In the Business section a couple of Sundays ago, I wrote about Melissa Miller of Honey Brook, Chester County, who lost her house in an equity-stripping scam; a California outfit is awaiting federal trial.
Miller was conned out of her house by agreeing to sign a quitclaim deed in return for help averting foreclosure. Her house was purchased by straw buyers, and the money borrowed in their name was pocketed by the accused scammers (including her $140,000 in estimated equity).
The lender foreclosed on the straw buyers, and the house was scheduled for sheriff's sale April 15. That has been delayed until June.
There doesn't appear to be a solution to Miller's problem, short of a philanthropist dropping in, buying the house from lender JPMorgan Chase, and renting it back to Miller with an option to buy.
Sadly, however, there is an endless list of people in Miller's shoes - more and more every day, judging by my voice mail and e-mail. Like the older woman who calls and says her lender stole her house.
I get a lot of these calls. My first question is, "Do you have a lawyer?" assuming not.
In this woman's case, she did, and that opens the door for me.
Another case, which I am also looking into, involves a woman who is suing a lender to get her house back after foreclosure and sheriff's sale. She, too, has a lawyer.
If you can't afford an attorney and fall into certain income categories, help is available from Community Legal Services and other organizations.
People appeal to me for help or advice. I can only help by writing about their situations.
Individual counseling is not in my job description, nor would I presume to try.
That means I disappoint a lot of them, especially those who are too embarrassed to come forward.
For every person I write about, there are 10 who prefer anonymity, believing that they will be looked upon as failures, or as someone trying to get something for nothing.
"Please don't use my name," one man from Lehigh County wrote. "We are active in our community, and my wife would be so ashamed."
Some people in trouble try to do the right thing on their own. Miller tried. After poor health resulting from a massive brain hemorrhage led to financial problems, she tried to negotiate a new loan with conventional lenders.
Mark Silber of University City tried to do the right thing, too, and his story is one that I come across constantly, but it bears repeating.
