:: walterindenver ::

:: Saturday, July 06, 2002 ::

Warm Fuzzy Ethics
Denver weekly Westword has a horror story this week. Seems Juan and Debra Manchego have made a career of ripping off landlords, falsifying rental applications and then stopping rent checks. When the landlord moves to evict them, the Manchegos use the legal system expertly to delay the eviction and squeeze out a few months of free rent. They trash the house, and then when the landlord sues them for back rent they countersue claiming the landlord is running a slum.
These landlords, usually small time investors renting out family owned houses, lose many thousands of dollars to the scam. About thirty of them in Denver have been victims of the Manchegos over the last two decades.
Debra Manchego explains how she feels about her current landlord: "Maybe if Franz had done his job, had asked some questions, had asked for references and checked Social Security numbers, we wouldn't be there. Now he's just mad."
That's right. It's not her fault. If the landlord can't protect himself how can you blame her for ripping him off?

:: Walter 12:50 PM [+] ::
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