Vacationers arrive in North Myrtle Beach with no place to stay as part of alleged scam

Vacationers who rented condos from a North Myrtle Beach rental agency are quickly realizing they won’t have a place to stay after their deposits were allegedly stolen by the business owner.

Walter Pigg, who owns Keye Beach Rentals in North Myrtle Beach, could face legal action after allegedly embezzling close to $100,000 from clients over the last year, according to multiple property owners and city officials. Pigg is currently under investigation after city officials received nearly three dozen complaints outlining Pigg’s alleged misconduct and unethical business practices since purchasing the 55-unit agency located at 601 Hillside Drive last May.

The agency officially closed last week after Pigg surrendered his business license to the city on Feb. 22.

However, those complaints are expected to increase after roughly 25 vacationers who rented condos through Keye Beach Rentals arrived at the vacant rental agency Friday afternoon with nowhere to stay despite having their long vacations paid in full. Vacationers traveling from New York, Ohio, Michigan and Canada said they rent condos annually and planned their vacations last year.

“I hope the bank will take care of me,” said Joe McClure, a Michigan renter who paid $3,000 for his annual two-month stay.

McClure and many other renters said their first deposit was paid upon booking, but their final deposits were charged to their credit cards in November when the payment was due last month. When renters called to question the early charge, they were told there was a computer glitch and they would get a refund, but that never happened, they said.

“This guy should be run out of town,” New York renter Ed Taddeo said.

While renters don’t expect to get their money back anytime soon, Ohio resident Roger Beaver thought he would get his $2,400 returned to him after spending a little extra on travel insurance. But Beaver said it appears Pigg never paid the insurance company.

North Myrtle Beach police reports filed in January and February detailed how some vacationers arrived to the area only to find their credit cards were repeatedly charged but their reservation was either canceled, double-booked or the unit was no longer associated with the agency.

But renters aren’t the only ones having issues with the rental agency.

About a dozen property owners who rented condos to Keye Beach Rentals told The Sun News how Pigg failed to pay them on time when he first bought the business, and later refused to pay them altogether.

Homeowners had a litany of complaints, including: Pigg allegedly blocking them from entering a portal overseeing rental activity after they realized units were being double-booked, renters were charged a higher rate, units were rented without notification and often left unclean despite owners being charged for services. Pigg was difficult to contact and would often skip meetings or make excuses for not issuing payment, owners told The Sun News.

Owner Chris Ore said he hasn’t received any payments, totaling roughly $8,000 that is currently owed to him. Hyung Kim said she is still owed $10,000 dating back to May.

“Nobody knew the extent of what he’s been doing,” owner Eric Muniz said.

While Pigg is currently under investigation by both the city and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division, and had his property manager’s license suspended by the S.C. Real Estate Commission, Pigg’s lawyer Kirk Truslow attested that Pigg has done nothing wrong and those who filed complaints are seeking vengeance.

“My attorney and I are assembling the necessary documents that will clearly show absolutely no wrongdoing and it will correct all the untruths that are being put out in the public,” Pigg told The Sun News.

Truslow said owners expected their payment upon booking, but Pigg would instead pay them after guests checked out.

“We haven’t seen any payment from him for the past six months — and there’s been a long-term renter he put in our condo and has collected the entire almost $9,000 from her and we haven’t seen a penny,” condo owner Howard Pollack said. “Not sure how he and his attorney believe we are mistaken in how he is conducting his business.”

While Pigg is barred from conducting any business, some condo owners said Pigg was still showcasing their rentals and making reservations on the Keye Beach Rental website despite taking their business to another rental agency and changing their locks. Associates from Ocean Keyes Development, the adjacent real estate agency who sold Keye Beach Rentals to Pigg, believe Pigg has several condos that he no longer manages booked through the summer.

As renters continue to arrive this weekend, condo owner Debbie Cloninger, who is reportedly owed $8,000, is on-site ensuring renters have a place to go. She’s currently working to contact other owners who were affiliated with the rental agency to check if they have any vacancies. But while some vacationers might feel some relief not having to travel back home, they once again need to pay for their stay.

“This is only going to get worse,” Cloninger said. “June, July and August are going to be a nightmare.”