Farmland owner finds illegal RVs, people living on property in SW Miami-Dade
MIAMI-DADE - It was a renting nightmare in Southwest Miami-Dade County for a woman who discovered illegal RVs and people living on the farmland she owns.
Martha Insignares called CBS News Miami and Miami-Dade Police, hoping to scare off her unwanted tenants.
Insignares thought only plants were growing on the property she was renting, only to discover a headache in mid-October, seeing RVs, trailers, containers, cars, animals and people living on her land.
"Honestly, they were hidden," Insignares said as she pointed to ripped-apart black tarps where RVs used to park.
One remained Friday abandoned.
"That was all covered. Four RVs were parked in there," she said.
Starting with the black tarps, Insignares took CBS News Miami around her farmland. Visible tire marks could be seen everywhere, damaging the ground. Abandoned cars were against the fence. A walker, sofa, truck tires and a 20-foot container were also left behind, along with trash all over the property.
On Thursday, she called police.
"I wanted it to be documented," Insignares said. "I don't want to be here, and then, it's my word against theirs where I needed police presence for them to see that, you know, to at least kind of protect me."
Miami-Dade Police told CBS Miami they found one stolen RV and had it towed away as it continues its investigation.
"I really got conned, " nsignares said.
Tricked, she said, after renting out the property to someone. She showed CBS Miami the lease agreement signed in August for agricultural use only.
Instead, the property that looked pristine on July 31 now looks like an abandoned junkyard.
Soon after CBS Miami arrived, the last unwelcomed guests took off.
CBS News Miami reporter Joe Gorchow asked her, "You don't know who is in there," pointing to the people driving away in the RVs and cars off her property.
"No," Insignares said.
One of the people driving them didn't go too far, just around the corner.
The person admitted to living with his family on the property.
Gorchow asked the man, "So you had no clue this entire time that you were living on property you had no permission to live on?"
"Not at all," said Miguel, only willing to give his first name. "As far as I know, everything was ok."
He said he paid the person leasing the land from Insignares. CBS News Miami tried calling that person, but he didn't respond.
Gorchow asked "How much is it going to cost you to clean this property up and get it back to where it was before you leased it out?"
Insignares said: "I'll do the work of cleaning it on. It's like my punishment for being, for being conned."
The gates were locked and the lease terminated.
Insignares is ready to move forward with a visible reminder of a renting nightmare still on her land.