THE AMERICAN DREAM
I met Rebecca recently through Facebook. I read a comment Rebecca posted that was frightening and saddened me. I don't remember exactly what she said but I vividly remember the desperation she expressed. Rebecca expressed a fear that she would become homeless for a second time and she could not take it this time around. We spoke via Facebook and as a result of our chance meeting, we agreed we would relay Rebecca's heartbreaking story. Thank you, Rebecca and Scott for standing up. This is Scott and Rebecca's story.
Scott and Rebecca enjoyed living in a beautiful home in Arizona for fourteen years. They are the your typical family, Dad, Mom, Daughter and pets. There is something about Scott and Rebecca that makes them stand out. They are the type of people that will give you the shirts off their backs. Remarkably, Rebecca donated one of her kidneys to save an other's life, the life of a stranger. Their idyllic life was about to take a drastic turn, in a horribly wrong direction. From one day to the next, they found they were living a nightmare, one they are not able to awake from.
Their nightmare is called FORECLOSURE. This is a phenomenon that is sweeping the nation. Rebecca and Scott are extraordinary people but their foreclosure story is typical, peppered with betrayal, fraud and devastating consequences. Both Scott and Rebecca work in the construction field. The economic downturn chased them. They knew they might face difficult financial times ahead but hoped that they would be able to pull out of it quickly.
Scott and Rebecca always kept up on their loan, making additional payments towards their principal. As the economy declined it adversely affected their employment. Their problems were horribly impacted when they requested a loan modification from their servicer at the time, Aurora Loans Services. Rebecca contacted Aurora Loan Services and she was advised to fall behind on the payments in order to obtain a modification. This was the first of many betrayals, or so Rebecca thought. She would later learn that her loan was fraudulent from day one. Scott and Rebecca fell behind on the payments as Aurora Loans instructed them to do. During the modification process they were sent to foreclosure, unbeknownst to them. They found out that they were in foreclosure when they received a short sale flyer for their home. Rebecca began Pro Se litigation which she was able to keep up for two years. She discovered documents that showed Aurora Loan Services had sold her loan to Lehman and then to IBM Processor Services. Promptly, she called IBM and was informed that they would not be able to assist her with a modification until her litigation with Aurora Loan Services was settled. As time passed Rebecca discovered that her home was really sold to Fannie Mae in 98. She included them in the litigation.
During the two year Pro Se litigation, her case saw five judges. When approaching a favorable decision for her case, in came a new judge. Rebecca began contacting President Obama, Senator John McCain, Senator Russell, Senator Kyle, The Office of Thrift and Supervision, FTC, HUD, Fannie Mae, Aurora Loan Services, Mayor of Gilbert, AZ, News Station and Governor Jan Brewer of AZ just to name a few, but to no avail.
Rebecca determined she needed to have an attorney to begin appeal process. She obtained legal counsel. During a four hour period, Rebecca and her Daughter picketed a court house auction of her home and they were able to thwart the sale. Rebeccca and Scott began to run out of money after several months. She could no longer afford to fight the foreclosure and Fannie Mae took her home. Rebecca the foreclosed homeowner and the Pro Se litigator just became, Rebecca the activist.
Rebecca and Scott moved their family to a rental home. Thinking the worst was behind them as they started off on a new journey. Finally, things would return to somewhat normal. Rebecca began seeking others that would be her companions in foreclosure activism. She was determined to stop any sale of her old home and speak up on behalf of others. Rebecca was fearless, after all, they couldn't take her home, they had already done that. Her activism was placed on hold momentarily while she was sent into another tailspin. Rebecca came to find out the rental home they had just moved into, was in short sale. While Scott paid the homeowner rent, the homeowner stopped paying the mortgage and lost the home to foreclosure. Where did that leave Rebecca and Scott? Homeless.
Callous, greedy banks foreclose on more and more homes leaving devastation in their wake. The courts system has no concern siding with the banks in this heinous crime. We have yet to see banker charged, be sent to trial and much less be imprisoned. The government must take a proactive stand on behalf of homeowners. Another disheartening point we have yet to see.
The government sold us the "American Dream," homes for everyone. The American Dream is quickly becoming the homeless nightmare.
I have attached Rebecca and Scott's petition to save their home. Please read, sign and share this petition with your friends, family and neighbors. Thank you.
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