to Seniors Vs Crime for help.
A few phone calls resulted in the lawn company issuing our client a check
for $325.00 as a refund on her unused contract.
Savings on
a New Car Marion South-Marion County
An 80+ year old single lady thought she
had been taken to the cleaners by a new car dealer.
After Senior Sleuths got involved, we were able to steer our client to a
finance pay off that saved her $3,967.45 in finance charges on her new car.
She was very appreciative of our efforts and wrote us a nice thank you
letter.
Plumbing
Dispute Marion South-Marion County
Our client thought they had been
overcharged by a local plumber for repairs.
They came to Seniors Vs Crime for assistance in getting a partial refund.
It took a lot of work and several months of effort but, thanks to our
efforts the dispute was resolved.
Our client received a nice check for $200.00 from the vendor.
Contractor
Jailed
Sumter and Marion South Office Between April 23, 2008 and
March 2, 2010, the Marion and Sumter County Offices handled over 57 complaints
involving the same driveway paving contractor.
Most complaints revolved around shoddy workmanship, inferior materials
used on job sites and failure to respond to customer complaints or to correct
problems. Complaints were also
coming in from Lake County regarding the same contractor.
Senior Sleuths at the Sumter County
Office worked with the Sumter and Lake County Sheriff’s Offices to bring an end
to these complaints. On April 13,
2010, nearly two years after the first complaint, the contractor was arrested by
the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office on a Lake County warrant for Organized Fraud.
He was transferred to the Lake County Jail and charged with 36 counts of
unlawful home solicitation. Bond was
set at $36,000.
Federal
Energy Program Sumter and Marion South
Office
In 2010, citizens in Lake, Sumter and Marion
counties began receiving mailed notices regarding a federal energy savings
program and were encouraged to call an 800 number to see if they qualified for
savings of up to 51% on their monthly electric bill.
After calling the 800 number, the callers were then given an appointment
with a “technician” who would inspect their air handlers and “discover” a
problem. To correct the problem,
estimates ranged in the thousands.
Repairs were made by a local contractor who had arranged for the mailings and
who managed the 800 number calls.
After numerous attempts by Seniors vs. Crime to
expose the scam, the cases have been turned over to the Economic Crimes Unit of
the Attorney General’s Office and to the local state attorney.
The cases remain under investigation.
Tent Sale
Problem Citrus Office- Citrus County
An elderly couple attended a tent sale for
automobiles and were coerced into purchasing a vehicle, although they still owed
$28,000.00 on the vehicle they had.
Several days later they were called and told the dealer had a “safer” car for
them, which they accepted. Several
weeks later they were put into yet another vehicle.
Research by Senior Sleuths found that one of the vehicles had been a
rental vehicle that was sold as a new car to a young lady who could not make the
payments and returned the vehicle.
After much negotiation the entire deal was cancelled, the dealer paid 2 months
of their payments on the original car.
All money expended by the couple for title transfers, new tags and the
return of their original car was paid by the dealer, a recovery of approximately
$32,000.
Return of
Assets Citrus Office-Citrus County
An 87 year old gentleman came into the office
complaining someone had taken his property.
Research proved that three quit claim deeds had been recorded at the
courthouse and the title to his car had been put into someone else’s name.
Our intervention resulted in all of the assets being put back into the
complainant’s name. Total amount of
returned assets, $343,000.00
Rental
Deposit Returned Levy Office-Levy County
Our client moved here from the Miami area after
leaving behind a well cared for and clean apartment.
She fully expected that she would have her security deposit returned.
After many calls to the property management company the complainant still
did not receive her money. A few
calls from SVC resulted in the complainant receiving a partial refund of $400.00
which the client was very happy to receive.
Buyer’s
Remorse Levy Office-Levy County
On impulse, an elderly man purchased a tractor
without giving thought to his ability to actually use the machine.
After returning home he realized this was not a good purchase for him to
make. He called about returning the
product but was told by an employee that he could not return the tractor.
After contacting Seniors vs. Crime and having the contract reviewed it
was learned that, by contract, he did have 30 days in which to return the
tractor. Our client received
$1,235.19 after returning the tractor.
Car Dealer
Takes Trade In Ocala Office-Marion County
An 80 plus year old woman went to a local car
dealer to purchase a new car. She
gave her car as a trade in towards the price of her new vehicle.
A few months later her daughter felt there was something amiss when she
learned her mother was making payments in excess of $450.00 per month.
Seniors vs. Crime was contacted and after looking at the sales contract
it was learned our client was never credited with the value of her trade in
vehicle. We contacted the dealership
manager who corrected the error, reducing the amount owed by $12,643.00.
