Posted on 11/21/2006 6:00:09 PM PST by Dubya
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A church that wanted to do something special for Hurricane Katrina victims gave a $75,000 house, free and clear, to a couple who said they were left homeless by the storm. But the couple turned around and sold the place without ever moving in, and went back to New Orleans.
"Take it up with God," an unrepentant Joshua Thompson told a TV reporter after it was learned that he and the woman he identified as his wife had flipped the home for $88,000.
Church members said they feel their generosity was abused by scam artists. They are no longer even sure that the couple were left homeless by Katrina or that they were a couple at all.
"They came in humble like they really needed a new start, and our hearts went out to them," said Jean Phillips, a real estate agent and member of the Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ. "They actually begged for the home."
The church was also shocked by an ungrateful interview the couple gave with WHBQ-TV in Memphis.
"I really don't like this area," said Delores Thompson. "I really didn't, and I didn't know anybody, so that's why I didn't move in and I sold it."
Thompson, reached at a New Orleans phone number by The Associated Press on Tuesday, thanked the church for its generosity but said she saw nothing wrong in selling the three-bedroom, two-bath house.
"Do I have any legal problems? What do you mean? The house was given to me," she said. "I have the paperwork and everything."
She refused further comment and hung up.
The church had decided that it would do something special for one Katrina-displaced family, in addition to its other efforts to help evacuees. The church set up a committee to find the right family and conducted several dozen interviews.
Delores Thompson, who did most of the talking for her family, told the committee that she had lost her job as a nurse and that her husband had lost an import-export business in New Orleans, committee member Joy Covington said.
The committee also heard how the family had lost its home and most of its possessions and how the children, a 14-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy, were eager to get back in school. The family said it wanted to resettle in Memphis.
After the church settled on Thompson, real estate agent Phillips helped her pick out the house she wanted, and it was bought in Thompson's name. She took possession in February and sold it in September. Property transfer records for the resale list her as unmarried; the papers from the original sale list her as married.
"I feel like it was a sham or a ripoff," Covington said.
The church hasn't discussed legal action, but the members are upset because the house could have gone to a more needy family, Covington said.
Thompson claimed she and her family were living in an apartment supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but did not invite Phillips over during the house search.
"She didn't want me coming over there," Phillips said. "She'd say, `I'll meet you.'"
Covington's husband, Edward, said the family had been listed by FEMA as displaced. But he said the church took Thompson's word for it that their house was destroyed.
They lied to get it, cheating someone who needed it more.
The church needs to check out people's stories to verify.
New Orleana, LA
I think they thought they did and will do a more thorough job in the future.
More evidence hand-outs are ineffective,
if people don't have to work to get something,
it won't be appreciated,
no matter how good the Churches 'intentions' were.
Sad, but not the least bit surprising. I'd wager the honest people victimized by Katrina have long since gotten on with their lives. All that's left are scammers like the despicable couple in this story.
I'll also wager this couple will blow through the 88 grand in less than a year.
Note to self: know the recipient of your charity.......
It is still reprehensible.
Socialist dimocrat voters. Pure and simple, they are the scum of the earth. As for "take it up with God." Oh, yeah, you will pal. And YOU will not like what HE has to say. Bastards.
I thought that too last night when this was first posted. Then I saw the video of the couple. Fraud is fraud and I think this couple should learn a lesson. I have no clue how the law would work in this but people need to understand they can't defraud and get away with it. Did you see the video?http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=1487999&version=5&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=5.7.1
The idiot 'do-gooders' as you call them will receive their reward in heaven. The scam artists have already received their reward.
Property transfer records for the resale list her as unmarried; the papers from the original sale list her as married.
They will probably just let the Lord handle it. I doubt they want to get into an ugly court battle .
Nearly 15 years ago, my wife and I gave away a car to a welfare mom to help get her started.
The car was a clean VW Rabbit.
She said she didn't like it. Then she turned around and traded it in for a new car while my wife and I still drove used cars.
We felt it was the right thing to do at the time. But today, we would have a hard time doing it again.
It would have been one thing if they took the house, lived there a while, then felt they wanted to go home to NOLA. In this case it seems this was their intent all along (to sell it) and essentially take the church for a ride.
True. I am sure they don't want to go that route. Its a shame people like this do these things. If they had lived in the house and found it not to their standard of living I could see selling it. If it had been given to me I would have talked to the church before selling it.
They aren't idiots. People that do good have a hard time understanding and accepting that some don't.
If they had done this the church probably would have understood and wished them well.
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