Economic Factors and Suicide Risk
Economic
Factors
and
Suicide
Risk------------------->
Suicide
Economic
Circumstances: Foreclosure:Eviction: Job loss
Suicide:Bill collectors
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Clearwater mother, her two children found dead in their home
CLEARWATER — William Lavold thought it was a bad joke or a poorly worded expression. Anything other than what it really was.
“I need your help,” the text message said. “Dawn killed the kids.”
It came from his best friend, Murphy Brown. And it meant exactly what it said.
Sometime Friday night, Brown’s wife, Dawn, killed their two
children — Zander, 9, and Zayden, 5 — authorities believe. They say she
then wrapped an electrical cord around her throat, tied it to a ceiling fan and hanged herself.
Lavold said Pinellas County sheriff’s
investigators told him she drowned the children in a bathtub. Officials
said they would not release a cause of death until after an autopsy.
Some neighbors said the killings were unthinkable, something they never expected. Others had seen it coming for months.
A series of setbacks and wrong turns — punctuated by an arrest and financial ruin — had ripped the family apart.
FORECLOSURE WAS THE FINAL STRAW
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JP Morgan Chase Sued in Wrongful Death Lawsuit
A Texas woman filed a wrongful death suit against banking giant JP Morgan Chase alleging her husband suffered a fatal heart attack two years ago as the direct result of foreclosure proceedings from the bank. Harry Engel, a retired minister from Texas, collapsed in his home days after receiving an eviction notice from JP Morgan Chase. His wife, Wanda Jo Engel, recently filed the lawsuit in Dallas County Court and alleges the foreclosure was wrongful and that the bank’s actions left her husband “overwhelmed” in the days prior to his death.The Engels had been living in the home for 22 years and paid their mortgage regularly. A notice from the bank advised the couple to refinance their home. After speaking with an employee at the JP Morgan Chase, the Engels followed the employee’s advice to “miss a payment” in order to better receive government refinancing assistance. It was a move they would wholeheartedly regret.
After missing the payment, the bank sent a letter to the Engels asking them to make the missing payment, but the Engels had already spent the allotted payment on other bills because of their fixed income. After being rejected for a government refinancing program, the bank sent notification that they planned to foreclose and evict the Engels.
A Family Torn Apart
Both parties’ account of the story begins to differ at this point. JP Morgan Chase maintains that the bank never filed for foreclosure in court, but instead notified the Engels that the house would soon be in foreclosure. Wanda Jo Engel say that an employee physically came to her home and served an eviction notice which triggered her husband’s eventual death.“It was just a close family; it’s been a difficult loss,” the Engels’ lawyer Steve Shaver said. “They certainly didn’t expect Mr. Engel to pass when he did or certainly for the reasons he did.” Shaver does however maintain that JP Morgan Chase never did file officially for foreclosure in a court. Two years later, the family’s home now stands vacant, but the Engels will tell you that they were left without something far more important than their home.
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JP Morgan Chase Sued for Causing Wrongful Death by Foreclosure
Harry Engel, a retired minister and resident of Grand Prairie, TX, passed away in July 2010. His wife and children have now filed a wrongful death claim against JP Morgan Chase and two other defendants in Dallas County Court.
The allegation is that the defendants – JP Morgan Chase, LPS Field Services and EMC Mortgage, caused intentional infliction of emotional distress. The defendants are also charged with gross negligence, trespassing and wrongful foreclosure. Not to mention deceptive trade and outright fraud.
The Engels had been living in their home and paying off the mortgage for 22 years. In Feb 2010, they got a letter from Chase saying that the mortgage could be refinanced on a lower monthly payment. When they went to the bank, a Chase employee named Michael Paretti allegedly advised them to deliberately miss one payment so that they could quality for refinancing.
Chase then sent them a letter saying their loan modification application was rejected and they would have to bring their mortgage current immediately. They met with Mr. Paretti again, and were instructed to pay in an amount. They did pay in said amount, but more letters followed, including a foreclosure notice and then an eviction notice.
