call Centex Home Equity every single day until someone will talk to me

Centex has denied the request to take back the deed instead of foreclosing. We were never told it was a “request”.

On top of this, we received a legitimate offer for the property – albeit a somewhat low offer. Centex declined the offer.

We saw a lawyer.

We found out that you can deed a property to pretty much anyone that you like. You are still responsible for the debt, but no longer responsible for the property.

So, I’ll be deeding the property on Friday. I’ll have all utilities disconnected, etc.

Centex becomes responsible for the “real property”, ie, utilities, mowing the yard, general upkeep, etc. I still own 100% of the debt.

This actually costs less in the long run than allowing the full foreclosure. The mortgage company will eventually sell the property. The difference between the sale and the value will be owed by me. Which would be owed by me if they foreclose anyway. Per the attorney, this saves additional interest and being charged the cost of foreclosure.

They there is nothing more dangerous than a man that has nothing to lose. I wonder how that applies to a woman?

...Centex called yesterday. They have completed an inspection of the house and now need to schedule an appraisal… Should have that done by the end of next week.

Ms. Faulkner called me this afternoon – things are puttering right along. We can expect to receive a call from an appraiser this week. Once that is done, it is onward with the paperwork and the return. It’s like having bought the wrong size pants at the department store – only on a much larger scale.

Sigh.

Ms. Faulkner at Centex called me today.

It looks like the title search will be done next week.

At that point, an overnight package will be sent to me with paperwork to sign. Once signed and notarized, I need to get it back to them in as little time as possible (like, 1 day would be good).

They get those papers, and, voila, done deal.

She said that it could possibly be all done by Friday of next week… possible but not probable… probably the week after…

Wow.

...a letter from Centex yesterday officially beginning the process of giving the house back. I have to call them this afternoon and go for step two.

Deep breath.

Today, someone talked to me. Actually, really talked to me, and, more important, listened to me: Ms. Faulkner.

They are taking the property back without a foreclosure.

Thank God… and Ms. Faulkner.

More as things progress.

I got a letter in the mail from Centex.

It states, and I quote, “We have made attempts to discuss this with you, but … we have not been in contact with you or received…”

I wonder what all those calls I’ve been making are? Certainly not contact…

I’ll be calling again today, letter in hand.

As was pointed out to me by another 43T member: If you got to the “call Centex Home Equity every single day until someone will talk to me” goal on my 43T list, my choice of tags has matched up an actual ad for Centex home loans to my goal… the ad is just sort of hanging there to the right of my entries…

Is a taunt?

A sign?

Whatever – I’m laughing my butt off…

I wonder how much they are paying in order to have a linked ad on my little piece of the net… the place where I am basically not saying very nice things about them.

Irony is my favorite form of humor, and this one is not lost on me.

Ha!

Well, I spoke to someone that wasn’t a jerk today. I consider that an accomplishment in itself!

Ms. Duncan, the person that I spoke to today, gave me some real information and some timelines for the things that can / will happen in the future depending on where we go with the property.

I also got Ms. Duncan’s direct line number and made a commitment to call her back tomorrow.

On we go.

Okay… so back in November I contacted Centex and explained the following:

1. We have three house payments right now.
2. The payment on the property financed through Centex has gone up by $200 a month due to a reassessment of propery taxes
3. The gas bill on the house financed through Centex is in excess of $200 per month, even thought the house is empty and the thermostat is at 50 degrees
4. The house financed through Centex has been on the market over 6 months with not a nibble
5. I can’t rent out the property because their mortgage contract precludes it
6. I cannot afford all of this, three car payments (paying for his ex-wife’s vehicle… love Indiana divorce laws), four kids and life in general
7. Centex, can you help me?

No.

After getting through four people in three different departments, I left a message a day for a week for someone in the “special” department that was the only department that could possibly help me. “Ma’am, we can’t do anything for you until the property is in default. You are current on your payments.”

Fine, I haven’t made a payment since. Saturday I got my “you are in default” letter. Sweet.

I called Centex… only two people in two departments this time. The “Mr. Harper” that I ended up with was hostile, to say the least. He informed me that now that I was in default, the offer they could make to me was to catch up all my missed payments, pay all the fees and charges and make my regular February payment on time.

Huh? When questioned, he replied “That is the best I can do for you.”

My reply? “Then you can’t do anything for me.”

At that point, he says “Then I guess this call is over,” and hung up on me.

Fine.

So now, I’m going to call Centex every single day. I want it documented that I am trying to talk to these people. I might be wrong about a lot of things, but we literally can’t buy groceries and maintain these atrocious payments. We had it all budgeted and taken care of, we could manage, but then winter hit (we really believed the two “extra” houses would have sold by the end of 2005), the gas bill(s) sky rocketed, the tax reassessment kicked in… Argh.

So here we are. Broke. Broken. And credit wrecked all to hell.

Happy New Year.