Posted on 07/15/2015 9:32:07 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Johnnie H. Hodges, who lived in his Buffalo, N.Y., home for some 60 years, refused to leave after he fell behind on his mortgage payments while caring for his sick wife, so authorities carried him out on a stretcher.
The story of Johnnie H. Hodges, a 90-year-old Navy veteran of World War II, and the home that he lived in for some 60 years is chock-full of sadness and missed chances.
Hodges lived in his Buffalo, N.Y., home with his wife for decades. About four years ago, Hodges spent most of his income caring for his wife, who had Alzheimer’s disease. In the process, he defaulted on his mortgage and amassed debt totaling $73,000 to M&T Bank.
Last week Hodges was evicted, literally taken from his home on a stretcher, after a two-hour standoff with U.S. marshals. The bank told the Buffalo News that it tried everything to prevent this from happening, but Hodges didn’t accept any of its offers.
“It’s a sad day for everyone involved because this outcome could have been avoided,” C. Michael Zabel, vice president of corporate communications at M&T, said in a statement viewed by the newspaper.
According to the Buffalo News, around October 2011, Hodges was sent a notice stating that he had defaulted on his home loan, according to court documents. A meeting was set up between the bank and Hodges in May 2012 to figure out a way to keep Hodges in his home. Hodges reportedly didn’t show up to the meeting. Court records viewed by the newspaper show that Hodges was sent notice of an upcoming sale in December 2013 but didn’t respond or appeal. The house was sold in foreclosure in January 2014.
Since the sale, the bank reportedly delayed Hodges’ eviction three times, but Hodges told the newspaper June 24—a
(Excerpt) Read more at theroot.com ...
I thought a reverse mortgage got him into this.
Absolutely shameful.
From reading the Buffalo paper, it seems that, since the bank had already foreclosed on the home, all of the offers were to buy it from the bank and allow Hodges to live there.
Hodges also wanted the house put in his name, which the donors weren’t willing to do.
It is probably what Mr. Hodges was hoping for. Once your wife of such a long time is is gone and you have reached a really great old age, I think he might have hoped to wake up in the next life.
I agree that they should have waited, or put out an appeal for the public to help make is mortgage until that time came. I would have given some, though I don’t have much to give.
one of those wicked reverse mortgages, probably.
If he lived there for 60 years, why is he still paying a mortgage? Seriously, I’m 12 years into my 30 year mortgage, and my wife wants to refinance, get money “out” and pay off the credit cards. My thinking is forget the credit cards, keep paying the mortgage. The only thing I care about is paying it off, perhaps (hopefully/prayerfully) early. If we refinance, go for the 15 year, and lower interest/payments, then sure, but I do not want to add a single day to that bill.
My dad had to move in with me after he retired because the house I grew up in was refinanced multiple times to “get money out, pay off bills, etc.”. It’s just not worth it - pay the thing off, and be done with it.
You don’t repay reverse mortgages until you die or want to sell.
He mortgaged the home to pay for repairs on it.
sometimes even the most heartless rule keeper has to say...
“there but for the grace of....”
I guess we don’t know the whole story but I would guess he mortgaged his home to pay his expenses and then expected the bank to let it go.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.