JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Lori Beth Hyman was driving through a Northwest Jacksonville neighborhood last month looking for a home to rent for her family. She and her husband had been living in a mobile home with their 15-year-old son in Port Charlotte. Hyman has colon cancer. She said her husband has COPD and requires oxygen. They chose Jacksonville as their new home for its access to medical care.
While they were driving, they spotted a “For Rent” sign outside a newly renovated single-family home. The front door was wide open. The man she thought was the property manager was holding an open house. Several other people were walking in and out to tour the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home.
“I fell in love with the space,” Hyman said as she showed the I-TEAM inside. “I loved the whole kitchen.”
Hyman said the man showing her the property told her his name was Manny Costello. She said he was dressed professionally and wearing a badge with his picture and the name JWB Real Estate printed on it.
He was passing out rental application forms to anyone interested. Hyman filled one out and said about two weeks later Costello contacted her via phone and arranged to meet her at the home to sign the lease and pay to rent the home. She was excited.
The lease was standard, similar to ones she had signed previously when renting. She said Costello agreed to let her family move in one week early. She used her government-issued debit card to pay $250 to move in during the last week of…
