Long Island Man Charged In Vacant Home Hijacking Rental Scam; Suspect Pocketed Over $10K From Tenant On House He Didn't Own, DA Says

In Nassau County, New York, the Long Island Press reports:

• Not only did Ozell Neely collect $2,200 a month in rent on a house Nassau prosecutors contend he didn’t own, but they say he also tried to evict a tenant when the woman stopped paying in a dispute over whether promised repairs had been made. [...] Neely, the 47-year-old operator of Welcome Home Realty in Queens, was arrested Tuesday on burglary, grand larceny and other charges after prosecutors say he rented out the abandoned home in Baldwin that he didn’t own. He faces a maximum of seven years in prison if convicted.(1)

For more, see DA: Baldwin Man Rented Out Home He Didn’t Own.

(1) According to the story, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said that Neely took a prospective tenant to the boarded-up home in September 2008. Reportedly, despite the house having no refrigerator, no running water and warped doors, the tenant agreed to pay $2,200 a month in rent, as long as Neely repaired the damages, prosecutors said. Neely collected more than $10,000 over the next few months, but in April 2009, the tenant stopped paying rent, claiming Neely had reneged on the repairs, prosecutors said. KappaPhonyLandlordScam