Foreclosures Open up Opportunities for a Career in Eviction
Foreclosures are opening up opportunities for many engaged in a career in eviction. One of them is Joseph Laubinger who has been engaged by Fannie Mae to make the eviction process smooth. Carrots are offered in the form of dollars as shifting expenses. But if all else fails the sheriff arrives for the final blow. The banks want to repossess the houses without the last occupants damaging it by venting their frustration on it.
Laubinger’s territory stretches from the northern fringes of Illinois and the southern point of Wisconsin – a middle class resort region that has gone awry with vacant foreclosed houses. Laubinger does not like to be termed a “repo man”. He is accommodating and grants extensions although it postpones his payday and prospects of selling the house.
Laubinger takes a soft view over the debate regarding whether those foreclosed upon deserve their fate or were victims of conspiring banks. Taking a middle stand he said, “Everyone is greedy, and now everyone is passing the buck.”
On a particular Saturday Fannie Mae has sent him to three houses – two were in foreclosure and a third was on the edge. In one unit the ownership had been lost last December but the occupant was refusing to move out. The bank wanted him to take photographs of a second house whose owner was trying to get the loan modified. The third house occupants had agreed to exit after haggling for many months. Laubinger was going to meet them with a cheque of $1,800.
It was a common experience with him to find the adults to have gone out leaving behind a junior member of the family in an effort to delay the exiting as long as possible. He said, “People are staying longer because they’re not afraid.”
Recalling another incident Laubinger said that in a sophisticated neighbourhood he had gone to take photographs but none replied to the door bell. Signs of distress were obvious – driveway full of holes and lawn riddled with weeds. All this was in clear contrast with the perfectly spruced neighbouring units. Taking pictures Laubinger gauged that perhaps a modification would bail them out.
But he had an intuitive feeling that he would return to execute the next stage of the unpleasant operation. The occupants work hard at their mathematics and calculate that by overstaying they save on rent as well as mortgage – something that works out to be more than what the banks offer for shifting.
