Community Groups And State Help Out Foreclosure Victims

Posted in Foreclosure, Foreclosure Homes, Foreclosures, Mortgages, Real Estate, Real Estate Foreclosures, August 27th, 2007 |

Poku, a 55 year old taxi owner with wife and three children hails from Columbia. He had to move out of his house. Helped by his group members and a new state programme he shifted to rented accommodation. At lease he is not under the open skies!

One of his passengers Neil Carey, kicked off a fund administered by Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, helped Poku meet his debts, his survival expenses as well as legal costs for fighting the matter out. Poku had been evicted a year ago having failed to legally prove that the original mortgage had been paid off during the refinancing period because of documents and checks had been lost by the jumbo financial body involved in this deal.

Howard County based Congregation Concerned for the Homeless has been operating for the last 17 years. The state on its part has started off the Family Stabilization Program through the county government to help sufferers like Poku. Its scope of activity involves continued support, counseling on budgets,, use of credit, proper parenting and business advice.

The help programmes try to get the business going again. Poku is one of their ideal subjects. Foreclosure had given him a bad name and so it was not easy for him to find a rented home without help. But finally one was found that suited the work compulsions of his wife and himself. The group saw to the waiver of security fees.

Poku insists that the loan had been paid off but the Seattle based mortgage firm denies it. Poku found his house sold off within six weeks of his being issued a notice. As per Maryland law quick foreclosures are the norm and do not require lenders to prove that the borrower had been notified. Many Maryland officials are keen to change the law. Right now these resolutions will not help Poku who had migrated from Ghana and struggled to set up his small business. He had built up his taxi service from scratch after learning everything about repair and maintenance during off work period at night.

Poku’s lawyers failed in May to prove his point in the Court of Special Appeals. Right now two court actions are pending after the matter was again filed. His lawyers are demanding compensation and a share of the proceeds from the sale of the house.

Via