Complaint Review: Orca Vacation Homes - Celebration Florida

This company has finally closed doors just few months ago.

Out of Business.

I also have been ripped off using this company named Pro Vacation Rentals Inc. Victim of same scam. They took my money electronicallytwice the amount for house rent in florida in disney area for Christmas 2010 & new year 2011 without my authorization. I have filed separate report on Ripoff as well.

So, I should have done more research before I fell victim to these two scam artists. Suffice to say, they are operating a store front in Kissimmee , FL, as Pro Vacation Rentals. She drives a brand new Range Rover HSE and he has a brand new truck. They purport to operate a bona fide vacation home rental agency and a property management company. They have rented my property about six times in the last couple of months, but I have yet to see the $1250 net figure that they owe me. I have also had requests from the FL Dept. of Revenue who have not received any sales tax on any of the rentals - tax fraud? I have contacted them on numerous occasions and have been met with the usual excuses that "the check is in the mail" etc. I have actually had my hands on the check but it has bounced twice.

Apparently I acted wrongly by posting public information concerning the indictment of Andino and Raquel. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I appologize for jumping the gun. but. NOW here is the rest of the story. Convicted. That means guilty doesn't it? The City of New York Department of Investigation ROSE GILL HEARN COMMISSIONER 80 MAIDEN LANE Release #92-2006 NEW YORK, NY 10038 nyc.gov/doi 212-825-5900 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: EMILY GEST WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2006 (212) 825-5931 STATEMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF INVESTIGATION: MARRIED COUPLE SENTENCED FOR STEALING OVER $49K IN HOUSING SUBSIDIES Today in Manhattan Federal Court former Section 8 recipient RAQUEL AROCHO D SARONNO was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release for defrauding the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) of $49,184 in Section 8 housing subsidies. Her husband, a former Section 8 landlord, ANDINO DSARONNO was sentenced on October 13, 2006 to 5 years of probation and 6 months home confinement. Both have been held jointly and severally liable to pay full restitution in the amount of $49,184. DOI Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn said, In a twist on government-subsidized housing, these scammers have found themselves confined to home or living in a new home, behind bars. I am pleased with the serious nature of these sentences because they underscore the fact that DOI will not allow unscrupulous Section 8 tenants or landlords to steal much-needed housing subsidies. A DOI investigation led to the 2005 indictment of RAQUEL, 40, and ANDINO, 41, of Staten Island, for theft of public monies. That investigation revealed that the DSARONNOs had concealed from NYCHA their marriage and that they had been living together since July 1998 at a single-family home in Midland Beach, Staten Island that ANDINO owned and for which he served as a Section 8 landlord. RAQUEL, a Section 8 recipient since 1990, moved to the Midland Beach property in June 1998 and told NYCHA she was renting this single family home from ANDINO for herself and her children. She continued to use her maiden name, AROCHO, after she married ANDINO a month later. Neither RAQUEL nor ANDINO disclosed their marriage or living arrangement to NYCHA. Such disclosure would have made RAQUEL ineligible to receive Section 8 rental subsidies and DSARONNO ineligible to maintain his status as a Section 8 landlord. As a result, NYCHA paid ANDINO rental subsidies ranging from $638 to $772 a month to which he was not entitled from June 1998 through January 2004. In total, NYCHA overpaid ANDINO $49,184. Not only did RAQUEL and ANDINO conceal that they were husband and wife, rather than landlord and tenant, but RAQUEL concealed her assets and income including real estate the couple jointly purchased in Florida in 2001, and the home they purchased for $559,935 in 2003 at 326 Eltingville Boulevard, Staten Island. After learning that RAQUEL and ANDINO were in the process of selling their Staten Island residence, DOI investigators filed on October 17, 2006 a Notice of Pendency against the couple and their Eltingville property. That document notified the propertys buyers and sellers that $49,184 in forfeiture would be sought from ANDINO. That forfeiture will reimburse NYCHA for the stolen subsidies. Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn thanked NYCHAs Leased Housing Department for their assistance in the investigation and federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York for handling the prosecution. The investigation was conducted by NYCHAs Office of the Inspector General, including Deputy Inspector General Bergia Telesford, Assistant Inspector General James Hylton, Special Investigator Emily Bizzarro and Deputy Counsel Laureen Hintz. The office of Michael J. Garcia, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, prosecuted the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Zornberg was in charge of the prosecutions. Get the worms out of the Big Apple. To report someone ripping off the city, call DOI at (212) 825-5959.

