Woman comes home to find her driveway missing

| December 31, 2023

A woman placed her home up for sale in anticipation of being able to purchase a new home. Then, one day while at work, someone arrived and tore up her driveway. She returned to find nothing but dirt where the driveway used to be. The removal of the driveway temporarily delayed her goal of purchasing a new home. There appears to be a scam operation occurring that involves the unauthorized removal of driveways and other structures.

From WSAZ 3 News Channel:

Brochu has since contacted law enforcement. Her doorbell camera captured a bulldozer tearing out the concrete and hauling it away.

“Utter shock. I’ve never seen this before. I’ve never had this happen to myself or anyone in our office,” said real estate agent Rocki Sanchez.

Sanchez is helping Brochu sell her home. She posted about the situation online and believes Brochu is the victim of a scam.

But neither woman knows what the scam is.

“I had multiple people come forward saying that they’ve seen things like this happen, whether it be driveways, roofs, or painting,” Sanchez said. “So, it happens more often than we actually see it.”

WSAZ 3 News Channel provides the rest of the story. WFTV 9 received information from someone who was familiar with this scam. The explanation is provided at this link.

Category: Society

44 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
fm2176

Makes me wonder what happened to my brother’s driveway, though I suspect it was meth-fueled rage as opposed to him or one of his buddies committing a scam. A couple of years back, after not talking to him for quite some time, I found out he was in a bind. He had only a week or two to move out of the house he’d been renting for years and had a trailer full of stuff to move to storage, but no one willing to haul it for him. I stepped up and should have realized the extent of his “issues”, because his previously immaculate driveway and shop were just all ate up. It looked like someone had gotten super happy with an excavator, as the dirt and rock driveway was torn all to hell with large potholes everywhere. His tools were strewn all around the shop and various weird people were just coming and going as they pleased, while I waited a couple of hours while he piddled around.

jeff LPH 3 63-66

Get rid of the name driveway so that people won’t drivaway with the home owners driveway

Andy11M

Why do we we park in a driveway, and drive on a parkway?

KoB

Same reason that we go straight thru on a “turnpike”.

26Limabeans

But not without “cause” way….

Andy11M

The check scam makes perfect sense for the driveway story. Though targeting a general contractor instead of someone selling an item online is a new one. Only time I’ve had someone try to pull that on me was when I tried to sell a bed set and couch on Craigslist. I put them up as two separate ads, and in the ad I listed the very small suburb I live in, and not the major city I live by. Someone sent me two messages claiming they had just moved to (insert small suburb name) and they were very interested in my (item). They wanted to send me a check for (item) and send movers later. I just stared at the email with the little wheel over my head spinning before I realized it was a scam that was probably going to be a check scam. I even think it might have been an automated scam as both messages were worded identically and the scammer probably didn’t do anything until there was a response.

fm2176

The last time I dealt with Craigslist was about 12 years ago. My wife had been looking for a vehicle around 2010/2011 and sent me an ad for a Lincoln navigator that just seemed too good to be true. The vehicle was supposedly in PA, and the seller wanted a check sent, but was willing to take half up front. I forget all of the details, but it seemed off to me, so I emailed the seller back and just so happened to have a relative, who was a certified Ford mechanic, that lived in the area and who would gladly go inspect the vehicle and pay cash up front. I was bs’ing, and it was obvious that was a scam as I never heard back.

In early 2012, I moved to Fort Stewart and had a botched PCS. Essentially, I was in single father mode, with my 13-year-old daughter living with me, and all newly arrived 11Bs were in purgatory, being told that we’d be assigned to 2nd Brigade and deploying almost immediately. That didn’t happen, and fortunately, a good friend was assigned there who let us stay with his family for a month or so. When I found out I was going to 4th Brigade instead, I started looking at Craigslist ads for a place to rent. I got two oddly similar responses, each with a too good to be true offer. Basically, send them a check… they were unable to meet in person, but I could look at the apartment/house and they’d provide the rental contract and keys once the check cleared.

Again, I forget the details, but Craigslist went downhill quickly. Anytime someone offers to send you a check, or asks for money up front for anything, you can almost bet it’s a scam of some sort.

5JC

They are all over Fake Book Marketplace too. Some of the more common scams:
– check/ money order scams
– deposit/ Advance payment scams.
– pet sales (deposit for puppies/ kittens etc)
– underpriced items and property for sale scams
– cash app scams

Fake Book might be considered an accessory since they allow fraudulent accounts.

Pretty much anything that doesn’t look legit can be checked in about 1 minute and figured out. But people don’t take the time.

KoB

Flu-ruh-duh Man strikes again.

Commissar

My guess, pure speculation, is she wasn’t the target of the scam.

Contractor gets a customer claiming to be the owner of the house. They negotiate for a driveway removal and replacement. Pull an overpayment scam on the contractor. When the get “refunded” the overpayment they cut ties with contractor.

Meanwhile, acting on good faith the contractor has already started working on what they think is the customer’s contract.

Normally the scam is discovered as soon as the contractor loses money and before they start work. But not always.

