Biz/Tech
(2009-08-26)
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ACORN "Foreclosure Fighters" Kim Thatch and Barbara Joyce in Tacoma. Thatch's home will be auctioned in October, unless he gets a requested modification. Thatch says the falling market caused his income from a home remodeling business to go down dramatically.
Photo by: Bellamy Pailthorp.
Tacoma grandmother Barbara Joyce knows she's not alone. She's co-chair of ACORN's Pierce County Foreclosure Fighters. On a street corner in one of the hard-hit neighborhoods, she sits on her walker and reads a prepared statement.
"Here in the city of Tacoma we have 1,241 properties going up for auction, including my daughter's home -- and another 983 that are already owned by the bank," she tells a huddle of reporters and political representatives, before heading out to do some doorbelling.
Joyce says her daughter lost a good job with a security company after they bought a new house three years ago. While on unemployment, the daughter fell behind on the mortgage payments. She has another job now, which her mom says is full time and pretty good.
"But it's not enough to take care of the mortgage. Right now we're over $20-thousand dollars in debt to our lender."
She hopes with the help of ACORN and a federally approved negotiator, they can get a lower payment that will allow them to stay in their home. The group knows there's power in numbers and they're lobbying local politicians for help. They've attracted more than 90 members over the past year. And by canvassing key neighborhoods, they're aiming to get as many as it takes to pass a law that would give foreclosure victims more protection, such as the right to a mediator.
ACORN Site: Foreclosures
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