Christmas Cheer in Foreclosure Land ?
The generosity of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Bank of America is astounding as they announce they will not seek foreclosure evictions or sales during the holiday season, from December 20th to January 3rd. [Sense the sarcasm?] Unfortunately, Citimortgage has not been so kind, as it apparently has befriended Mr. Scrooge during the holiday season. Citimortgage announced that although it stopped foreclosure notifications last year during the holidays, it will not do that in 2010.
Please be aware that Fannie Mae made it clear that the halt will not include court proceedings involving foreclosures; they just won’t evict families from their homes during the holiday season and cold, winter months. But rest assured, banks will be back at it come January 3rd, processing those foreclosure actions at record numbers.
Perhaps the holidays will give homeowners extra time to work something out with the lenders. What a great use of the holiday halt! That is my wish this Christmas season. Here is my letter to Santa:
Dear Santa (Mr. Fae, Mr. Mac, or Mr. BoA),
I have watched many hard-working people lose their homes during a tough economic time, people who have poured their blood, sweat and tears into these concrete structures to call them a home. Many have suffered temporary set-backs or cuts in employment, medical expenses, or family emergencies. All they want is to be able to provide for their family and maintain a sense of dignity.
These are not a lazy people. They are not unconcerned people who are leaving their homes to fall apart once they know they are behind. They continue making whatever payments they can. In the meantime, they make call after call after call. They send documents to the banks numerous times, growing increasingly frustrated not being able to speak to the same individual each time for consistency, yet they continue calling and sending the paperwork to work something out. All they want is a chance to make up what has been lost.
This is a situation that could happen to anyone at any time. Nobody is immune from the economic plight. Anybody could get sick at any time. If anything, the banks are in a position where they can actually offer assistance to these people. That is my wish this Christmas. And that is why I do what I do every single day, fighting for the people of Southwest Florida. I know that everybody knows somebody in a rough situation. And everybody deserves a second chance.
Thanks for listening to the human side of a plea to work out a way to help homeowners maintain their livelihood. They just want to keep their chimney so Santa can visit every year.
Sincerely,
Danielle Zemola
Dellutri Law Group
