LEESBURG, Fla — Bill Ellison calls it a home of filth.
“I saw a rat run by the back door there,” Ellison said as he showed Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal his rental home in Leesburg.
Bill Ellison and his wife Theresa were desperate to rent a new place after a fire tore through their other rental home in Eustis. Now, they fear they made a bad decision in haste.
The couple rented the home from a company Action 9 has warned consumers about before called Sunbelt LLC.
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The Ellisons paid money up front before seeing the inside of the home in-person. They admit that was a mistake, but they claim the photos advertised online made it look much nicer than what they found when they got inside. That’s a complaint Action 9 has heard from other consumers in the past with Sunbelt LLC.
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Bill Ellison cringes when he thinks about how he’s living. Much of his food is now stored in plastic coolers so rats can’t get to it.
He was hospitalized with breathing trouble after the fire and Theresa found the ad online about the home on Chester Street.
Bill Ellison said she contacted someone from Sunbelt LLC, “He told her that the house was in perfect shape and arranged for her to leave the hospital (from visiting Bill) and to meet him.”
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Ellison said the photos looked fine and that they paid application fees, a deposit and first month’s rent.
Jeff Deal asked, “So, she paid $2,000 without ever seeing the inside of the house?”
Bill Ellison answered, “That is correct. Yeah, they said they would not hold the house for us.”
The couple figured based on the photos, it couldn’t be that bad.
Once inside, they found problems. Bill Ellison called it disgusting. He showed the Action 9 team kitchen cabinets held closed with tape and rubber bands, smoke detectors that don’t work, and a giant rat trap in the kitchen. In the bathroom, there’s a toilet they said was not bolted down. He said they didn’t even have a working stove for three months. They now place towels under the doors to keep rats from scurrying into their bedroom.
The home is owned by Oregon LLC. State records show that company and Sunbelt LLC are both managed by Ben Spivey. You might remember him as Dr. Ben Spivey, an Ocala dentist. The state department of health repeatedly suspended his license for poor patient care and eventually permanently revoked his license.
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A Leesburg Code Enforcement Officer found twelve different violations at the home in a recent inspection. The code enforcement documents note there’s even a cinder block that needs to be removed from the top of the chimney.
Action 9 has reported on other complaints over the years with homes in disrepair. Some homes rented out by Sunbelt LLC were even condemned. Bill Ellison wishes he would have seen those stories before moving in.
He said, “I would never do business with the company again, and I would suggest that nobody does. These people need to be put out of business.”
The family told city code enforcement and Action 9 that Sunbelt LLC instructed them not to let the government in the house again and threatened to evict them if they show up at the code enforcement hearing. The couple is trying to find a new place to live.
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**UPDATE**
After the story aired on television, Erich Spivey responded to Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal by email. As part of the email, Spivey wrote:
I have been focused the past couple weeks on fixing the items. We are almost done with repairs and hired structural engineers. Our goal is to have the code case wrapped up within the next 1-2 weeks. I’m hopeful a full review of the facts and circumstances of this case will show we are working very hard to address the concerns.
Anytime a tenant is not happy with the services I provide, it is disappointing. I have failed this tenant and hope to serve them better in the future. I renewed my offer to the tenant, offering a full and complete refund of all money she has paid us, plus $2,500 for relocation expenses to help her find a new residence. I have offered her a total refund plus relocation expenses amounting to $7,305. I welcome feedback from residents and members of the public. I take it as an opportunity to improve my business, learn about my shortcomings and provide better communication and property management in the future. My brokerage Alabama LLC is the property manager and agent handling this rental on behalf of the ownership company.
Erich Spivey denied the allegation that any threats were made to the tenants about letting government officials in the home or attending the code enforcement hearing. In the email, he wrote they do not move tenants into homes that are condemned, but sometimes pre-list homes for rent.
To end his email, Spivey wrote:
I am aware of the past history and work every day along with my team to provide better customer service. There is also room for improvement and I welcome the opportunity to hear feedback. In this specific case, after the tenant moved in, I heard her concerns and worked to correct them. As part of my renewed effort to provide better customer service, we provided Theresa Ellison two months rent free in December 2024 and January 2025. I have also offered her a full refund of all money she has paid us to date, plus funds to assist with relocation.
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**UPDATE 2**
The City of Leesburg inspected the property again on Friday April 11th and posted this information about the inspection on the city website:
On April 11th, an inspection was completed and the smoke detectors were operational and the cinder block was removed from the chimney. Remaining violations were patched or partially repaired to include painting over chipped flooring and cracked ceiling, the gaps between the floors and walls were also filled with caulking.
STAFF RECOMMENDS: Grant the property owner 21 days to complete the following:
- Due to soft spots and gaps between the wall and floor, a structural engineer report needs to be completed (305.16);
- Once obtaining the report, please have the floors addressed to ensure there are no breaks, gaps, or dips in the flooring throughout the entire home (305.16); REPEAT
- Assure all electric receptacles are operational and properly attached to the wall (303.4); REPEAT
- Repair or replace the front and back door weather stripping (305.11); REPEAT
- Have the property PROPERLY treated for infestation of rats (309.1);
- Inspect the bathtub and toilet to assure they are properly secured (504.1);
- Repair or replace the damaged kitchen cabinet (302.6);
- Make necessary repairs to the interior walls to include the walls in the water heater closet (305.16); REPEAT
- Inspect and repair the chipping paint and cracks on the ceiling (305.16); REPEAT
- Install rails on the exterior stairs (305.6);
- Inspect and repair the dipping porch ceiling (304.9);
- Inspect and assure the chimney is properly sealed (304.6);
- Also, make necessary repairs to the exterior of the residence to assure there are no holes, gaps, or deterioration to the surfaces (304.6).
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