Hi Mary, Sorry to hear you have also had problems. I have been in contact with Andino, but not had any luck. My gut feeling is that Raquel is the one who is responsible for Orca, but you never know. I am going to keep trying to see if he will refund my money that was promised but who knows. I believe he is in Florida and Raquel is serving time in New York. I would be glad to let you know If I have any luck. (((ROR REDACTED E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR SECURITY PURPOSES))) CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Todd, I was ripped off. Any ideas on what I can do to get my money back?

United States Attorney Southern District of New York FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE MARCH 27, 2006 HERBERT HADAD, MEGAN GAFFNEY, HEATHER TASKER, BRIDGET KELLY PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE (212) 637-2600 MARRIED COUPLE INDICTED FOR HOUSING-SUBSIDY SWINDLE MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RAQUEL AROCHO (also known as Raquel D'Saronno) and ANDINO D'SARONNO were indicted in Manhattan federal court for a scheme to defraud the New York City Housing Authority (?NYCHA?) and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (?HUD?) of nearly $50,000 in federal money intended to help low income New Yorkers obtain subsidized housing. The one-count Indictment charges that AROCHO and D'SARONNO collected $49,184 in Section 8 housing subsidies over more than five years, through fraud and deceit. As set forth in the Complaint previously filed by the Government on February 16, 2006, AROCHO and D'SARONNO submitted fraudulent affidavits and contracts to NYCHA claiming to be ?tenant? and ?landlord? of a Section 8 residence on Freeborn Street, in Staten Island. In fact, the Complaint charges, AROCHO and D'SARONNO were married and living together while receiving the housing subsidies, which is prohibited under the Section 8 program. Moreover, according to the Complaint, D'SARONNO and AROCHO not only failed to report that they were husband and wife, rather than landlord and tenant, but AROCHO also repeatedly submitted false affidavits to NYCHA representing that she qualified for Section 8 subsidies because had no ownership interest in any business or property, no employment income, and no other assets. In fact, as set forth in the Complaint previously filed by the Government on February 16, 2006, AROCHO and her husband jointly purchased real estate in Florida in 2001 for $179,900, and purchased a home in Staten Island, at 326 Eltingville Boulevard, in 2003 for $559,935, while receiving Section 8 housing subsidies. According to the Complaint, public records also show that, since at least 2002, AROCHO has been the Director of two real estate businesses active in Florida. AROCHO also failed to report to NYCHA the income she received in 1998 while working for a Staten Island employment agency that is no 2 longer in existence. The Section 8 rental assistance program is regulated and fully funded by HUD. Its goal is to provide affordable housing for low-income families through federal subsidies. As part of the Section 8 Program, HUD pays subsidies for people to live in private housing of the tenant's choosing. The Section 8 Program is administered locally by NYCHA, which is headquartered at 250 Broadway in Manhattan. AROCHO and D'SARONNO each face a maximum sentence of ten years' imprisonment on the charge of theft of government funds. In addition, the Indictment includes an asset forfeiture provision to recoup the full amount of the $49,184 in the Government's losses. Mr. GARCIA stated: The Section 8 Housing Program helps thousands of truly needy New Yorkers to obtain affordable housing. Those who bilk the Government by collecting Section 8 subsidies through lies or deceit should expect to face prosecution as a result of their greed.? ROSE GILL HEARN, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation, which supervises the New York City Housing Authority Office of the Inspector General, stated: "These defendants allegedly hid their marriage, as well as significant assets, from NYCHA in order obtain over $49,000 in undeserved housing subsidies. In doing this, they may have deprived many other needy citizens of affordable public housing. DOI will continue to investigate and arrest those who try to scam NYCHA in order to pay lower rents and to receive subsidies to which they are not entitled." Mr. GARCIA thanked the New York City Housing Authority Office of Inspector General and the HUD Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney LISA ZORNBERG is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### 06-43