Often these scammers are out of state, and frequently target unlicensed contractors. The fact that it was a contractor dispute, the customer is unknown and out of state, and the contractor is unlicensed all are impediments to law enforcement getting seriously involved. Most local departments will punt this saying it is “civil matter”. And some contractors won’t even report it because they are unlicensed.

Thus these scammers have little worry about prosecution across state lines. Local law enforcement does not have the skills or resources. And the FBI typically won’t get involved in interstate scams like this unless it is over $100,00 or involves multiple victims that total over $500,000.

Though this making national news could be an exception to the FBI unofficial policies concerning loss amounts before getting involved.

Last edited 11 months ago by Commissar
Commissar

Ah, just clicked on the channel 9 link. Feel stupid for speculating about what is already in the follow up.

John Seabee

Sounds like something a gypsy or traveler would do. That way they can revictimize the property owner by offering to install a new blacktop drive for an outrageous amount of money coupled with shitty work.

Odie

Is somebody in cahoots with a concrete company? Local prices for a yard of concrete is $175. Short load charges increased from 3 yards or less to 5 yards or less. Short load charge is $90 per yard plus concrete price. You need calcium added to that? Additional charge. Fiberglass? Additional charge. Water added if you need it wetter, no charge. Yet. Don’t forget to add rock to the base if needed. Chairs and rebar too. Hopefully you know how to do concrete work or know someone who does and is willing to help.

A concrete truck on avg holds about 8.5 yards.

Just swipe credit card at the ATM Crack behind me as that’s what I’ll be paying through.

Redo driveway in asphalt. Not as permanent as concrete means lower property taxes.

fm2176

I’ve got to pave my driveway at some point and am sorely tempted to be “as good once as I ever was”. Toby Keith might have some input…

I used to do footer work and poured a few slabs in my time, but mostly ran rebar. Granted, that was some 28 years ago. The neighbor’s family owns a concrete business, so if I go concrete (and let’s face it, South Louisiana is no place to have an asphalt driveway), I may just get adventurous. It’s all fun and games until I somehow create my own concrete boots and fall in the ditch.

Hack Stone

Someone needs to hold a Chili Cook Off to help raise awareness of this scam. Anyone know of an organization experienced in raising awareness?

26Limabeans

No winch?

Amateur Historian

Does this mean that, after putting a home up for sale, the homeowner would need to post someone at the home (like security) to make sure contractors who are scammed don’t do anything to the property that wasn’t asked for?

Odie

I believe there was a recent story about an absent owner having their house torn down due to a misread or miswritten address. I think the neighbors called her and informed her.

Let the finger pointing begin.

Wireman611

I believe the City of Atlanta did it and then said “Oops, but, tough nougies.”

Anonymous

Bureaucrats ain’t responsible for sh*t.

Odie

I think you’re correct.

MustangCPT

Before anyone starts speculating, I was nowhere NEAR the driveway in question!

Man, this sucks, there’s no bulldozer emoji!🚧🧨

fm2176

Oops…

OIP
SFC D

One day, you come home to find your mailbox door missing. The next, it’s your driveway.

MustangCPT

Well, it’s not like that 80’s vintage Jaguar was going anywhere!🤣

JustALurkinAround

It’s possible the driveway was made of hash.

IMG_4664
MustangCPT

I was waiting for someone to bring this up! This episode led to the most epic television soliloquy ever…Jim Lahey’s “I AM The Liquor” speech!🤣🤣🤣🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃

MustangCPT

Here you go…the greatest television soliloquy of all time:

https://youtu.be/GbGdQO9a5UE?si=m3gu0PgG2GJwTszj

“Randy…I AM The Liquor!”

JustALurkinAround

I’m partial to Jim “mowing the air”.

Green Thumb

Could have been worse.

She could have come and found Bernath or Paul-mer (of the ballsack) in her driveway.

MustangCPT

Yeah, Paul-mer would be trying to steal her mailbox door and Bernath’s ghost would be looking for coconut IED’s!🧨 🥥 🤣

Green Thumb

Yep.

And that is for starters…

Green Thumb

I knew a dude that kinda looked that from my old IN days.

Solid dude on the gun and/or breach, but a real fucking weirdo and deviant in the real world.

Infantry.

MustangCPT

Almost reminds me of this fellow…

IMG_0081
Anonymous

Air Defense tries:

Odie

Now I gotta stay up.

KoB

You’re getting very sleepy…….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Blaster

I’d start with looking into cement companies or companies that specialize in pouring concrete

Tallywhagger

Any of you semi-geezers remember a TV movie called The Day The Earth Stood Still? It was almost creepy, back in the 50s, or whenever it happened. Michael Renne or similar to that notion was the “martian”

KoB

Who you calling “semi”? A lot of us are full on geezers…

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043456/

SFC D

I identify as a semi-geezer, I’m just a ute of 61. “Klaatu barada nikto”.

Anonymous

53 here… not aliens, but…

Last edited 11 months ago by Anonymous
Skivvy Stacker

On the up side, it’s a lot easier to bury criminals under your driveway when you don’t have to dig through concrete or asphalt….

Jus’ sayin’…