Bank robs woman's house, refuses to pay up.

[PLACforever]

From "People who ruined this week for us:
4. The management at First National Bank in Athens County, OH who gave the okay to remove items from the wrong house and then basically told the homeowner, "We're a bank so we're not compensating you for ****. Screw off." So this woman came home to find her home broken into, all her stuff gone, and her locks changed. She looked into it and found out it was a bank that burglarized her, after confusing her house for the house across the street, which the bank had intended to repossess. Though the bank should obviously be charged with burglary, since they broke into a home and stole all the homeowner's **** (that's burglary when I do it!), the police told the woman the matter wasn't something they were going to pursue. When the woman sent the bank a bill to compensate her for all the **** the bank broke in and stole from her, the bank said, "Nope." So, who wants to carpool to Ohio and form a torch-wielding mob outside a bank building? I can fit three people in my Zipcar. (Via 10TV.com)

Vinton County Woman Wants Possessions Back After Bank Tried To Repossess Wrong House | WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio

Bank Issues Statement About Home It Wrongfully Foreclosed Upon, Balks At Paying Up | WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio

http://ig.libertyonline.net/ImageGallery/Custom/cu1176/PDFs/Announcement.pdf

Discuss.

 

[BobD]

I'd bet there will be a follow-up story soon about the bank paying her more than 18k.

 

[Irish Insanity]

The bank is pathetic. I'm sure the manager was just trying to cover his ***. Imagine had he went to his bosses and said he needed to authorize a $18k payment to someone for them taking the wrong persons ****. It's not like she walked in trying to clean out the bank, she simply asked for retail replacement of her items.

 

[Black Irish]

I am going to legally change my name to "The Bank" so that I can steal things from people's homes without fear of legal repercussion.

 

[IrishLax]

What's funny is that now that this is going public she could potentially get a LOT more than $18k in civil courts if she went to trial.... and I'd wager she could get a settlement north of $20k right now no problem. The bank stands to lose soooooooooooo much business over this if it isn't resolved quickly and happily.

 

[kmoose]

The bank is not refusing to compensate her. They are refuting her declared value for her property. On the surface, I agree that it is probably in the bank's best financial interest to just pay the woman. But I haven't see her valuations for her property. If the headline went like this: "Woman claims $1,000 toaster and $5,000 shower curtain"...... would you still be outraged that the bank didn't want to pay?

 

[greyhammer90]

The bank is not refusing to compensate her. They are refuting her declared value for her property. On the surface, I agree that it is probably in the bank's best financial interest to just pay the woman. But I haven't see her valuations for her property. If the headline went like this: "Woman claims $1,000 toaster and $5,000 shower curtain"...... would you still be outraged that the bank didn't want to pay?

If the bank didnt want to be overcharged for property, they shouldn't have stolen it.

 

[ThePiombino]

The bank is not refusing to compensate her. They are refuting her declared value for her property. On the surface, I agree that it is probably in the bank's best financial interest to just pay the woman. But I haven't see her valuations for her property. If the headline went like this: "Woman claims $1,000 toaster and $5,000 shower curtain"...... would you still be outraged that the bank didn't want to pay?

My $1000 toaster and $5000 shower curtain say 'yes'.

 

[tadman95]

If the bank didnt want to be overcharged for property, they shouldn't have stolen it.

Cutting to core, I like it. I can't imagine there weren't laws broken here. I'd be pressing the Police and DA hard. She'll get her money, and I'd still like to see some criminal charges at least filed.

 

[ThePiombino]

Cutting to core, I like it. I can't imagine there weren't laws broken here. I'd be pressing the Police and DA hard. She'll get her money, and I'd still like to see some criminal charges at least filed.

At least some sort of negligence.

 

[tadman95]

Agree. Someone broke into her house, with or without the Bank's blessing. That person/s has a problem.