Harry Engel was terrified at the thought of losing his home and collapsed under the stress on July 1, 2010, a few days after getting the eviction notice. He died of the stress induced heart attack in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
JP Morgan Chase then evicted Harry Engel's newly widowed wife Wanda Engel from their marital home and changed the locks. Harry and Wanda Engel had been married for 57 years and had three adult children – Debra, Steve and Josh Engel.
The house is now empty and managed by LPS Field Services. EMC Mortgage was the foreclosure company used by Chase. The lawsuit seeks to reclaim the house and damages for loss of love and counsel, funeral expenses, future loss of companionship, loss of inheritance and all legal expenses, among other things.
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11/09/2012 @ 8:33PM |13,061 views
Spanish Woman Commits Suicide As Foreclosure Agents Walk Into Her Apartment
The Spanish city of Barakaldo, in the Basque country - Photo credit: Wikipedia
Spain has been one of the hardest hit victims of the European sovereign debt crisis. Mired in a deep recession, the Iberian nation has seen the unemployment rate skyrocket above 25%, with youth joblessness reaching 50%. The consequence of a real estate bubble, Spain’s crisis has led to a slew of foreclosures across the nation.
The latest victim has been Amaya Egaña, a former municipal councilwoman for the Socialist Party. According to Spanish daily El Pais, Egaña jumped to her death from a sixth-floor balcony on Friday as a legal team from the local court walked into her apartment to foreclose on her. Receiving no response after ringing the bell and knocking on the door, a locksmith opened the door, only to find Egaña standing on a chair to jump from her balcony. Egaña was found alive, but paramedics had no chances of saving her life.
Egaña’s suicide isn’t the first related to foreclosures in Spain. Just a few weeks ago, on October 25, 53-year-old Jose Miguel Domingo was found dead hours before foreclosure agents arrived at his apartment. Domingo hung himself after not having been able to pay interest payments on a €240,000 mortgage that went sour in 2009.
A day after, a man whose name hasn’t been disclosed jumped from his window in the city of Valencia. The man attempted to commit suicide minutes before foreclosure agents arrived at his apartment; this time, though, paramedics managed to save his life.
The suicide of Egaña has been like the straw that broke the camel’s back. A social repudiation of banks’ foreclosure practices has made its way to Madrid, where the Administration of Mariano Rajoy is working on a plan to give subprime debtors some relief. According to El Pais, Rajoy is looking to put into place a two year foreclosure moratorium for subprime debtors.
Spanish banks are in dire need of cash. Despite a €100 billion bailout-pledge by the EU, Spanish financials, from Bankia which has already been bailed out to major global banks like BBVA, are looking to strengthen their balance sheets. Much like in the U.S., they are doing whatever they can to extract payment from debtors.
In the U.S., banks’ attempts to speed up the foreclosure processes resulted in the robo-signing scandal, by which major mortgage originators were using fraudulent protocols to processes thousands of mortgages in record time. Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and Ally Financial were forced to fork over $25 billion to settle a suit brought Attorneys General from across the nation.
With Spain falling even deeper into the rabbit hole, as Rajoy refuses to take a bailout and borrowing costs rise, the situation could deteriorate further. Beyond economic losses, Friday’s events are direct evidence that financial crises have the potential to destroy the lives of ordinary individuals.
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Norman Rousseau, Foreclosure Victim, Commits Suicide During Wells Fargo Lawsuit
The Huffington Post
|
By Harry Bradford
Posted: 05/17/2012 2:23 pm Updated: 05/17/2012 3:42 pm
Rousseau, who lived in Newbury Park, California, has left a wife and stepson to deal with an ongoing battle with Wells Fargo, according to a lawsuit filed in January 2011 by Norman and his wife, Oriane (h/t Alternet).
“Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Mr. Rousseau at this difficult time. The eviction has been postponed and we will continue to work with Mrs. Rousseau," a Wells Fargo spokesperson said to The Huffington Post in an email. "Despite current reports, we tried repeatedly to find affordable options for the family."
