- Amanda Brochu said that shortly after she put her home in Apopka, Florida on the market, people showed up and tried to measure her driveway
- A contractor told her that a man named Andre had requested a driveway replacement quote for her address, prompting her to call the police
- Just before the holidays, the mother received a notification from a doorbell camera. Crews were tearing down her driveway, leaving her with a $10,000 bill to repair the problem
A Florida mother's driveway was cleared out by scammers after she put her house up for sale, leaving her with a $10,000 bill to replace it – just weeks before she hoped to move.
Amanda Brochu said that shortly after she listed her home on Bethesda Street in Apopka, Florida, for sale in December, people showed up at her $289,000 property and tried to measure her concrete driveway.
The single mother confronted a contractor who told her that a man named Andre had contacted him about a quote to replace the driveway at Brochu's address, but backed out after the contractor requested payment and proof of ownership .
But just as she was preparing to head out of town for the holidays, Brochu received a notification from a doorbell camera that crews were tearing up the concrete outside her home, according to her GoFundMe page.
“I come home and my driveway is gone,” Brochu countered WFTV.
Amanda Brochu (pictured) said her driveway was torn up by scammers and she had to pay a $10,000 bill to replace it
Shortly after Brochu put her up for sale in December, people started showing up on her property to measure her driveway, and one day it was gone.
Brochu confronted a contractor who told her that a man named Andre had requested a quote for the driveway replacement in front of her home, prompting her to contact police.
'Nobody's going to buy this. As a result, the building is now in disrepair. And that just ruins it for me and my family.”
The contractor Brochu confronted showed her text messages stating that Andre had received a quote for $7,200 to replace the driveway and had agreed to it, but said he could not hand over the deposit.
After learning this information, the single mother contacted the Orange County Sheriff's Office, which then attempted to contact Andre.
Brochu said this person initially denied it and hung up on police, but later told them it was a mistake and sent him the number of a so-called contactor – which was actually the phone number for the Orlando airport.
“They said he said it was a mistake. “He just gave the wrong address and nothing more will happen,” she said.
Shortly afterwards, her driveway was occupied and she was left with a giant dirt road.
The mother said she contacted a company who gave her a quote of $10,000 to replace it – money she says she no longer has after the other improvements she made and the cost of her new home.
The man told police it was a mistake, and shortly after Brochu got a notification from the doorbell camera that crew members were tearing up her driveway (photo)
Before and after photos show the driveway and dirt left behind at 438 Bethesda Street in Apopka, Florida
Brochu said, “I just want to find the person who did this because it's wrong that they attacked me and my family for this.”
After learning what happened to Brochu, a Cox Media Group radio sponsor offered to replace the ramp for free and Brochu plans to donate all the money raised with her GoFundMe.
Brochu's real estate agent, Rocki Sanchez, said she was shocked when she saw what happened and posted about it in a Facebook group and discovered it may have been part of a scam.
'I was in incredible shock. I've never seen this before. I have never had this happen to myself or anyone in our office,” Sánchez said.
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom home is currently listed on Zillow for $289,990 and says a new driveway will be installed before closing.