Brandy, the Paranoid Mortgage Customer

[MoonCat]

I've been reading this whole thing and I kind of feel sorry for her, but only just so much. It was her choice to start using drugs, but once addicted, well, it's damn hard to get off of them. And it's got to be frightening to be at risk of losing your house (I am still not 100% sure I'm going to be able to keep mine). But right now, the drugs are running her life, that's all that really matters, and until that changes, she's never going to clean up her act.

[Ghel]

Right. She *claims* she's paying for them. $200 for the last one, she said. But who would trust anything she says?

The reason I was trying to call Brandy, besides that we haven't received that COVID housing assistance money she was supposed to get, is that property taxes are due this month in our county. Brandy escrows for property taxes and insurance, but since she's so far past due, there's no funds in her escrow. I figured I'd do the nice thing and call her to let her know we weren't paying the property taxes. "This number is unreachable." Ok, I was going to send her a letter, anyway. But she says she doesn't receive her mail. And even if she does, I doubt she reads it.

ETA: Just found out Brandy called and spoke to one of the lenders at the main branch. Ranting about how the banks are in cahoots with the realtors, and the sheriff is going to come throw her out of her house so the bank can get it back and work with a realtor to sell it out from under her, etc. etc. The lender recognized Brandy's name from our loan meetings, so she just let her ramble until she wore herself out. The fact that Brandy found the number for the main branch means she either has internet or she's actually getting her mail. Branch Manager and I had a good chuckle over this. Now that lender knows what we're dealing with when Brandy calls. lol

[EricKei]

. . . Assuming she's *paying* for them. >_>

[Ghel]

Unsurprisingly, the phone number Brandy gave me last week isn't working any more. That's six different phone numbers in the past year.

Yeah, Buzzard, I would not be surprised if she's buying phones online that are either broken or stolen when she buys them.

[Buzzard]

If I read it right, she'd be caught up to Oct 1, but again, the immediate purchases involve more chems. (Withdrawal is a stone BITCH from all accounts) Keeping current will be even harder, as she's found OTHER people/programs to pay for stuff and keep her home paid for, so she doesn't even have to think about paying the bank, so she can just blow that money now. Actually completing the paperwork and getting things done... require mental clarity (not likely while on chems), and/or someone in her face, keeping her on task.

One of the fun thoughts that wander through my mind about the 101 different phones and numbers a year... I can't help but wonder if these are stolen, 'borrowed', or shady-purchased phones that work for a little while before the owners get them shut off, or get shut off for non-payment.

[Ghel]

Even if we get the money from the housing assistance, Brandy will still be due for October 1st. Branch Manager has been working with a lawyer on foreclosures/evictions for this customer and also the squatter. But I don't know if there's an update from them yet.

[taxguykarl]

Assuming that you get the assistance money, how close to caught up will Brandy be? Face it, Ghel, the bank will have to foreclose and will likely eat a loss on this one. Keep the lawyer posted and consider this a rehearsal for Betty (you know that is a question of when, not whether).
BTW, good call on no more visits, drug users are unpredictable.

[Ghel]

<ring, ring>
Me: This is Ghel.
SC: Hey, it's Brandy. What's the status of my loan?
Me: It's the same as the last time we talked, Brandy.
SC: You haven't gotten any money from the COVID assistance?
Me: Not yet.
SC: What happened with that letter I gave you?
Me: <The one you basically threw in my face?> I emailed it to the lady from the COVID assistance. She said you were tentatively approved, but it needs to go to the funder. They said they'd send us a check in 1 to 2 weeks. And even if we do get that money from them, you'll still be due for October 1st, so you still need to make a payment.
SC: What's my payment amount? $xxx? $xxx?
Me: <internal sigh> <looks it up> It's $xxx.xx <She was off by about $5.> You should be getting monthly billing notices.
SC: I don't get any mail from you.
Me: According to what I'm seeing here, we're sending you a notice each month.
SC: I don't get any mail at all. I think someone's stealing it.
Me: Maybe it's time for a post office box?
SC: I shouldn't have to do that. I guess it's time to make another complaint to the post office.
Me: Can you give me a phone number where we can reach you?
SC: It's the number I'm calling you on. Can you give me the number of that lady from the COVID assistance?
Me: <You mean the number you gave me like a month ago?>Sure. I can give you that number if you give me a phone number we can reach you at.
SC: Ok. It's xxx-xxx-xxxx. <Weirdly, not in our area code.>
Me: Thanks. Let me glance back through the many emails she and I sent each other. Here it is. <I give her the lady's contact information.>
SC: Ok. I'm going to call her.
Me: And don't forget your October payment.
SC: Yeah, yeah. I'm in the middle of running some errands right now...

She kind of trailed off after that. I ended the call without a promise of payment, but I wouldn't have believed her even if she had promised to pay.

[Buzzard]

Brandy won't be visiting. If she comes around, she'll get asked these HORRID questions like "Where's that payment?" Such things are the purest of Kryptonite to SuperDruggie. (Don't ask what powers she actually has. Just... don't.)

Delivery by Sheriff seems to be best, since they can ask even nastier questions about certain substances that may be the source of her powers. ("Ohshiii SuperDruggie, AWAY!")

[dalesys]

I would hope your bank has a way to instantly lock the doors when you get the alert: "Incoming! Brandy!"

[Ghel]

I don't think we'll be visiting her again. We'll deliver documents either via certified mail or have the sheriff deliver them.

[Victory Sabre]

Based on what you described about your last visit with her, I'd highly recommend the police escort you on any future visits. She's totally off the wall.

[Ghel]

Yes, the "fun" of watching her melt down. heh.

I'm not sure what she's expecting. If she's aware of... anything, she might know that there's still a moratorium on foreclosures. I'm not sure what the status is on that, but that's what we'll pay an attorney for when that time comes. Also, in Minnesota, if we do foreclose she has a 12-month redemption period, during which she'll get to live in the house, and therefore get to trash it as much as she wants. Up until last week, she was still talking about renting out the house to someone else or maybe selling it. So she was sprucing it up, keeping it nice. But if she thinks we're going to foreclose, or even if she seriously thinks she needs to move because of her stalker, she might destroy the house like we've seen so many times before.

[earl colby pottinger]

Bank gets money, we get the fun of watching her melt down.

[Pixelated]

I agree that she will almost certainly completely lose her shit if/when she realizes the money is not coming to her.