There are many programs in existence to help struggling homeowners. Those programs and ways to reduce payments are vital for some who wish to avoid home foreclosure. Florida homeowners may want to consider how these programs help, but also may want to ensure every party involved knows exactly what is going on. Recently, an elderly homeowner narrowly avoided losing his home due to a communication error when he participated in a program to lower his payments.
The 82-year-old man never missed a payment but was on a fixed income. He sought a way to reduce his payments by deferring his property tax payments. This plan would help him save roughly $1,000 a year. The man participated in the tax deferment for around 10 years.
Around two years ago, the man got word from Bank of America that he was delinquent on his tax bill. He sent letters and made calls explaining that he was part of the tax program to no avail. He then received word that the bank was set to begin foreclosure proceedings. The error was discovered before he lost his home and was pinned on a communication problem between the state and the county.
This man was lucky the issue was resolved before he lost his home. However, there have been countless cases where people have been wrongfully foreclosed upon or have had to fight foreclosure as they waited for approval from various programs. Loan modifications and other programs to avoid home foreclosure in Florida can be a useful tool for many, but anyone taking part or looking for ways to avoid foreclosure should make sure everyone involved knows about the program to avoid any mistakes or miscommunication.
Source: nbcchicago.com, Mixup Almost Leads to Senior’s Home Foreclosure, Lisa Parker, Nov. 21, 2013