Several months into the pandemic, Roy Brightwell got an email that he thought could help him get back on his feet.
The 70-year-old Tarpon Springs homeowner had spent nearly three years fighting foreclosure. Then, in March,
COVID-19 arrived, and he lost his job as an insurance salesperson.
At the time, “it was hard to find the money even for food,” he stated.
So when MV Realty offered to pay him $879 on the spot, it looked like a blessing. All he had to do was agree to list
his home with them if he ever wanted to sell. Brightwell signed the contract without thinking twice.
Two years later, his property has been foreclosed on, and MV Realty may be able to recover approximately $9,000
from the sale, leaving him with nothing.
Brightwell is one of many homeowners who have gotten into legal difficulty with MV Realty after breaking a contract
with the company. The Delray Beach real estate agency uses quick cash to persuade homeowners into signing
restricted agreements that make it impossible for them to transfer the titles to their own properties without utilizing
MV Realty’s agent or paying a high charge.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office is investigating MV Realty, although no action has been taken yet.
