Resident of Queens Killed By Foreclosure Blues
Lucille Henry, a resident of Queens died not only from blood pressure and nagging diabetes but also from foreclosure blues. It will not be untrue to say that the idea of surrendering the house that was her home to foreclosure worsened her other maladies and hastened her end. Foreclosure literally sealed her death sentence.
Nine days prior to her last hour, she buckled down during a court session deliberating on the foreclosure of her house. She had to be taken to hospital. Later she died on 1st November at the age of 57. Her daughter Winnifred Barber bemoaned that she had often told her mother that the house was “not worth saving”. But Lucille thought otherwise. She was resolute about saving her house.
She had bought the house in 2004 for $279,000. The single-family house sits on 146th street Jamaica. This area has one of the largest numbers of foreclosed properties. Lucille did not know that the seller, Better Homes Depot, had just before that time, paid the city $625,000 to settle a legal suit relating to fraudulent sales practices. Thus her seller was a branded real estate company. She contracted a mortgage of $275,000 for the house that remained her pride till the end of her days. She associated the property with a sense of achievement. It spelt stability and security to her and her loved ones.
Soon after the deal her problems started. In 2005 illness prevented her from continuing with her work as a customs service supervisor. She had been employed in this department for long 33 years. The inevitable happened. She stumbled on her mortgage payments and it became delinquent.
Better Homes stepped in to help her and guided her to Aames Home Loan. She took a loan of $3000,000 that carried here an interest rate of 7.07%. Within two years it was scheduled to rise to 10.075%.
In 2006 Lucille’s health deteriorated. Blindness forced her to retire. With the mortgage situation worsening she contacted a person whom she thought was a bankruptcy lawyer. The latter advised her to seek shelter under chapter 13 bankruptcy clause. His fees amounted to $500. Later Lucille came to know that the person was no lawyer but a smart cheat. She could not file bankruptcy, as she did not have earnings.
On 5th May Aames proceeded with foreclosure of the house. Lucille did not have the will to respond because she knew the tragic result.
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