Gladys and Henry Jones bought their piece of the American dream in 2006, a home they could afford. After all, Gladys had been working at Children's Hospital for years and they knew their budget could handle the mortgage payments.
Then in late 2007, Gladys got the bad news. She had cancer. After years in the medical field, now she faced her own medical crisis. Her condition forced her to stop working.
The Jones' fell behind on their mortgage payments. Their bank filed for foreclosure. The way Gladys saw it, "I’m battling two forces here. I’m battling my disease, which is cancer, and I’m battling Wells Fargo at the same time."
The Jones’ are just two faces behind the staggering number of foreclosure cases in Hamilton County. Officals expect almost 7,000 cases to be filed by the end of this year, compared to just 1,444 filed in 1995.
Hamilton County Magistrate Michael Bachman says he doesn’t see it slowing down any time soon. Bachman handles every forclosure case in the county. He says “We have been up every single month for this year from last year.”
A morning in Bachman’s court reveals ground zero for the local foreclosure crisis. Starting at 9 a.m. four days a week, Bachman begins calling forclosure cases in Room 505 of the Hamiliton County Courthouse. He says, “A year ago I could actually, if I wanted to, go to lunch. I don’t have time to do that any more.”
On one particular day this month, Bachman had 89 foreclosure-related cases on his docket. Each orange folder tells a story of an individual or family who can’t make mortgage payments. One of those folders belongs to the Jones family.
Legal Aid attorney Stephanie Moes represents them. She says to the judge, “These homeowners have been reaching out repeatedly to Wells Fargo to get some kind of workout. What they have offered the homeowners was a forbearance plan that increased their payment plan by more than $600 dollars a month.”
The attorney representing Wells Fargo says the bank is entitled to collect money it's owed, as Moes tells the judge, “These homeowners are desperate to save their home.”
While the government is promising to help people like the Jones’ who have lost jobs or are facing medical problems, both sides say the help is slow to come.
Moes says, “We are not seeing it on the ground. In fact in the last few months I think it has been more difficult for homeowners to get workouts on their loans in the 5 years that I have been doing this.”
A look around the courtroom reveals the vast majority here are lawyers representing banks. Magistrate Bachman says, “On occasion you will see homeowners come but it is rare.”
Moes says there’s a reason for that. Court “can be a very intimidating experience because foreclosure court does have sometimes more than a dozen attorneys for the banks standing there.”
Bachman says if he could offer any advice to homeowners it is to be persistent. “Ninety percent of life is showing up, I think. If the homeowners took the time to actually pay heed to the notices they get and they actually showed up they may be better off.”
Gladys Jones says she and her husband never lived beyond their means. “My husband and I we have sacrificed. We understood. We don’t have credit cards. We don’t use them.”
They stayed persistent, and it seems to have paid off. This week, they found out the bank has withdrawn the order to sell their home. The case is on hold, and just in time for Thanksgiving.
Gladys says she’s giving thanks. “With prayers, I think I am going to be OK.”
Click here for more information on help if you’re behind on your mortgage payments.