The trouble started when the Rousseaus refinanced their mortgage, finding out much later that their interest rate actually increased after they did so, the lawsuit states. On top of that, the lawsuit claims that the couple was convinced to roll their credit card debt into the loan, ostensibly prolonging and increasing that debt as well, according to Chris Gardas, the attorney representing the Rousseau family.
At the time, the deal "tasted like honey" to Rousseau, who believed she and her husband had made a solid financial decision, Gardas told The Huffington Post.
Then in May 2009, Wells Fargo allegedly denied it had received the Rousseaus payment for that month. Later, the bank would change its story, blaming the mix-up on putting a stop on the couple's check, CBS Los Angeles reports.
What ensued were repeated and inaccurate requests for payment from Wells Fargo, along with excessive fees and a denied loan modification, according to the lawsuit. That climaxed in a lockout that appears to have led Norman Rousseau to his death, according to the lawsuit. The eviction has now been delayed two weeks, according to the family's attorney.
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Foreclosure Related Suicide on the Rise
Posted: 07/17/2012 11:15 am
On June 28, 2012, Michael Marin, a millionaire in Arizona, died in a courtroom after being convicted of arson for burning down his mansion because he wasn't able to make his mortgage payments. Initial reports claim that he appeared to put something in his mouth shortly before suffering from convulsions and collapsing after the verdict was read. A container labeled "cyanide" was found in his vehicle.
In May, 2012, California resident Norman Rousseau was attempting to repair his RV so his family would have a place to live after being notified of an upcoming lockout. Mr. Rousseau and his wife had refinanced their home, receiving a higher interest rate than they previously had. Wells Fargo subsequently didn't credit them with a payment, which led to a loan modification denial. Unable to repair the RV, Rousseau was distraught and committed suicide.
These are just a couple examples of foreclosure-related suicides. While the situation may seem hopeless, homeowners should know that there are programs available to help them avoid foreclosure, find alternate housing, and treat their anxiety, stress, or depression. Recent changes to the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) will make more people eligible for a loan modification which will permanently lower their mortgage payment. Bank settlements stemming from allegations of wrongful foreclosure filings have spurred a requirement for some of the top lenders to offer struggling homeowners options to prevent foreclosure, as well. In addition, housing counselors are available and trained to help homeowners find options suitable for their circumstances.
It's important to know, though, that while foreclosure can be a stressful and emotional time, it doesn't have to create despair or hopelessness. In fact, events such as these could create stronger families, a deeper commitment to overcoming challenges, and increased strength as you work toward a brighter future. For instance, some find that stress is relieved after they are relieved of debt after a foreclosure. Others are able to find suitable alternatives to foreclosure.
Create a positive mindset and become your own best advocate, learning your options and persevering. This will help you avoid stress as you continue to fight for your home. Take time out while you seek to save your home to enjoy your family, get some exercise, relax, and do things that make you happy. Above all, remember that you are not alone. Millions of homeowners have also faced foreclosure. Have faith that you are doing everything you can to save your home, while appreciating the people, love, spirituality, joy, and happiness that life offers.
Homeowners who are stressed or suffering from anxiety or depression should seek medical help and counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline lists warning signs of suicide and hosts a suicide prevention hotline, 1-800-273-TALK, to help those in distress.
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Foreclosure notice leads to suicide of 'nice lady'
By Frank Juliano, Staff writer
Published 12:57 am, Sunday, January 3, 2010
MILFORD -- A lot of people say "Over my dead body." Vincenza Garcia meant it.
Rather than comply with a foreclosure notice and allow a marshal to evict her from the home she loved at 55 Earle St., Garcia took her own life on Oct. 1. And, in the eyes of her attorney, her story is emblematic of the devastation the foreclosure epidemic has inflicted on so many once-proud homeowners.
Garcia, who had won the city's Freedom Lawn contest last summer for her beautifully landscaped yard, loved the small house near Point Beach she had owned since 1996.
She was "a nice lady who was always working on her garden," said neighbor Phil Vetro. "Every time I'd see her, she'd be out there working."
