COEUR d'ALENE - Another rental property owner has sued Absolute Property Management of Coeur d'Alene and its owner-operator Carrie Farrell, this time alleging fraud and embezzlement.

The lawsuit says Absolute and Farrell managed residential rental properties owned by Sue Crenshaw, a Kootenai County resident, who filed her lawsuit through Coeur d'Alene attorney Edwin Holmes. Holmes declined Thursday to discuss the case.

Farrell and Absolute pocketed $10,800 from Crenshaw's tenants in the form of monthly rent payments and security deposits, but failed to pass the money along to Crenshaw "despite repeated demands," according to the lawsuit, which was filed late last week in 1st District Court.

Typically, a property management firm would take a small percentage of the money for a management fee and pass the remainder along.

"Farrell and Absolute obtained by false pretenses, by false representations and/or actual fraud money belonging to Crenshaw," the court documents said.

The lawsuit said Absolute and Farrell "wrongly appropriated" Crenshaw's money "for use other than that for which it was entrusted."

The lawsuit also asks the court for a "judgment declaring that Farrell is personally liable for all of the actions and inactions of Absolute," the documents said. Judge Rich Christensen has been assigned the case.

"Crenshaw is entitled to a settlement and accounting from Farrell and Absolute regarding all monies received, disbursed and retained by Farrell and Absolute belonging to Crenshaw," the lawsuit said.

An employee of Farrell's at Absolute said Farrell is being represented by Coeur d'Alene attorney Richard Kuck, who has not responded to requests for comment from The Press.

Crenshaw's lawsuit is similar to others that have been filed in Kootenai County against Farrell and Absolute, which closed in July. It operated at 910 N. Third St.

There were several other complaints filed in July and this month against Absolute and Farrell with the Better Business Bureau for North Idaho and Spokane.

Some were by other property owners, others were not.

Vacationers who stayed at rental properties also complained, saying they never got deposit money back. A plumber who did work at a rental property but didn't get paid also filed a complaint, according to the BBB.

Aleshia Cool, who owns several properties in the Coeur d'Alene area, said in one complaint that she received a letter from Farrell and Absolute "stating that they were having some internal bookkeeping problems."

Cool, of Spirit Lake, had 13 rental units being managed by Absolute.

She is demanding that Farrell cough up tenant security deposits, collected rent money, pre-paid rental payments and the reports and paperwork on the properties.

"Absolute Property Management did not perform several of the required services they were contracted to perform, such as pay the utility bills, advertise vacant properties, (and) keep the grounds cared for," Cool said in her July 24 complaint with the BBB.

Cool told The Press on Thursday that Farrell owes her $12,935 - at a minimum.

"They literally just closed their doors and fell off the face of the earth," Cool said. "Everybody's trying to find her."

The accountant at Absolute has said at least $350,000 in rent payments and security deposits were missing when the business closed last month.

This isn't the first time Farrell has accumulated major debts.

In June 2005, Farrell was estimated to have $100,000 to $500,000 in debts in a Chapter 13 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Idaho.