Home Trashed as Owner Struggled to Evict Tenant

BOSTWICK, Fla. — What began as an act of compassion for a homeless family turned into a months-long legal ordeal that left Rodney Hoffman’s home damaged, his finances strained and his trust in the system shaken.

Hoffman, a retired federal employee, said he invited a woman and her three children to stay in his late father’s house in Bostwick last winter after learning they were living in a car.

“It was cold outside, and I said, ‘At least let them have a roof over their heads for Christmas,”” Hoffman said. “She told me she'd stay until she got her tax return and then move out.”

Instead, Hoffman said, she spent the $4,000 refund on bikes and go-karts. Weeks turned into months, and the situation spiraled. Hoffman said the woman refused to leave, locked him out of the property and repeatedly called the police on him when he tried to enter.

“She kicked out my stepdaughter, changed the locks and moved in her boyfriend,” Hoffman said. “I’ve lived here over 20 years and never had the cops in my yard. Now, they’re showing up in three cars, six officers at a time.” The eviction process dragged on for weeks. Hoffman said he paid $350 to file, waited 10 days for the woman to be served, and waited another 10 to get a hearing. The tenant filed a six-page letter arguing she had nowhere else to go.

Although a judge eventually ordered her to leave within five days, law enforcement didn’t enforce the order until nearly a week later, he claimed.

By then, Hoffman said, the home was in ruins. A grease fire destroyed a brand-new stove, water damage ruined the floors and cabinets, and the house was littered with dog feces.

“It’s a miracle the house didn’t burn down,” he said.

In an interview with the Palatka Daily News two months after regaining control of the property, Hoffman said he is still dealing with the aftermath.

“I’m still in the process of fixing all (the burnt areas) where they caught the kitchen on fire,” he said. “They flooded the floors, too. They ran the bathtub over, and that one bathroom, all the floorings and even the cabinets have to come out. It’s thousands of dollars in damage.” His stepdaughter, Cynthia “Cindy” Metzler, said she was forced to leave the home during the ordeal.

“I’m disabled and couldn’t keep cleaning up after her and the kids,” she said. “This was supposed to be temporary; she was supposed to help me” Hoffman said the tenants not only destroyed furniture but also stole paintings from the walls, installed surveillance cameras and even locked the garage and gate with their own hardware.

“They put their cameras up. They changed the locks on the house, on the garage, put locks on the gate,” Hoffman said. “They totally destroyed it. I’ll never get that stuff back.”

Florida law prohibits landlords from changing locks, shutting off utilities or removing tenants’ belongings without a court order. Violations can result in fines or even arrest.

Hoffman said deputies warned him he could be charged with trespassing if he tried to cut power to the home, even though the wiring was damaged after the fire.

“They told me the same thing every time: Let the eviction run its course,” Hoffman said. “Meanwhile, she burned the place up and stole my stuff.” Hoffman said he has little hope of recovering the cost of the damage.

“I could take her to civil court, but everyone tells me I’ll never see a dime,” he said.

Florida lawmakers have recently taken steps to address the issue.

A 2024 law allows property owners to request sheriff’s office assistance to remove squatters more quickly if the occupants entered unlawfully and have no valid tenancy. That didn’t apply to Hoffman since he invited the woman into his home.

Another new measure allows eviction-related notices to be delivered electronically if both parties agree in writing, though court filings must still be served in person.

Supporters say the changes provide homeowners with tools to fight abuse of the system, but critics argue the reforms still don’t do enough to balance tenant protections with property rights.

Today, Hoffman is still repairing the house and has decided not to rent it out again. Instead, he told his stepdaughter she can live there if she pays the property taxes, which run about $2,200 a year.

“I just told her, ‘You take it and pay the taxes.’ That way, at least, it stays in the family,” Hoffman said.

He hopes sharing his story will warn others.

“She didn’t pay rent, didn’t have a lease, and still, I couldn’t get her out for months,” he said of his former tenant. “If this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”

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