But when the introductory "teaser" rate on her newly refinanced mortgage expired, Garcia, who lived alone and was by all accounts a private person, fell hopelessly behind. There were opportunities to dig out from under, or to at least delay, foreclosure as 2009 wore on, but she represented herself and failed to navigate the complex system.
And so, aware that the marshal and a moving crew would be at the tidy gray ranch house before 8 a.m., the 56 year-old woman made her final preparations.
According to an 18-page incident report by the Milford police department, Garcia wrote e-mails to her sister and to her lawyer at 2 a.m., telling them to expect a call in the morning.
She wrote several letters to family and friends, including one in which she enclosed 37 Lotto tickets and wrote "Have fun!" on the envelope.
These were left on the kitchen table, along with a list of her family members and her lawyer, with their phone numbers and a Federal Express package that was found to contain an old black and white photo and two invitations to President George W. Bush's inauguration.
Garcia then filled the first 11 pages of a notebook with messages of love for her family and her last wishes and left that on the nightstand in her bedroom.
The woman put her four cats in the bathroom and closed the door, taping to it a list of their names and her veterinarian's phone number.
And then, according to the police report, she apparently put some music on her stereo, laid down on her bed and fired a single .22-caliber bullet into her head.
When Marshal Neil Longobardi arrived at about 7:30 a.m. he found the sliding door to the deck unlocked, and a note taped to it with names and phone numbers. Eerie "Halloween" music was playing, the marshal said, and there were letters and the package on the table. He called police.
Garcia's brother, who is the executor of her estate and lives on Long Island, did not return phone calls for this story.
West Haven attorney Stephen Small said that Garcia ought to be the human face of the foreclosure crisis. The Milford woman finally hired Small in late August, after the foreclosure had been filed. His appearance notice is the last entry in her thick file in New Haven Superior Court.
"I've seen many, many desperate people in her situation," Small said. Vincenza Garcia is someone "who didn't reach out," her lawyer said, and failed to understand the predatory nature of the loan she agreed to.
Across the country there are tales of how job losses and home foreclosures have driven some to take their lives.
"For the first time in all the years I've done this, I'm hearing things mentioned like, `He lost his job. She lost her house. We're in foreclosure,' " veteran Minnesota medical examiner Dr. Janis Amatuzio told The Star Tribune in December.
In Gaithersburg, Md., four clients of the nonprofit Family Services Inc., which counsels people going through foreclosures, attempted to commit suicide this year, according to The Gazette, a local newspaper.
Experts say that it's always hard to draw explicit conclusions in cases that are likely to involve a host of complex facts. Nonetheless, in Connecticut, suicides were up in 2009 from the year before, according to statistics from the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Garcia's was one of 320 self-inflicted deaths this year, compared to 282 in 2008.
The biggest jump was among her age group, 51 to 60 year olds. They accounted for 71 of the suicides reported in Connecticut this year, compared to 52 in 2008, state figures show.
In Garcia's case, she had no idea of the vulnerable situation she was putting herself into when she agreed to her refinance her home with a sizable, variable-rate mortgage in 2006.
The New York native, divorced since the 1970s, took out a $281,000 mortgage in June, 2006, from Sand Canyon Corp., which had formerly been known as Option One Mortgage Co.
The loan was packaged by Merrill Lynch Corp. as part of its "Investors' Trust Asset-Backed Certificates," but when that company fell on hard times, LaSalle Bank, of West Hartford, was made the trustee of the loan.
When the 6.99 initial interest rate -- nearly 2 points higher than was available from other lenders -- rose to 9.1 percent in June, 2008, Garcia missed a $2,300 monthly payment, and with late fees, liens and other charges, and never caught up.
"It's a machine," Small said of the mortgage refinancing industry. "These people appraise your house for what they need, and the goal is to get the commission. They are kids in boiler rooms all over the country, who send a notary to your house with the papers.
"They'll tell you not to pay your mortgage that month because the new loan will be in effect by the end of it," Small said. "But these people are not your friends and they are not there to explain the paperwork.
"They are there to get you to sign, and by the time you realize that it is a variable rate you have no choice but to sign because you're already behind," he said.
