Civil paper filing increases keep sheriff?s department busy

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

These are indeed tough times in Michigan. The number of homes in foreclosure is skyrocketing with no end in sight. More than 145,000 properties were in foreclosure in 2008 ? a 21 percent increase from 2007 and a 108 percent increase from 2006. In January of this year alone, 11,418 foreclosures were reported in Michigan.

The flailing car industry and the loss of thousands of jobs downstate can be blamed for much of the increase in the state, but Presque Isle County hasn?t been immune from the financial problems.

Earlier this week, officers from the Presque Isle County Sheriff?s Department, working with a local subcontractor, were forced to evict a North Allis Township man from his home along County Road 489.

THE PROCESS, which starts with the posting of a foreclosure notice on the home, can take between 18 months to two years to reach the eviction stage, but when it gets to this step, a judge orders a crew to remove the individual and all of their personal belongs.

If the homeowner hasn?t made arrangements to remove the items from the home, or into a secure location safe from the weather, the household items are considered refuse and are thrown in a dumpster with an ultimate destination being the local landfill. ?You feel sorry for the guy?but then he tells us he hasn?t made a house payment in three years,?

said officer Dave Tomas, ________ . ?So, sometimes it is hard to feel sorry for a person that isn?t even trying.? The locks are changed and the building is secured. There could be some minor relief for those seeking it, as State Representative Andy Neumann (D-Alpena) voted March 11 to aid struggling homeowners and help keep more Michigan families in their homes by offering a 90-day lifeline to residents at risk of foreclosure who seek help. The plan passed the House and was sent to the Senate. “This plan isn’t just to help our residents who are in foreclosure now,” Neumann said. “It also is in place to help those who ? through no fault of their own ? might find themselves at risk of losing their homes. Many homeowners simply need time to figure out their options. This plan does just that by bringing homeowners, counselors and lenders together.”

The plan will create a 90-day reprieve from foreclosure for homeowners who commit to working with their lender and a housing counselor. Counselors are available through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

IN THE meantime, the civil processing figures continue to rise at the county sheriff?s department, painting a bleak picture of what is going on in the lives of county residents. Judges have signed orders to seize property and collect money as small as $50 to $60. Clerk Renee Szymanski received paperwork this week ordering the seizure of a woman?s van. The department will hold the vehicle for a month before selling it to the highest bidder.

There have been 1,704 papers received at the sheriff?s department since January 2007 and 1,456 served. In that time period, there have been 450 mortgage sale (foreclosure notice) postings. It could be a notice for a homeowner, or an individual renting or leasing property. The next would be a sheriff?s sale, which have been following state trends.

Last Friday there were four sheriff?s sales at the courthouse. Tomas remembers 10 years ago when he first started at the department there were two in a month. Now there are an average of three a week. ?It is only getting worse,? said Tomas. ?We?re not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel yet.?

SZYMANSKI SAID there are approximately 15 to 20 active cases in the county. Some cases have been adjourned prior to the sale for as much as a year. The bank or mortgage company has an opportunity to buy the property back, but there is a six-month redemption period for the original homeowner. If the loan isn?t paid, eviction will follow.

?The bank doesn?t want the house, they want the money,? said Tomas. People attend the auctions and believe they can get a home at a ridiculously low price. ?If the bank has $60,000, that?s what the minimum bid is,? said Tomas. ?The bank has ?X? number of dollars invested in that dwelling. People come in and think they are going to get a house for $1.

Last Friday, four or five people left the auction when they learned the minimum bids wer

e much higher than they had expected. Another sign of the times is the number of notices from hospitals, credit card companies and other businesses trying to collect past due bills. ?Most of my day is spent processing civil papers,? said Tomas. The financial crisis is taking its toll on the animal population of the county as well as Tomas who is the sheriff?s department animal control officer, has noticed an increase in animal abandonment.

?I?m finding a lot more dogs on county roads,? he said. ?They?re not your typical stray animals,? Szymanski added. ?We just took in a Siamese cat the other day.?

Tomas also transported a full-blooded Brittany spaniel with papers to the Cheboygan Humane Society because the owner said he couldn?t afford to keep the dog any longer. That makes it tough times for every living thing.

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