The social security mortgage write-off programme may have had a major public relations bump with the SOCIAL SECURITY insider trading scandal, but for the 780 persons whose mortgages were actually written off, it's a real break. And you can know that just by watching the pro government testimonies that air as ads every night.
But beyond the propaganda and hype, one family says the mortgage forgiveness program is threatening to write off their dream of owning a home.
Back in June of 2011, before anyone knew anything about mortgage write offs - Dina and Sam Bonilla bid on a home owned by social security that was up for auction.
They won the auction, made a commercial loan, paid their money and got their title, but months later - they're still not in the home. And that's because the delinquent owner from whom it was auctioned is still in there - and the list shows that his loan was written off - at a time when he no longer owned the home!
It's an out and out mess, and we found out more today from Diana Bonilla when we took her to Sunset Park to vist her house that's not a home:..
Jules Vasquez Reporting
Diana Bonilla owns this property and pays a monthly mortgage for it, but today is the first time she's set foot on it - and that's because the previous owner is occupying it.
Diana Bonilla - Displaced homeowner
"This is actually the first time I'm actually viewing and setting foot on the property."
No one was at home, and she got a first look at the house she paid forty four thousand dollars for back in November - and one she first bid on in June.
Diana Bonilla
"The whole situation is that I bid on this particular house from Social Security. They accepted my bid, and they told me that I needed to pay the 10%. I paid that 10%, on September 28, and the balance, I needed to pay off. When I paid the balance, they had informed me that this was when the 28 days of eviction would start for the previous tenant. I paid the balance on November 2. So November 2, up until November 30, the 28 days would last; that was when the previous tenant was supposed to be evicted from the house. Up to today's date, he is still living in the house. He has all-access to this house, and I don't have any access to the house."
Jules Vasquez
"But you are paying the loan."
Diana Bonilla
"Yes, I am paying mortgage on the house on a monthly basis."
And that's not the worst part - the worst part is that the homeowner's name is on the social security mortgage write-off list - and he got a special mention from the Prime Minister:
Diana Bonilla
"That was amazing, when I was listening to it, and it was said that a Marshall at mile 8. Obviously, he went to visit the Prime Minister, and they had certified him that him that his house would have been written off. If so be the case, I called Social, and verified with them. They continued to tell me that I have nothing to worry about due to the fact that the house and the land has already been transferred into my name. But his name is still on the write-off list, so he has been written off. He is in a clear in a house that I purchased."
But despite that, she remains hopeful that somehow, someday, her family is going to live here:
Diana Bonilla
"I look at it. It's my family and me at home now. We're going to do our renovation even if it takes us piece by piece. We're going to do our renovation as soon as we get access to the house."
Jules Vasquez
"When will you get access?"
Diana Bonilla
"That's the question: when? I would love for someone to tell me when we'll be able to have access for this house."
Jules Vasquez
"Who do you blame for this? Who do you hold responsible?"
Diana Bonilla
"Honestly, the main organization that I blame is social security. They just kept me under the impression that, yes, they will be the one who will be duly responsible to remove Mr. Mendez from this house. December 13, that's approximately 13 or 14 days after the date that he was supposed to evicted. They informed me that I need to incur the cost of a lawyer to have Mr. Mendez removed."
Jules Vasquez
"They say owning a home is every property-owner's dream, but for you, it's turned into a nightmare."
Diana Bonilla
"A total nightmare that I thought would have never happened. The time that I got my acceptance letter from Social Security, it was like 'wow'. Well, now we have to make all plans in order to make this house a home. Everything has started; it's still not a home. It's just a house."
The Bonilla's went to court for an eviction order in December and the hearing was set for January ninth but it was adjourned to March 27th.
But because of this story and inquiries we've made, wheels are in motion - we are told - and we'll keep following up on the story...
