FARGO — Samantha Bennett was moving to Fargo from Jamestown with her two dogs.
Cassandra Davison, Bennett’s friend, and her son planned to room with her.
After posting on Facebook about what they wanted in a new rental, Bennett said she got what she thought was good news.
“I got a post from this Buddy Stark saying, ‘Hey, i got exactly what you need.’ Double car garage, a basement, like all these amenities that i just wanted,” said Bennett.
The woman claimed to work for River Rock Property and said she had a property for rent. A townhome off 31st Avenue South in Fargo whose landlord, supposedly, was named David Barnes.
After she saw the pictures of the home, Bennett signed the lease over email, sent it back to “Barnes,” and wired him roughly $2,000 for rent and the security deposit.
The man who claimed to be David Barnes said he was a truck driver traveling for work, and that he could mail her the keys, or they could get a locksmith to speed up the process.
“I did hire a locksmith to open the doors, and he said it was OK,” Bennett recalled. “Like, we talked about it. So I thought, ‘Well, he probably can’t get to a post office with his big truck.'”
She and her dogs, along with Davison and her son all moved in.
But it didn’t last long.
“Three days later, four days later, I’m coming back from delivering the U-Haul and getting something to eat and boom.”
it was the cleaning person for River Rock Properties, who was there to prepare the home for the renters they were expecting to move in… in April!
Bennett and Davison were told they weren’t supposed to be living there, after they moved everything they own in.
Davison said her 15-year-old son, one who rarely shows emotion, was heartbroken.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen it in years, that he actually you know (…) He was so happy. He was so happy to have a bigger space, a backyard, animals,” said Davison.
They were given 12 hours to move their stuff out. Luckily, Davison had not yet given her notice on her previous lease. But for Bennett that wasn’t the case.
“Right now I’m homeless. And if it wasn’t for my humans — my small circle here in Fargo helping me out — I’d have to forfeit my animals that I rescued,” Bennett said.
Davison welcomed Bennett and all her stuff into her apartment. As for her dogs, they’re with other friends.
They informed their bank, and are holding out hope they’ll get their money back.
WDAY News reached out to River Rock Property for comment, but they have none at this time.
