fraud

Although laws regarding them are quite clear, a lot of landlords seem to forget that security deposits are to protect against property damage. Upon the termination of a lease, if a tenant returns the property in the same condition as when they moved it, the deposit has to be returned to them. Deposits are not rent and cannot be kept without cause. Following recent local headlines on the matter and a...

The poster-boy for real estate fraud in St. Louis has finally been sentenced. Doug Hartmann, of DHP fame, was found guilty in April of siphoning off $35 million from real estate investors over the years. You'd think this guy would get put away for a long time. Instead, he got two years in federal prison. Hopefully the civil courts are far less kind....

Don't let this man's phony smile fool you. He could be a thief. If someone comes knocking at your door, claiming to be a contractor, be careful of what you do. I just received this forward from a Circuit Attorney in the City of St. Louis. If you live or own any properties in the City you should really take this one to heart....