$23,000 of Lawn Care Equipment Stolen from Florida Storage Lot

A Cape Coral, Fla. couple is heartbroken as they try to rebuild their lawn care business after they say someone stole their trailer with $23,000 of equipment inside - just one week before Christmas.

The holidays are a busy time when it comes to lawn care.

"We started on Sunday so we could get things finished by Christmas," said Rachel Blevins of Jarret Manning Lawn Care.

But the head start didn't help Blevins and her boyfriend Jarret Manning. Manning owns the lawn care company. The couple lost two days of work and most of the equipment.

"We lost pretty much everything we have," said Blevins.

They say someone stole their trailer with more the $23,000 worth of equipment inside from a storage lot on Sunday night.

"He went to pick it up Monday and it was missing," said Blevins.

They told police that they signed a contract with the company that stated the gates would stay locked.

"They were supposed to be locked between 8 p.m. and 6 p.m.," said Blevins.

But officials with the company that own the lot say that's not true.

A representative of Pine Island Capital says the contract says nothing about locked gates, but it does specifically say that property owners who leave equipment there are required to have insurance.

Rachel says they had insured the trailer - but not the equipment inside.

"He had just paid off those mowers and now they're gone," said Blevins.

Now, they're just scrambling to put their business back together as best they can.

"So we can at least get out and get everyone's grass mowed before Christmas," said Blevins.

Several other people said they have had equipment stolen from the lot as well.