It’s unforgivable to make a mistake and break into the wrong house to try to recover some value from a place you’re foreclosing on. Can we all agree on that? Good.
Now, class, take heed. It’s beyond unforgivable, it’s criminal (despite the cops closing the case with no charges filed) to refuse to compensate the homeowner for damages done to her home or even to return the stuff your employees or contractors took from her house.
Barnett said that according to the bank president, this was the first time something like this has happened.
She presented him with an $18,000 estimate to replace the losses, but the president refused to pay.
“He got very firm with me and said, ‘We’re not paying you retail here, that’s just the way it is,’” Barnett said. “I did not tell them to come in my house and make me an offer. They took my stuff and I want it back.”
Jeebus. Who the hell does the lawyering or the PR/Communications for this bank? Whoever that is isn’t advising this bank officer very well.
In an update to the story,
the bank released a statement on its website, apologizing for what happened but disputing the amount of money it should repay.
In the bank’s statement, officials said they wanted to compensate Barnett fairly and equitably for inconvenience and loss.
But the bank has balked at paying the $18,000 Barnett is asking for.
In the least surprising part of this story, “She has now retained an attorney.” I hope she gets the nastiest lawyer in Ohio and the meanest civil court judge in the state as well.
Good gravy! She ought to sue away!
Never mind that someone should’ve made criminal charges of some type. That still is breaking & entering & theft.
And, it makes you wonder about those who did the deed. Did they really think it was as good as that? They must’ve for a moment thought “this is too good to be true”… that they found that much of value in a foreclosure. In most of those cases, from what i’ve heard, by the time this happens, the occupants have not just moved, but stripped the house of anything they could, including pipes, ceiling fans, fixtures, and even counter tops. There generally isn’t any electronic equipment & valuable objects left.
So a house they found in living condition must’ve surely raised some eyebrows with someone with half a clue in that business.
And yeah, why was this woman forced to go approach the bank?
Why didn’t the bank reach out to her first?
And why did the police not file anything to help her?
She’s like Archibald Buttle.
So I guess it’s that banks who sank the entire economy haven’t resulted in anyone going to jail… why would we expect this bank president to have any motivation to not do something so criminal?