A 66-year-old Toronto woman who was forced to move to a homeless shelter after a real estate agent borrowed her life savings and stiffed her is receiving support–both financial and spiritual–from Canadians across the country.
“I feel better than I have for the last 14 months,” says Rita Fulciniti. “I really appreciate everyone’s help. It’s going to be a Merry Christmas for me.”
In addition to individual donations, Fulciniti has been contacted by at least three law firms ready to represent her. A good Samaritan has offered to pay her rent for a year.
Fulciniti’s slide to the shelter began in March of last year when she asked real estate agent Chaim “Howard” Smilovici to help her find a tenant for a condo she was buying and had already put down a $42,000 down payment.
Smilovici found a tenant but then asked to borrow $95,000 Fulciniti had set aside to help close the condo deal.
Fulciniti signed a loan agreement with Smilovici’s company stipulating she would be repaid in full with a $5,000 cash bonus and an annual 12 per cent return on the loan.
Guess what?
“I haven’t seen a cent from this guy,” says Fulciniti, who spent more than a year trying to contact him.
Guess who reappeared on Wednesday after a CBC story about Fulciniti’s plight was published?
Saying the whole thing had “devastated my family,” vowing to repay Fulciniti in full, stating that he had given Fulciniti’s real estate lawyer $5,000, Smilovici insisted: “I am not a thief.”
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