PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Someone else’s vehicles are parked in Elvira Zicari’s Port Richey driveway. And according to court documents, it's now owned by an investor who rented it out.
The 75-year-old bought the property in 2019, and she planned to stay forever.
“I loved it. I mean, it was the only home that I ever bought on my own," she said.
Forever came in just four years when this widow fell behind on her mortgage and HOA dues. The homeowners association threatened to foreclose. Zicari didn’t lose her home to the lender or the HOA.
In her lawsuit, Zicari alleges David Litt fraudulently obtained the deed to her home after claiming he would work with her bank and the HOA to save the home from foreclosure.
Zicari told ABC Action News that Litt reached out to her "like he was my best friend" and said he was going to help her.
The retiree said in her suit that Litt told her there was a government program to save seniors from foreclosure and sent a notary to where she was staying in New York caring for a daughter who had undergone surgery for cancer.
The lawsuit states Litt told her the papers she needed to sign would warranty the condition of her home.
“I was in such a hurry because of my daughter just getting home from the hospital. I didn't even read it," Zicari said.
What she signed was a warranty deed transferring ownership of her home to Litt’s company. A mistake that cost her nearly everything she owned.
Then Litt sold the home and everything in it to a real estate investor who rented out the house. Zicari now lives in the spare bedroom of a friend's home.
“I'm sick to my stomach. I don't know what to do,” she said.
ABC Action News contacted the Pasco Sheriff's Office, and they opened a criminal investigation. Deputies intervened to help Zicari get what was left of her personal possessions, which turned out to be a few boxes of personal papers, family photos, household items and her car.
Real estate attorney Stephen Hachey represents Zicari in the lawsuit.
“We see people lose their title to the property all the time through these deed transactions,” he said. In Zicari's case, Hachey said she didn't understand that the documents she signed transferred ownership of her home.
ABC Action News emailed David Litt a copy of the lawsuit and caught up with him by phone. Litt refused to answer any questions.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office says an investigation is ongoing. As for the lawsuit, there’s no guarantee Zicari will win her home back.
Several Tampa Bay counties, including Pasco, have created a property alert system for homeowners. It will notify you in 48 hours if a document with your name is filed with the clerk of court. It takes just minutes to sign up.
