Airbnb - AirBnB Host lied about conflict with AirBnB
Location: Indiana
I recently booked an Airbnb for a month. The day I was set to check in to the room I was staying in the host, who is live overseas in the EU, called me and goes into a story about how he is in a conflict with AirBnB and that due to this conflict AirBnB won’t give him any of the money that people pay to stay at his rental, he doesn’t really go into any real specific details other than that. I was desperate for a place to stay so I don’t really ask a lot of questions in that moment. He says that he will call AirBnB customer service to get a refund and then I can pay him the same amount I payed on AirBnB to his PayPal account after I’ve received the refund. I agree and I await my refund from AirBnB. I receive it and I payed him through PayPal as discussed.
Around 3 weeks I start having various issues with the host, he’s calling me, stars saying I’ve got to do this and that, nothing illegal just various things like take pictures of the place to ensure his agent is keeping the place clean and making the repairs he is supposed too. I refused but I thought this was odd so I did a court records search on him and that’s when I uncovered that he was lying about the extent of the conflict with Airbnb. In fact he doesn’t have a conflict with AirBnB at all, he has a judgement against him and an order was issued to AirBnB to withhold all of the money from the hosts rental to and instead give that money to whom the money on the judgement is owed. I’m floored by this because I never would have agreed in the payment arrangement had I known the truth.
I think what the host is doing is wrong and I’d like to go to the local attorney of those who have been awarded the judgement and/or AirBnB’s legal team to fill them in on the situation. My only concern is that I’ve somehow become complicit in this guys scheme through the payment arrangement and I could be putting myself in legal trouble as well. I want to do the right thing but I also don’t want to screw myself over in the process.
Are my concerns valid? If so could I possibly work out a deal with the local attorney and/or AirBnBs legal team to be immune from any recourse for my cooperation in presenting evidence in this guys scheme to get around the order put in place to pay the judgement?
I appreciate any input on this situation I’ve found myself in.
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