Homeowner out in the “cold” due to Clerk of Court’s Office error
Well, not exactly out in the cold, as these events took place in South Florida. Semantics aside, two weeks ago Anna Ramirez and her family were evicted from their home following her house being sold at public auction as a foreclosed property. Her $260,000 home went for a whopping $87,000, cheap at twice the price. The only problem was, there wasn’t a foreclosure.
Anna’s lender, Washington Mutual (now Chase), did begin foreclosure proceedings, but put a stop to them when a loan modification was reached. The bank did its part by filing a reversal of the sale with the court. Oops, “someone” at the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Court’s Office failed to file a judge’s order to stop the foreclosure.
That error put the Ramirez family and all of their belongings out on the front lawn. Witnessed by neighbors, the family was mortified. “This shouldn’t be happening, you know, because we did the right thing,” Anna told a local television station.
Fortunately, with the assistance of a neighbor, Anna was able to get the sale of her home overturned. Gathering her belongings, which were stored in several locations, she and her family moved back into their home within a few days. Several pieces of furniture were damaged during the eviction and she is presently seeking legal means to recover the cost of the damages. An official from the Clerk’s Office is planning on contacting Anna in an effort to apologize for the gross error. Hardly seems enough.
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Posted by Sharon Walker
Tags: Anna Ramirez foreclosure, Miami-Dade County Clerk of Court's Office error, mortgage loan modification