Caution is urged before renting property

By Staff
Melissa Cason
Imagine renting a place to live and moving in only to find out a few days later that the power and water have been shut off, and the utilities cannot be re-connected because the landlord left a bill.
This may sound like a nightmare for many, but it's a reality for 24-year-old Casandra Dettwiler of Hodges.
Dettwiler said she paid her landlord to move into a trailer he had for rent. But, after living there only nine days, the utilities were disconnected and all of the attempts made to have them re-connected were unsuccessful because of bills the owner left unpaid.
"I went from having a home of my own with security to having nothing," Dettwiler said.
After her attempts to have the utilities reconnected were unsuccessful, she was forced to stay with family members in Hamilton with only a few clothes.
Dettwiler said the situation went from bad to worse when it came time for May's rent to be paid.
"I did not pay May's rent," she said. "I paid to move in and I paid April's rent and only lived there for nine days."
When she returned to the residence to collect her belongings, she found her landlord had changed the locks.
Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said he hears of cases like this all the time, but the issue is a civil matter, not a criminal matter.
"I urge potential renters to check out their landlords," Rushing said. "Go to the utility companies and make sure you will be able to get water, gas and power connected before you agree to rent the place."
Rushing said unfortunately tenants lose money in some cases and there's no way to get it back unless the tenant is willing to pursue the matter in small claims court.
"Tenants need to inspect the residence thoroughly to make sure conditions are livable," Rushing said.
"If there is any doubt the place is livable, look for another place to rent."
Rushing also warns that landlords need to get good, quality references from prospective tenants to ensure they will be paid promptly.
"We see a variety of tenant/landlord complaints on both sides," Rushing said. "So I cannot stress enough the important of both sides checking each other out before any agreements are made."
As for Dettwiler, she is just hoping to able to get her stuff out of the residence soon, and move on from this experience.