Since January 1st I have been living in motels with my best friend Buddy who is my certified emotional support animal and it has been expensive, hopeless, scary, lonely and dangerous but also an opportunity to be grateful and help others.
I received a call from (732) 771-5566 Sunday night about a house on Craigslist. On December 18th I gave Bhavesh “Baba” Patel $2,700 as a deposit on a 2 bedroom house in Highland Park where my daughter started high school this year. We agreed that Jan 15th would be the move-in date since he had repairs and the remodeling of the bathroom to finish. We would sign the lease on Friday after he made sure he could cancel the TRA (temporary rental assistance) applicants that were in process because I’ve held a job for 20 years. I received a receipt from his “secretary” stacyleon556@yahoo.com.
I had been communicating with my current landlord of 10 years in Metuchen that I would not be renewing my lease on Jan 1st but looking for a rental in my daughter’s community. He informed me that I was welcome to renew the lease but he would be catching the rent up to current market which he said would be $400/month more for me but $500 for any new tenant and we both knew he would have no problem finding new tenants. On that Friday, my current landlord asked if I had signed the lease yet and I told him that I hadn’t but go ahead and lease it out to new tenants because I was confident that Bhavesh “Baba” Patel was going to sign a lease with me and I was determined to move to Highland Park where my daughter’s school and friends are.
Bhavesh “Baba” Patel never returned my calls with after I reached him with copnstruction in the background and his promise to call me back until he informed me that his father was in the hospital and another promise to call me back. His “secretary” also expressed this in email.
I reached out to Highland Park Police Department to file a report after tracking his company down and confirming that he owned the property and visiting the addresses associated with his telephone number on https://www.fastpeoplesearch.com/732-771-5566 . His wife was home and denied knowledge of him and an old man at another address knew him but when I explained my situation lost the ability to speak english, imagine! After a week or so a detective from Highland Park asked for all the information that I had and told me that they knew of him and that he had scammed others beside this single father who hasn’t had a home for his daughter to spend with him in 2 months like another single mother.
They haven’t arrested him because they are looking for his bank account, like he still has my money and will give it back! They should have arrested him before he ruined my life! No word from the police. I even got his social security number and real birthdate through a local business owner that I’ve supported over the years.
There is no compensation available from anyone and if he’s forced to pay me back somehow it’ll be many months from now through court if he is even still in the country and since I have a job that I was living on paycheck to paycheck as a single dad there is no support from the welfare state. Hotels are $80-$110 / day including week specials. I’ve been ripped off from online bookings when I show up and they refuse to allow Buddy to stay even though he is a certified Emotional Support Animal and when I scrape by before payday and show up with a paid reservation and they ask for $150 deposit to hold for a week that I don’t have. I’ve slept in my car one night and had two friends temporarily help in already crowded houses. Food is way expensive. I’m desperate and fighting despair that I can get out of this. I’ve delivered food to hotel residents who are stuck in this hell where there is no way to save for a deposit on an apartment and I’m scared to death so I’m reaching out for help. Anything you can spare will greatly appreciated by me and my daughter and my dog. Property rentals are sky high right now. Storage bills are crazy. Hotel wifi is terrible and data plans and a jetpack mobile hotspot are expensive.
PLEASE HELP ME ANYWAY YOU CAN. I’m counting on my family and friends now. I can’t live like this!
- Do you have any short term, long term rentals available or have any friends or see anything in the neighborhood? I have a 20 year job, my own profitable business, and 3 past landlords with good referrals.
- Central Jersey, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, and Aiming to move back to the Jersey Shore where I had the best community support (daughter approved).
- Any advice or agencies of support for someone with a job who is a victim of fraud?
- Donations (consider this a wefundme page)
- Bartender, Server, Catering positions for my new best friend who has saved my sanity with her loving wisdoms.
Please Help Me and Warn Everyone So He Doesn't Destroy Anyone Else's Lives!
u/johnnybgoode8