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Sunday, July 12, 2009

Lenders Walking Away

by Calculated Risk on 7/12/2009 06:02:00 PM

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lenders abandoning foreclosed properties (ht Michael)

Rodney Lass figured his days as a homeowner were over when he was hit with a foreclosure judgment more than a year ago.

He stopped rehabbing his two-story Bay View home and moved on.

But what Lass didn't realize until recently is that the house remains in his name today.

He's still responsible for the taxes, upkeep of the property and the mortgage, leaving Lass perplexed.

"Why would I pay for something that I don't own anymore?" Lass said.

The foreclosure, however, failed to go through after the California-based lender decided it didn't want the gutted house. Lass said he found out for certain that he still owned it from the Journal Sentinel.

Today, the house at 703 E. Lincoln Ave. sits condemned ...

The home represents a growing phenomenon known as walkaways - properties for which lenders sue for foreclosure but never take the title.
We've heard this story before - the lender starts foreclosure, and then discovers the house is worthless (or in this case has a negative value because the house is condemned). In this case, the foreclosure went through, but the lender never recorded the deed with the court leaving the property in the previous owner's name.

No one wants the property now, and the city will probably bear the costs of demolition. Meanwhile the abandoned house is a nuisance for the neighbors - even the bandos won't live there.