Besides her two sons, it's really hard to tell. There is a long list to choose from. The facts of the story, as best as I can figure, below the fold.
What kind of world are we living in when anyone thinks it's ok to throw a 101 year old woman, in a wheel chair, with diabetes and glaucoma, onto the street with her belongings in a dumpster - from the home she has lived in for over 58 years? It makes me beyond sick and sad.
So the house was bought and fully paid for. But in 2002, the son "had his mother take out" a $32,000 reverse mortgage for "roof repairs". Which he allegedly squandered on a car and other misc. Then he failed to pay the property taxes (which was a violation of the contract), so the house was sold to HUD at an auction, who repossessed it and had her evicted. By then the mortgage had ballooned to almost $80,000.
Beyond that, what lender in their right mind would make a loan on an almost 100 year old house in Detroit, which now has an assessed value of $5,200? Did Texana even know what she was signing? Did the lender even care? Was a fraud perpetrated by the son? Is anyone looking into that??
Then we have the court, and the attorneys...
Judge Marylin Atkins, chief judge of the 36th District Court in Detroit, said court records show the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development bought the home at auction in December. It would have taken $78,935.02 to stop the proceedings, she said.
Mike Hillebrand, spokesman for the Farmington Hills law offices of Trott & Trott, which handled the eviction action for HUD, referred questions to an e-mail address at HUD's Oklahoma office. That office referred inquires to Wayne County's tax authority, but the response came after the office had closed.
Atkins said notices about the pending action would have started showing up in the Hollis' mail in May. A court officer began visiting the house a week ago, informing Texana Hollis' sons that they would be evicted Sept. 8. It rained that day, so he came back the next day, Atkins said. When the officer realized the family still wasn't ready Friday, he gave them until Monday.
"Out of respect for the elderly -- absolutely," Atkins said, explaining that the family had months to make arrangements. "This court officer tried to work with the son; nobody did anything."
That was nice that they gave them an extra day because it was raining rolls eyes. But did he contact anyone that could actually help? Or was it the "it's not my job" mentality at work? Seems all the fingers are pointing at each other.
This story breaks my heart. Thank god for her wonderful neighbors, but this has to have been traumatic for this poor elderly woman. Yes, the sons are responsible mostly, but there is plenty of blame to go around. I believe this woman is still in the hospital and this grassroots community group It takes a Village Ya'll is trying to help her. If you'd like to get involved, there are phone numbers and a FB page.
2:20 PM PT: This popped up literally 2 minutes after I hit publish. I don't know if it is a permanent situation or not, but it is good news nonetheless.
"DETROIT (WXYZ) - There are breaking developments concerning the eviction of 101-year-old Texana Hollis . She will now get her house back after a heartbreaking ordeal.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, came out and took the padlock off of the home and Texana we are told she will be able to return to her home.
Texana is currently in the hospital. She was rushed by ambulance to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit Monday night, suffering from severe anxiety after being evicted from the home she had lived in for 58 years.
Earlier on Wednesday, Call for Action reporter Bill Spencer began digging for information in this case. He talked with Detroit City Councilwoman JoAnne Watson, who promised she would do whatever she could to help Texana.
Watson visited Texana in the hospital, knelt by her bed and prayed with her. Watson then went to talk directly to the Detroit Director of HUD, the agency that now owns her home."