Attention Landlords

in the Kennebunk area!

I have built this website to tell local owners of rental properties about an experience I had with a local man and his daughter who occupied one of my apartments from mid-February 2005 until July 15, 2005. My hope is to save you the hassle and expense that I endured these last six months. (Click on photos to view full sized.)

Ponte moved in to my apartment in mid-February, 2005, and his deception began immediately. I ran the usual credit check, and his credit was poor, but it's been my experience that many renters have marginal credit reports. My first mistake was accepting him as a tenant despite the fact that I hadn't heard back from his references. He paid me rent for half of February, but told me he didn't have the security deposit. He said he'd have it "next week".

Eventually he told me that he was waiting for some customers to pay him, and that he'd have the money as soon as he could. (He's supposedly a "contractor".) Then he said that he had some nice rock maple flooring that he pulled out of a customer's house, and that instead of paying cash security deposit, he'd put down some new flooring in a few rooms of the apartment. I expressed skepticism, and told him that I wanted the security deposit in cash, but that I'd take it in installments. I wrote up a document outlining this agreement, and we both signed it.

In the first few weeks, he painted some rooms, and decorated the apartment quite tastefully. I actually thought that despite his apparently empty promises about the money he owed me, that he'd eventually come through.

Long story short -- I had to chase him for every cent he ever paid. He was served several "7 Day Notice" letters in the spring months, but always came through with money just in time to avoid a court date. Finally in May he just stopped paying. He was noticed again, and I took him to court June 6 for eviction. In court, he promised the judge that he'd pay me everything he owed (then totalling close to $3000) in five weekly installments, and was allowed by the court until July 11 to completely pay his arrears. Needless to say, he never paid a cent of that. Even up to July 11, when the Writ of Possession took effect, he was still promising to have the money "soon".

I spoke with him last on Friday, July 15, after he'd "moved out". He said that he got most of his things out of the apartment, but would come back Saturday to "take care of the rest." I went to the apartment soon after our conversation, and found it trashed.

In addition to spray painting obscenities all over the blinds, some walls and some floors, they left numerous open dairy products, old lobster claws, and other perishables in the freezer and refrigerator, and turned off the fridge. They left chicken dinner leftovers on a pan in the oven. Their obvious intent was to create a stench in the summer heat. Two of the bedrooms were full of dog excrement. This had been there for weeks, as it was there in June when I showed the apartment to a prospective renter. (The day after I showed the apartment, I asked Joe to get rid of the dog crap, and he pretended to not know what I was talking about.)

The photos here were taken at the aparment he occupied. Please note that these were taken after a couple hours of cleanup. It was WORSE when I found it. Another thing: I found a photograph on the refrigerator of Joe's hand (several physical attributes told me it was Joe's hand) coming through a hole in a wall giving "the finger". It was not taken in my apartment, and the date stamp on the back of the photo was from a few weeks prior to his moving in. I can only assume it was at his previous place of residence and he did this to his last landlord as well.

Anyone looking for Joe Ponte can attempt to contact him on his mobile phone. The number is (207)286-6437 -- at least until they disconnect him for failure to pay.

crook fraud deadbeat Joe Ponte Joseph Ponte rental property trash liar destroyed Kennebunk apartment Biddeford Arundel Kennebunkport Wells Ogunquit Saco Sanford Maine left junk partying all night noisy vandals

Return to top