 

[IrishLax]

The bank is not refusing to compensate her. They are refuting her declared value for her property. On the surface, I agree that it is probably in the bank's best financial interest to just pay the woman. But I haven't see her valuations for her property. If the headline went like this: "Woman claims $1,000 toaster and $5,000 shower curtain"...... would you still be outraged that the bank didn't want to pay?

No, but what is ridiculous is that they threw out all of her stuff and then demand receipts. So not only did they destroy the basis for her claim but in clearing out the house also would've destroyed any receipts that she did have. So any plausible claim should be - and I'm sure will be - paid. Because if she actually took this to court and claimed emotional distress she could get stacks on stacks on stacks of cash. Proving emotional distress, on top of actual tangible harm done through negligence, would be absolute cake in the case too:
-Experienced distress? Check. Any and all nostalgic items/keepsakes/photos/etc. were destroyed. Not to mention, you know, not having a bed to sleep on and the like.
-Conduct outrageous or extreme? Check. Broke into the wrong house, destroyed all of her stuff.
-Reckless or intentional? Check. This is the only potential hiccup (notice the bank using the term "acting in good faith" already in their release) but at the end of the day all the attorney would have to do is say "why on earth didn't you just check the address?" and that's negligence on the bank's part and they're sunk. Their only out would be if the house's address was marked wrong.
-The actions the direct cause of emotional distress? Check. They destroyed her stuff.

The bank is going to get shafted because not only did they screw up but rather than just pay her a small sum of money to rectify the situation and move on, they opted for the "pinch pennies" route... and now that she has lawyered up and gone public, she has all the leverage.

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

They blamed their GPS lol. This is what they left.

<iframe src="http://www.10tv.com/content/mediaplayer/embed.html?ooid=pkanZpZDrBbO6ekgSeOU0QBeP4QvHjjm&cmpid=share" width="620" height="390" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen scrolling="no"></iframe>

 

[Irish Insanity]

I know absolutely nothing about repos. But if they repo your house, they don't get to take and destroy the contents do they? The whole situation seems odd.

 

[magogian]

This should get resolved quickly and fairly. A lawyer will help her out for free or a reduced rate. And the bank's lawyers will tell the bank how f-ed they are if they don't settle and settle fairly.

 

[BeauBenken]

I know I would ask for more compensation than simply retail value of those items. You broke into my house, likely stole things that have some emotional value to me, and then you didn't try and settle it quickly with the 18k I asked for.

I'd be furious. And getting myself better furniture by the end of the day.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

We all know banks are above the law and don't get prosecuted.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Bank screwed.
Didn't BOA try pretty much the same thing in FL and ended up getting foreclosed on?

 

[BGIF]

The bank is not refusing to compensate her. They are refuting her declared value for her property. On the surface, I agree that it is probably in the bank's best financial interest to just pay the woman. But I haven't see her valuations for her property. If the headline went like this: "Woman claims $1,000 toaster and $5,000 shower curtain"...... would you still be outraged that the bank didn't want to pay?

The bank isn't simply "refuting her declared value for her property". They are demanding that she prove it was her property acquired over a lifetime.

How much is that plaster handprint your kid made in kindergarten?

To the bank probably not a buck. To a jury with children and/or grandchildren, Priceless.


Even if her house was almost empty when they got there, $18K would have been a pittance to pay to avoid the PR nightmare and exposure they dealt themselves. This was their and/or their agent's negligence, compounded by the banks arrogance.

As much as the police would like to stay out of this there appears to have been a B&E, Grand Theft, and possibly some other goodies. This isn't a neighbor borrowing a rake and not returning it.

The bank broke into her castle, ransacked it, and took possession. They acknowledged they took her stuff. I hope she gets a lot of their stuff in return.

 

[fightincolts]

I understand the bank can get in trouble for all of this, but what about the repo-man? He was told the correct address, but broke into the wrong house. Most of the repomen I know work on a hire-to-hire basis and aren't contractually employees to a certain company or in this case, bank. I'm sure if she wanted, she could sue the repo-mans *** and get even more for negligence.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Bank screwed.
Didn't BOA try pretty much the same thing in FL and ended up getting foreclosed on?

