Decisions, Decisions.

byvntnse01

149 followers

Updated 9 years ago

What's on my mind? That is a very good question, I know that I am in the same boat as so many other people. I have decided to write about it here and hopefully some of my WA peers will gain insight as to the decisions that they need to make also.

A little background: I always saw myself in some successful career, and I found that career in telecommunications. I loved it!

From the age of 16, I always worked in some type of customer service related position, and when I landed in AT&T, my life could not have gotten any better! I started out with SNET and went through many transitions SBC, AT&T now known as Frontier. During those years I had built a wonderful life, my children were never in want of anything that I suffered without as a child. As I became more successful, my credit score was awesome and I bought 2 houses. One for me and one for my mom. Then things started going sideways and I had no one to turn to...my job was becoming highly stressful, and I had taken a leave of absence due to a possible heart attack. On my way into work on my very first day back, I was rear ended by a car that had been rear ended by a truck, well that car ping ponged between us and bought me another 3 months out of work due to my injuries.

Somewhere in between all of this, my father passed away, and I was really struggling. By this time I was at half pay from work and fighting with the bank. Yep...I was the hood ornament on the train wreck we all refer to as the housing market crash of 2008.

So, I decided to try and sell my home on a short sale after the bank decided to foreclose. I was so at the beginning that there was no program from the government to help me save my home. Well, I found a buyer. She was from Massachusetts. She came over, looked at the house and despite my son's "gut" instinct that this was a bad woman and she was "going to screw us" as he so gingerly put it; I went ahead with the paperwork. I guess because I didn't know any better, I was scared that the bank would go after my mom's house and I had no one to turn to professionally or personally that could understand what I was going through.

Little did I know that hidden in that packet of paperwork was a chapter 13 bankruptcy form. I had signed similar forms when I bought my houses so I figured there was not much difference in the selling forms, I just skimmed over them. And signed them. The agreement was that I would move out by April 1st. She already had a couple that wanted to rent the house. I kept my end of the deal and moved, only to find out that she never filed any of the paperwork except the bankruptcy form. She had taken a 3 month security deposit and about 4 months of rent from her "tenants" when they called me and asked what was going on. When I told them I didn't know and explained my situation to them, they in turn told me that they had received eviction notices from the bank. Not only did I lose my home but they lost about 10k and had to find another place to live.

Well, here we are exactly 7 years later, and I am just finding out that this woman was not only a scam artist but, was part of a larger group that was taking advantage of homeowners like me, backed against the wall and nowhere to turn. This group had connections in the courthouse and would knowingly file these false bankruptcies in order to postpone the foreclosures so they could prey on not only the homeowner but the new tenants. It has also been verified that a well known lawyer and one of his paralegals were a part of this huge scam.

Not only did I lose my home in 2008, but AT&T decided to close the department where I had built my career...so, out of a job, and pretty much homeless for the next 4 years. I struggled to try to get even a portion of my life back. I finally moved in upstairs from my mom 2 short years ago. During that 1st year I was quite ill and had to undergo 2 life saving surgeries and for the past year have had severe difficulty securing a permanent full time position in any customer related field.

What is the lesson in this very true, humbling experience?

Is there more than one? I am sure there is and these lessons will be different for each person who reads this blog.

For me: the lessons are as follows;

1. If it seems too good to be true...it is. 2. Always listen to my son's "gut instinct." 3. Always read each and every page in a legal document, no matter how many times you've read them before. 4. Don't trust anyone you don't know until they have earned it. 5. Always look for professional help from someone who is reputable among your associates. 6. Count your blessings although few and don't dwell on the past. 7. Build on the lessons from your mistakes.

Please, if you have any life lesson's you want to share...leave them in the comment box below.