West Virginia Foreclosures

Posted in Foreclosure, April 1st, 2008 |

The number of foreclosures in West Virginia has not increased except for few pockets like Eastern Panhandle. This is the report released by the Housing Development Fund. The mountain state is doing rather well but there are few locals who are risk. They might be losing the houses that have been their homes to foreclosures. One such person is Betty Fox.

For Betty Fox doomsday is 1st April. Unless she manages to arrange for funds USF-RD will be foreclosing on her house. She has right now 30 cents but she needs $828.30! She has been battling creditors for quite some time since the death of her husband in October. Some days back they came to seize her furniture. There is hardly sufficient food in the house. She had spent 22 years of her 55 years married life in this house. It has been her home. All she has left are memories.

After his death the VA cheques stopped coming; so did some social security money. The latter she will get after some time but time is of immense value to her. Se has tried to borrow from all sources including banks, churches, VFW etc but to no avail. All she can do is to pray for some more time so that she can fix matters. If she does not get that time then there is nothing in front of her except the open streets and the open skies.

There are hundreds of Betty Foxes dispossessed and disgruntled out in the open – not a very palatable sight for the nation. The pressure on charitable housing is increasing while funds are decreasing. The empty houses pose another kind of problem. Overgrown gardens, stagnant unsafe pools and rotting garbage cause multiplication of frogs, snakes and mosquitoes. Already malaria has been knocking on doors. The house itself attracts criminals who strip it off all fittings. Riotous drug parties lead to violence that disturbs neighbours. Fires break out. The police have to be called but they are ill equipped to tackle so many nuisances. The tense situation causes the price of houses in the entire locality to tumble. One spot can soon spread like pox to the whole community. Nobody can live in isolation. Meanwhile with the house sales down the government is down as regards tax and revenues. The politicians seeking votes are afraid to look into the faces of these innumerable Betty Foxes.