A 101-year-old woman was evicted from the southwest Detroit home where she lived for nearly six decades after her 65-year-old son failed to pay the mortgage.

Texana Hollis was evicted Monday and her belongings were placed outside the home. Her son, Warren Hollis, said he didn't pay the bill for several years and disregarded eviction notices.

"I kept it from her because I didn't want to worry her," Warren Hollis told WXYZ-TV for a report that aired Monday night. "I was just so sure it wasn't going to happen."

Wayne County Chief Deputy Treasurer David Szymanski told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the Hollises took out an adjustable-rate mortgage in 2002. A default and foreclosure notice was filed in November.

"They ended up owing $80,000 on the home," Szymanski said. "Warren indicates he did not make the payments. He got the notices, but threw them away."

County records show that property taxes were paid on the home through summer 2010. A winter tax bill of $55.95, including interest and fees, was unpaid, and a $778.44 summer tax bill was due this month.

A neighbor was letting Texana and Warren Hollis live in a rental house across the street from the home they shared, and Texana Hollis' belongings were being moved there. Others, including a nonprofit organization, were working to get her back into her home.

On Monday night, she was taken to a hospital for evaluation after she became disoriented.

Szymanski said county officials were asking questions and looking into what they can do to help. He said the county has worked with 10,000 taxpayers to keep them from going into foreclosure.

"The teachable moment here is for people not to stick their head in the sand," he said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/13/101-year-old-woman-evicted-from-detroit-home/#ixzz1XwPxPzcG

I notice he doesn't say WHY he didn't pay it, so why didn't he? What did he think was going to happen when he went years without paying on it?

Got no sympathy for the son. What was he thinking? But I really feel for the old lady being put out of her home. This is all on her son. He should be ashamed of himself.

I was thinking the same thing what did he do with the money?

An annoying story from all ends. Her son was a deadbeat for not paying the mortgage for years at a time, and thinking that the situation would magically go away; but at the same time, to evict a 101 year old woman is a heartless move. The bank should have been willing to come to some sort of an agreement to allow her to continue to stay in the house, while taking him to task.

I'm put off by the actions of her idiot son. That he'd not pay on the mortgage where his elderly mother resided, for a period of years (and then disregard eviction notices) is reprehensible. A damn shame.

No details given but maybe the son was unemployed and used the money to live on. Detroit has a high unemployment rate of nearly 12.5% but could be higher so it's a very good possibilty.

The ostrich strategy. I wonder if he has any suspicious lumps or cough that he's ignoring hoping they'll just go away.

That's terrible.

There's some good news; apparently the lady can now go home. Hopefully for she has some kind of case worker, or other legal representative, who can step in and take control of her affairs from her negligent and seemingly not all there son.


http://www.freep.com/article/20110914/NEWS01/110914056/HUD-Eviction-mistake-101-year-old-woman-can-go-home

Quote :

HUD: Eviction a mistake, 101-year-old woman can go home
4:35 PM, Sep. 14, 2011


101-year-old woman evicted from Detroit home: On September 12, Texana Hollis was evicted from her Detroit home along with her two sons. Hollis' son, Warren, said he didn't want to tell his mother about the eviction warnings because he didn't think anything would happen. ALEXANDRA BAHOU/DFP


Admitting they made a big mistake, officials with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said late today they will allow 101-year-old Texana Hollis to move back into the home on Detroit's west side, where she was evicted from Monday.

And she can stay there for the rest of her life.

“We were absolutely thunderstruck when we understood that a 101-year-old woman was put out of her home,” Brian Sullivan, HUD spokesman, said.

Sullivan said HUD officials have informed Hollis’ niece and granddaughter that Hollis can move back into the Carbondale street home she has lived in for 50 years — as soon as she is released from Henry Ford Hospital, where she has been since the eviction.

Sullivan said HUD officials mistakenly thought Hollis’ home was a tax foreclosure before they reviewed the case.

Hollis’ 64-year-old son, Warren Hollis has admitted it was his fault his mother was evicted. Warren Hollis, who lived in the home with his mother and 69-year-old brother Ira Hollis Jr., said he had his mother sign a reverse mortgage in 2002.

He said he used the $32,000 received from the mortgage to pay for a new roof and for other bills. He said he ignored default and eviction notices.

“I didn’t take any action because I didn’t think it would happen — she’s been here for such a long time,” Warren Hollis said Tuesday. “I screwed it up good."

He was with her at the hospital today, and said they were “overjoyed” by the news that she could return home.

“It boosted her spirits quite a bit,” Warren Hollis said.

Records from 36th District Court in Detroit show HUD bought the home at auction in December. It would have taken $78,935.02 to stop the eviction proceedings, according to Chief Judge Marilyn Atkins.

The home has an assessed value of $5,215, and the $778.44 summer tax bill has not been paid.

Atkins said a court officer began visiting the house a week ago, informing Texana Hollis’ sons that they would be evicted Sept. 8. The court officer came back twice before finally evicting her Monday.

Pearlean Butler, a neighbor, agreed to let the family stay in her empty rental home down the block until they found a permanent place to stay.

Hollis was taken to Henry Ford Hospital on Monday when the family realized her diabetes and heart medication had been lost in one of two disposal trailers her belongings had been thrown in.

Since her eviction the story has gone viral with many offering to help Hollis. Locally, Councilman Kwame Kenyatta said he would contact HUD, and Robert Robinson II, founder of the grassroots organization It Takes A Village Y’All, said he would try to solicit assistance for Hollis through the group’s Facebook page.

Sullivan said HUD has owned the mortgage and the home since 2006, and has been making tax payments. He said HUD will continue to do so, and Texana Hollis can live in the home for as long as she wants.

“I can’t underscore enough just how . . . thunderstruck, mortified, you know, take your pick… We have grandparents, the thought was . . . just not acceptable,” Sullivan said about her eviction.

Chris wrote:

There's some good news; apparently the lady can now go home. Hopefully for she has some kind of case worker, or other legal representative, who can step in and take control of her affairs from her negligent and seemingly not all there son.

That's good to hear.

Chris wrote:

There's some good news; apparently the lady can now go home. Hopefully for she has some kind of case worker, or other legal representative, who can step in and take control of her affairs from her negligent and seemingly not all there son.

Quote :

Since her eviction the story has gone viral with many offering to help Hollis. Locally, Councilman Kwame Kenyatta said he would contact HUD, and Robert Robinson II, founder of the grassroots organization It Takes A Village Y’All, said he would try to solicit assistance for Hollis through the group’s Facebook page.

Sullivan said HUD has owned the mortgage and the home since 2006, and has been making tax payments. He said HUD will continue to do so, and Texana Hollis can live in the home for as long as she wants.

“I can’t underscore enough just how . . . thunderstruck, mortified, you know, take your pick… We have grandparents, the thought was . . . just not acceptable,” Sullivan said about her eviction.

I'm just about willing to bet this wouldn't have happened without the bad publicity & public outcry. Sometimes it takes loud voices to be heard.

I saw this story on the news. Unfortunately this isn't that uncommon when it comes to people living in the inner city....her son is an old man himself who isn't financially savvy. At least she can go back home now, this story could have had an uglier outcome.