Open any newspaper and you'll find pages after pages listing properties being sold by the Development Finance Corporation. The truth is that the $600 million disaster that is the Development Finance Corporation has become nothing more than a collection agency. That's one story but the story which isn't told is the people behind those properties being sold. Tonight we'll you introduce to one DFC customer who is facing the possibility of losing her home. Since Marion Bennett's family has turned their back on her - she turned to us. Keith Swift has her story.
Marion Bennett, Losing Her Home
"It means a lot because it is a sacrifice that I made to build this house."
Marion Bennett has called 2840 Warrie Street home for the last 20 years but now Marion is about to lose her home because she can't find and she is unable to pay the DFC.
Marion Bennett,
"DFC had put a notice in the paper to sell this house already. Yesterday when I went and I spoke to Miss Welch, she told me that it is out of her control and out of my control so that they will proceed to sell the house. I am worrying that I will probably lose it."
She will lose the home she started paying for in 1987. She has had a string of bad luck lately and Marion is unable to pay to keep her lights on - much less pay DFC $77 a week.
Marion Bennett,
"The job that I was doing, I was only making $90 a week and I had to
pay them $77 a week out of that and then the week that I didn't pay, that allowed the loan to fall into arrears, I used that week to pay my light and my water bill. So that was the situation why the loan started to drop into arrears."
Marion borrowed $25,000 in 1987 and she has about $5,000 outstanding but the interest is mounting daily. And while her story is sordid - she did get a loan which she is obliged to pay.
Keith Swift,
People will say that you got this loan, it is your responsibility to pay it. What do you say to that?
Marion Bennett,
"Yes it is my responsibility because I've been paying it all the while, only since 2003 that I stopped working was when this loan got into default. But all the while I was working, I was paying my loan."
Keith Swift,
How hard is it to get a job though?
Marion Bennett,
"It is very difficult. When you go and ask for job, the first thing people will tell you is that if you don't work Saturday, they don't want to hire you and that is the problem, they don't want to hire you because you don't work Saturday and they always tell you that Saturday is the best business day and I told them that is Sabbath and I won't work on that day."
Marion Bennett made this appeal to the Development Finance Corporation.
Marion Bennett,
"I want them to understand that it is not that I don't want to pay, nobody would want to be in this situation. Nobody wants to lose their home and after paying for so many years, for this small amount of money and now they want to take away my house. I hope that none of them would fall into the situation like this."
And hope is just about all Marion Bennett has right now as she faces the prospect of being homeless.
