pay up or get out
Feds: Fraudsters Claimed To Own $17M Worth Of Property, Preyed On Tenants
There's a lot of work that goes in to owning a property and renting it out to tenants, but in return, landlords can charge deposits and collect rent. Two Florida residents took the "work" part out of the equation, federal prosecutors claim, and instead just pretended they owned $17 million worth of property so they could demand money from tenants. [More]
oopsies
Woman Could Lose Home She's Lived In For 55 Years Because Of A Bureaucratic Mistake
By Mary Beth Quirk 11.1.13
A blind woman in Indiana living on a limited income says if the land her house is on is taken out from underneath her, she'll have nowhere to go. But despite the fact that she's lived in the home for 55 years, she's facing eviction because no one realized the land had been sold off years ago. Ah, bureaucracy. [More]
Is A Guarantee Really A Guarantee If It's A "Gurantee"?
The operators of a company that claims, for an up-front fee of $395 and monthly payments of $395, it can keep foreclosed-upon folks in their homes for several more months may be confused about the meaning, and spelling, of the word "guarantee." [More]
Elderly Woman Faces Eviction From Apartment For American Flags On Balcony
By Mary Beth Quirk 6.4.12
Letting your patriotic side fly with three American flags might sound like a harmless act, but one elderly woman is facing eviction from her apartment for violating the rules of the New Jersey housing project she lives in for just such a display. Those rules say nothing can be on the balconies of the apartments. [More]
78-Year-Old Woman Forced To Leave House She & Her Husband Built In 1956
After the story of a 78-year-old grandmother being evicted from the home she and her husband built in 1956 hit the news, public outcry over the story has granted her a bit of a reprieve. The tricky part of all of this? Her daughter says her mental faculties are making it hard to figure out who exactly holds the mortgage. [More]
Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Announce Eviction-Free Holidays Once Again
It's hard enough for some of us to enjoy the stressful holidays, and getting booted from your home during this season would be well, a really, really bad thing. Nice then, that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have again announced that certain home evictions will be suspended from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2. [More]
Hampton Inn Bans Customer For Parking In Their Garage
By consumeristcarey 1.11.09
Hampton Inn general manager Jennifer Stahler banned reader Jack from staying at her Inn again because he dared to park his car in the Inn's garage. Jack wasn't sure he could park there in the first place, even though there weren't any signs warning "private" or "employees only," so after parking, he checked in with Jennifer who told him he was fine and even wrote him a parking slip. The next morning she changed her mind and demanded $38 in valet charges. When Jack reminded her that she never mentioned any fees and had given him a parking slip, she agreed to remove the charges but then explained that he was "no longer welcome to stay."
renters stay in homes
The Bailout Bill Helps Renters Keep Their Homes
By consumeristcarey 10.11.08
Great news for renters facing eviction due to foreclosure: any mortgage owner seeking assistance under Congress' mammoth bailout bill is required to let paying renters stay in their homes.
How "Serial Evictees" Game A System Meant To Protect Renters From Abuse
There's nothing we dislike more than people who scam a system put in place to protect vulnerable consumers from abuse, but the sad fact is that they do exist. SF Weekly has an article that tracks the exploits of a serial evictee, a "renter" who leases apartments with no intention of paying rent, and then games the system in order to stay rent free for as long as possible.