Insurance
Loss Ocala Office- Marion County
Our client came to the office still wearing his
hospital wrist band. He explained
that he had gone to his local bank shortly after being released from the
hospital and asked that someone help make arrangements for his wife’s financial
care if something should happen to him.
He met with a bank representative who made a $40,000 “miscellaneous
debit” withdrawal from his account.
Our client left the bank with no paperwork and was told he would receive
information/paperwork within a few weeks.
Four months passed and our client still had not received any information.
After a lengthy investigation lasting almost nine months, SVC found the
brokerage firm handling the account, found one employee willing to admit
knowledge of the account. Due to the
diligent efforts of our volunteers this client received from the insurance
company a check in the amount of $43,280.00 Region 5 Case Synopses
Cabinet
Maker Fraud Escambia Office- Escambia
County
A 62 year old gentlemen came in complaining that the cabinet maker he had
hired took his money and never delivered his cabinets. He paid the man $3,000
initially, according to the contract, to get started and then $2000 a month
later. The cabinet maker said he would deliver the finished cabinets very
shortly. After numerous phone calls and no success, he came to us for help. We
looked into the complaint and helped the gentlemen with a report for the police.
The Sheriff’s department pursued the investigation, issued a warrant and
subsequently got a judgment for the gentleman of $5000 + 6% interest. A lien has
been placed against the cabinet maker’s property and shop until the judgment is
satisfied. The gentleman is awaiting his first payment.
Vacuum Cleaner Sale
Escambia Office-Escambia County
A 63 year old
woman came in with a complaint against a vacuum sales company. She stated that
she was pressured into buying an expensive vacuum. She was under stress taking
care of a gravely ill husband and agreed to by the vacuum just to get rid of the
sales person. She never opened the box and upon thinking it over she called the
sales office to pick up the vacuum and cancel the contract. This was done by the
third day. The sales person picked up the vacuum, however they did not cancel
the contract and the finance company started automatic withdrawals from her
checking. She came to us for help. We contacted the sales office speaking with
the manager, who in turn called the finance company. They canceled the contract.
The woman and the company then reached an agreement. She did not get a refund of
the monies already paid but there would not be any further payments required.
She was satisfied with this result.
Return of
Down Payment Navarre Office-Santa Rosa
County A 70 year old
gentleman went to buy a boat. He put $500 down in good faith. When he went to
the bank for financing, he found out the boat was not what it was reported to
be. The bank refused financing and he requested his down payment back. The boat
owner refused stating he was keeping the money because he had to have the boat
cleaned to take it to the bank. The client went to the sheriff’s department who
spoke to the boat owner and told him to return the money. The boat owner still
refused. The client then came to us. We contacted the boat owner and were told
the same story about the boat cleaning. We suggested the client pursue this in
small claims court. We gave him a copy of the paper work he needed and helped
him fill out all forms. We then helped him do a time line of events to take to
court. The client went to small claims court, which ruled in his favor. A lien
was place on the boat and the boat owner was told he now owed not only the down
payment back but also all the court costs. The client has received a check and
released the lien against the boat. He came back in to say he could not have
done it without all our help with the paperwork.
Sewer Line Problem
Navarre Office-Santa Rosa County
A 69 year old
woman came into our office for help. At the time her mobile home was being
installed the installer placed the tie down for the home so that it blocked the
sewer line. The installer tried to cover up the problem by saying that it could
just be a root problem since it has been 6 years since installation. The code is
very strict about tie downs having clearance and as it was inspected and passed,
it was not his problem. A licensed plumber was called to do repairs for
$1,123.96. The plumber also took pictures for the client showing the tie downs
were the problem and not roots. Since an employee of the mobile park directed
the placement of the mobile home and the mobile park owns the sewer line it was
felt that they should pay for the repairs. After talking with a representative
of the mobile home park and showing them the picture, they agreed to pay for the
repairs. The client was very happy as she is on a fixed income and this would
have been a great hardship for her to bear.
Debt
Solution Scam Tallahassee Office- Leon
County
An elderly woman signed up with
a debt solution program to negotiate and pay off her existing bills.
She agreed to have $250 per month taken from her bank account and
transferred to this company. After 2
months she noticed that none of her creditors were ever contacted and the
company was just keeping her money.
She cancelled the agreement and requested a refund of her $500.
The company refunded $7 and said they were even.
After going through a run around with the company, she contacted Seniors
vs. Crime who contacted the company and quickly received the remainder of the
$500 deducted from her account.
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