91-Year-Old Lakeland Woman Faces Eviction After Signing Confusing Real Estate Contract
91-Year-Old Lakeland Woman Faces Eviction After Signing Confusing Real Estate Contract
LAKELAND, Fla. — In a troubling case that highlights the predatory practices of some wholesale real estate investors, a 91-year-old Lakeland woman finds herself on the brink of losing her home. Fidela Rodriguez, who celebrated her birthday just last month, is embroiled in a legal battle after signing a contract she claims she did not fully understand.
Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico, has been inundated with solicitations from real estate investors eager to buy homes quickly for cash. Among these was Problem Property Pals (PPP), a company that promised to help her relocate to Buffalo, New York, where she hoped to reconnect with old friends. However, the reality of her situation has turned into a nightmare.
“I have a check. Some people send me their check,” Rodriguez said, gesturing to a kitchen table cluttered with marketing materials that resemble checks from various investors, some exceeding $200,000. “I don’t believe it.”
Two years ago, Rodriguez signed a contract with PPP to sell her home for $100,000, but now she is desperately trying to extricate herself from the agreement. As she prepares for a potential court date on October 17, she has begun removing personal items from her walls, fearing she may be forced to vacate her home.
“She doesn’t have anybody. Nobody to talk to. No neighbors. Nobody,” said Poly Agbara, Rodriguez’s pharmacist, who reached out to the I-Team after witnessing her distress. “They came to her house… just sign here, sign here, sign here. So she didn’t know what she was getting into.”
Rodriguez struggles with English, making her vulnerable to exploitation. She recalled hearing advertisements on the radio about companies that assist homeowners in selling their properties. When she called the number from an ad, a salesman arrived at her home, and she signed the contract without fully understanding the implications.
Court documents reveal that PPP arranged for movers to come to her home on October 28, demanding she vacate the premises by that date. Rodriguez insists that she was misled about the terms of the agreement, stating, “You told me that you were going to take me to Buffalo. One thing before that… You don’t pay me for the house.”
The situation escalated when Rodriguez was hospitalized with chest pain and high blood pressure just days before the scheduled closing. Instead of moving to Buffalo, she found herself facing a lawsuit for breach of contract, which seeks to compel her to sell her home for $100,000—$17,000 less than what she originally paid for it in 2006.
Attempts to reach Joseph Peck, PPP’s registered agent, were met with evasiveness. Peck claimed he was no longer with the company, despite his name still appearing on legal documents related to Rodriguez’s case. The I-Team also sought out George Beatty, another key figure in PPP, who has a controversial background and has promoted his real estate ventures online.
As the trial approaches, Rodriguez’s attorney has filed a countersuit, arguing that she was exploited due to her limited understanding of English and the complexities of the transaction. Meanwhile, a complaint has been lodged with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, asserting that Rodriguez’s home was valued at $220,000 at the time she signed the contract.
With the clock ticking, Rodriguez fears the worst. “If you go to court, probably you lose the house,” she lamented. However, her friends at the pharmacy have vowed to support her, promising she won’t end up on the streets if she loses her home.
“I’m going to be with her. She can stay at my house until we find a place for her,” said pharmacy technician Waleska George.
As this case unfolds, it serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by elderly homeowners in the face of aggressive real estate marketing tactics.