Residents in Thornton are incensed over a local real estate company mailing out alarming and deceptively written advertisements to homeowners that, at first impression, made many people think they were in trouble with the city.
“I was scared when I saw it,” said Julie Vogel, who has lived in the Eastlake neighborhood with her husband, David, for 31 years. “At first, it looked like we had a violation with the city of Thornton. And then I was mad as soon as I turned it over and read it and figured out it was an ad or something.”
The bright green postcard says “NOTICE” on the front in bold letters and “attention required” before listing generic city infractions like “neglected property fines” and “trash and weeds” with no explanation.
“They’re really weird and basically look scary to residents,” said Todd Barnes, spokesman for Thornton. “It says ‘City of Thornton’ on the front, and then lists things like code violations, fines, liens, delinquent taxes and other alarming things with no explanation until you turn it over.”
On the back, the sender — only identified as — says they are a local family, not real estate agents, who is looking to buy “this property or any properties” from the homeowner. The card says the company will buy properties despite existing conditions such as code violations, fines, liens, delinquent taxes.
“It’s a scam,” Vogel said. “They said they aren’t real estate agents and that’s exactly what they are. It’s deliberately deceptive. and I don’t want other people to call them and give out any of their personal information.”
Barnes said a Thornton homeowner called the city’s code compliance division asking about the postcard. He said about 12 people reported receiving the notices to him from all over the city.
“We decided we needed to inform the public about the issue via social media, using Nextdoor and Facebook primarily, to let them know that despite the use of the city of Thornton on the front that this was not an official notice from Thornton,” Barnes said.
The mailer doesn’t use the city’s official logo, just the name.
“We really felt like the use of the city of Thornton name was done in a fashion to cause alarm,” Barnes said. “We wanted them to know Thornton had no role in this advertisement and that we didn’t approve of how the postcard seems to make that association.”
Barnes said the city attorney’s office reached out to We Buy Houses Denver with no response. He said the Better Business Bureau has also contacted the city regarding the notices.
We Buy Houses Denver did not return calls for comment about the mailer. On their website, they describe themselves as “the premier investment real estate company in Denver.”