A Norfolk homeowner, facing foreclosure, was helped recently by Newport News Delegate Robin Abbott. Abbott, an attorney, offered to help elementary school teacher Michele McBeth after reading of the woman’s attempts to save her home in the newspaper.
Abbott, who specializes in consumer and mortgage law, scheduled an emergency hearing with a judge to stop the foreclosure. She also called the Richmond attorney hired to handle the foreclosure to point out what Abbott believed were several missteps in the process.
“We had some conversations – that I didn’t believe he had standing to bring the foreclosure,” Abbott said.
Among the problems, she said, was that the attorneys had not been hired by McBeth’s current mortgage company, Wells Fargo. The attorneys, instead, had been hired by EverHome Mortgage Co., which had transferred the servicing of the loan to Wells Fargo before foreclosure proceedings began.
On Aug. 25, the attorney handling the foreclosure agreed to postpone the sale.
Kudos to Del. Abbott for stepping up to help!
That is fortunate for Ms. McBeth. Unfortunately, that is just one of tens of thousands in our region who are, or have been, in those identical circumstances. The very banks that took TARP funds to minimize their losses now are low-balling disposal of foreclosed properties and making handsome profits. What a vicious society we have become.
Posted by wally erb | Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 9:40 amThank you Ms. Abbott…you just saved a teacher and her family. I hope Ms.McBeth will remember to “pay it forward” as well when she can. My guess is she will. I hope all will follow Ms. Abbott’s example. If we did, what a better place this world would be.
Posted by Rediford New | Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 7:04 pmI heard one congresswoman say, if you are in foreclosure, ask the bank for the original documents. They are needed to go forward. Most of the banks that have taken over the loan DO NOT have those papers.
Posted by linda b | Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 7:48 amI am so glad for Mrs. McBeth. Those kind of practices have to stop. It’s all in the name of making/taking our $money$. She’s an educator too, a most important and noble profession. Mrs. McBeth, keep teaching and I hope your son will continue on to college. Blessings to your family.
Posted by Vaydra | Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 11:40 am