There was a couple in Florida that bought a house for cash. Never had a mortgage on it. BOA inexplicably foreclosed. The couple notified them correctly, step-by-step. They notified the bank, and go no satisfaction. They sent affidavits to the bank, affidavits with self executing contracts buried within. The bank ignored them, time after time. After the time expired for the bank as set forth in the contracts, the couple walked into a branch with sheriff's deputies and a moving company. The deputies closed the branch.

The branch manager called corporate. They faxed the paperwork the branch manager was served. The couple had a settlement they were happy with almost immediately. The branch re-opened for business within an hour-and-a-half.

I would recommend that the lady do that here, and I think the repossession agent that went to the wrong home and threw away her things should be fired and criminally prosecuted. Another of those "criminally stupid" individuals we have heard about lately?

Anybody got any information on him? It would be fun to give him a call.

 

[BGIF]

I understand the bank can get in trouble for all of this, but what about the repo-man? He was told the correct address, but broke into the wrong house. Most of the repomen I know work on a hire-to-hire basis and aren't contractually employees to a certain company or in this case, bank. I'm sure if she wanted, she could sue the repo-mans *** and get even more for negligence.

The repo man was hired by the bank so that makes them the bank's agent. They share in this but the action was precipatited by the bank, the actions taken by the bank's agent, and the bank took possession (changing locks and holding the keys) and the bank is playing stone wall with the owner's attempt remedy the situation.

 

[Grahambo]

Unbelievable. I'm so angry for her. I can't even find the words.

 

[ulukinatme]

I don't care if she's exaggerating the costs or not. I'm sure some of the items that were taken had sentimental value. You can't put a price on my 82" Mitsubishi TV, I'd die if that was taken

 

[Irish Insanity]

How did she get in if they changed the locks? Or did they just ransack the house and that was it.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Unbelievable. I'm so angry for her. I can't even find the words.

Me too. In fact, this kind of thing is the basis for most of my outrage.

I did a little research. 18K is a little low for a complete household contents, even for this area in OH. Also, I think I read the garage was emptied and in it there were competition auto parts, maybe Toyota, maybe an engine build. So it was everything, I believe from lawnmowers to lipstick.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

How did she get in if they changed the locks? Or did they just ransack the house and that was it.

She went in through a window that was unlocked and she was able to push open. By the way, (that is not breaking and entering, she had a legal right to be there.)

 

[Black Irish]

It would be great if someone opened an account at this bank for, say, $100K. Then turn around and close it out a week later. Then tell the shocked-looking bank office "You see how it feels when people take things away from you with no good reason?" I smell a Kickstarter campaign.

 

[woolybug25]

It would be great if someone opened an account at this bank for, say, $100K. Then turn around and close it out a week later. Then tell the shocked-looking bank office "You see how it feels when people take things away from you with no good reason?" I smell a Kickstarter campaign.

I think you guys are not keeping in mind that the local bank branch and it's manager aren't the people that do the foreclosure processing. Depending on the bank, there is either a mortgage service center or corporate office that facilitates all of this. Not the individual branch.

The manager and its employees are probably just local residents that are pissed about what happened too. Hopefully they are doing their part to try to help the homeowner get their money back from the corporate offices. But vitrol against them is probably a bit misplaced.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I think you guys are not keeping in mind that the local bank branch and it's manager aren't the people that do the foreclosure processing. Depending on the bank, there is either a mortgage service center or corporate office that facilitates all of this. Not the individual branch.

The manager and its employees are probably just local residents that are pissed about what happened too. Hopefully they are doing their part to try to help the homeowner get their money back from the corporate offices. But vitrol against them is probably a bit misplaced.

When is the last time mortgage paper was owned by the bank that processed it?

Let's go for the real culprit, Red China.