Vivian Kennedy Peacock receives extension on vacating her
home
For homeowners who are faced with foreclosure, navigating the
many programs out there in an attempt to stay in their homes can be
overwhelming as Vivian Kennedy Peacock has discovered in recent
months.
The founder of All Creatures Great and Small Rescue, Inc.,
received the first notice of foreclosure sale on her Hollister home
in April, and with the help of her daughter Samantha Imm, she tried
to find a way to stay in her home.
Vivian Kennedy Peacock receives extension on vacating her home
For homeowners who are faced with foreclosure, navigating the many programs out there in an attempt to stay in their homes can be overwhelming as Vivian Kennedy Peacock has discovered in recent months.
The founder of All Creatures Great and Small Rescue, Inc., received the first notice of foreclosure sale on her Hollister home in April, and with the help of her daughter Samantha Imm, she tried to find a way to stay in her home.
For Peacock, the process has put some of her animal rescue work on hold as her home is usually the first stop for animals that she takes in from the local animal shelter. She serves as a temporary foster home for animals until they can get into another foster home, or better still, adopted into a permanent home.
“I am still doing what I can with the daily running of the shelter,” Peacock said. “But the house is barebones.”
She has moved many of the rescue items into storage and she has worked to get some of the animals into other foster homes. She still has her own pets and two foster animals staying with her, as she searches for a pet-friendly home that she can afford on her income.
“We’ve got (foster animals) with special needs,” she said. “They are costly, but we saved their lives.”
She said that she has not been able to arrange fundraisers since one held at Ridgemark earlier this year, but donations are still welcome to care for the pets.
“I’ve been unable to take any more animals out of the shelter,” she said, as she sorts out her living situation.
Imm stepped in June to help her mother through the process and said that she was able to get a 30-day extension in July because of a discrepancy on the part of the lender. She was able to get the lender, Wachovia, to review a loan modification application, giving her mother until the end of August to vacate the home. Peacock did not qualify for the loan-modification programs, but now her file is on hold as the lender reviews her eligibility for the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program, a program that allows homeowners who did not qualify for the loan modification to sell their home through a short sale process.
Imm said if Peacock qualifies for the HAFA program, she will have 120 days to sell the home. If she does not, the clock will start again on the foreclosure and she will have to vacate the home in September.
“I called and knocked on every door,” Imm said. “I tried every option.”
Imm voiced her concerns in August at a town hall meeting with Congressman Sam Farr. Imm continuously faxed the bank, and Farr’s office also sent over a letter asking to have the file reviewed again.
“Families are getting displaced and ending up in shelters,” she said. “It’s more people ending up in the homeless population. That is a significant concern.”
Imm recommended that those facing foreclosure start researching their options early on.
“It does take a lot of research on the part of the person in the situation themselves,” she said. “Once they see themselves heading down that path, they should start doing research and start finding out what options are out there as soon as possible.”
Imm said that even when her mother did not qualify for a program, sometimes the advisors were able to refer her to other resources.
“It offers some relief that we went down that road,” she said. “There is no question that there was something else that I should have done. It is a daunting process…”
Imm said that they know Peacock will not be able to stay in the home permanently, and they are now focused on finding an alternative place for her to live and continue her rescue work.
“The primary issue is she can’t afford a loan of this amount…” Imm said. “If she had realized this earlier on maybe she could have started seeking alternative housing arrangements rather than only pursuing to stay in the home.”
Resources for homeowners in danger of foreclosure
Making Home Affordable
877-300-5454
www.makinghomeaffordable.gov
HOPE
Part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, the program continues through Sept. 30 and is designed to help qualified homeowners avoid defaulting on their loans.
888-995-HOPE (888-995-4673)
Keep Your Home California
888-954-5337
www.keepyourhomecalifornia.com
Housing and Urban Development
http://portal.hud.gov
California Rural Legal Assistance – Gilroy
Offers fair housing pre-purchase education workshops and rental housing counseling
7365 Monterey Road, Ste. H
408-847-1408
www.crla.org
Project Sentinel
Offers mortgage delinquency and default resolution counseling, non-delinquency post purchase workshops, pre-purchase counseling, pre-purchase homebuyer education workshops, predatory lending education workshops, rental housing counseling and services for homeless counseling.
7800 Arroyo Circle, Bldg. A., Gilroy
408-842-7740 or 888-331-3332
www.housing.org
Surepath Finacial Solutions – Watsonville
Offers financial management and budget counseling, mortgage delinquency and default resolution counseling, non-delinquency post purchase workshops, pre-purchase counseling, pre-purchase homebuyer education workshops, predatory lending education workshops, rental housing counseling and services for homeless counseling.
23 E. Beach St., Ste. 211, Watsonville
877-615-7873
www.surepath.org
www.foreclosure.law.org/California_Foreclosure_Law.htm