The workout sheet in Garcia's court file shows that the fair market value of her home was $285,000 but her unpaid debt had climbed to $299,570. She had a negative equity of $14,000 in the property.
But Garcia made mistakes too, the biggest of which was not having someone review the loan during the three days she had to pull out of it, Small said.
Then she represented herself at two court mediation hearings, in February and March, at which, according to the file, Garcia admitted that she was in default without offering a modification plan.
In her file is the "Notice of Available Help" given to every property owner in a foreclosure action. It suggests applying for emergency mortgage assistance from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, among other programs, and carries this warning in boldface type: "You should consult with an attorney to assess your rights under this act."
Rather than comply with a foreclosure notice and allow a marshal to evict her from the home she loved at 55 Earle St., Garcia took her own life on Oct. 1. And, in the eyes of her attorney, her story is emblematic of the devastation the foreclosure epidemic has inflicted on so many once-proud homeowners.
Garcia, who had won the city's Freedom Lawn contest last summer for her beautifully landscaped yard, loved the small house near Point Beach she had owned since 1996.
She was "a nice lady who was always working on her garden," said neighbor Phil Vetro. "Every time I'd see her, she'd be out there working."
But when the introductory "teaser" rate on her newly refinanced mortgage expired, Garcia, who lived alone and was by all accounts a private person, fell hopelessly behind. There were opportunities to dig out from under, or to at least delay, foreclosure as 2009 wore on, but she represented herself and failed to navigate the complex system.
And so, aware that the marshal and a moving crew would be at the tidy gray ranch house before 8 a.m., the 56 year-old woman made her final preparations.
According to an 18-page incident report by the Milford police department, Garcia wrote e-mails to her sister and to her lawyer at 2 a.m., telling them to expect a call in the morning.
She wrote several letters to family and friends, including one in which she enclosed 37 Lotto tickets and wrote "Have fun!" on the envelope.
These were left on the kitchen table, along with a list of her family members and her lawyer, with their phone numbers and a Federal Express package that was found to contain an old black and white photo and two invitations to President George W. Bush's inauguration.
Garcia then filled the first 11 pages of a notebook with messages of love for her family and her last wishes and left that on the nightstand in her bedroom.
The woman put her four cats in the bathroom and closed the door, taping to it a list of their names and her veterinarian's phone number.
And then, according to the police report, she apparently put some music on her stereo, laid down on her bed and fired a single .22-caliber bullet into her head.
When Marshal Neil Longobardi arrived at about 7:30 a.m. he found the sliding door to the deck unlocked, and a note taped to it with names and phone numbers. Eerie "Halloween" music was playing, the marshal said, and there were letters and the package on the table. He called police.
Garcia's brother, who is the executor of her estate and lives on Long Island, did not return phone calls for this story.
West Haven attorney Stephen Small said that Garcia ought to be the human face of the foreclosure crisis. The Milford woman finally hired Small in late August, after the foreclosure had been filed. His appearance notice is the last entry in her thick file in New Haven Superior Court.
"I've seen many, many desperate people in her situation," Small said. Vincenza Garcia is someone "who didn't reach out," her lawyer said, and failed to understand the predatory nature of the loan she agreed to.
Across the country there are tales of how job losses and home foreclosures have driven some to take their lives.
"For the first time in all the years I've done this, I'm hearing things mentioned like, `He lost his job. She lost her house. We're in foreclosure,' " veteran Minnesota medical examiner Dr. Janis Amatuzio told The Star Tribune in December.
In Gaithersburg, Md., four clients of the nonprofit Family Services Inc., which counsels people going through foreclosures, attempted to commit suicide this year, according to The Gazette, a local newspaper.
Experts say that it's always hard to draw explicit conclusions in cases that are likely to involve a host of complex facts. Nonetheless, in Connecticut, suicides were up in 2009 from the year before, according to statistics from the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Garcia's was one of 320 self-inflicted deaths this year, compared to 282 in 2008.
The biggest jump was among her age group, 51 to 60 year olds. They accounted for 71 of the suicides reported in Connecticut this year, compared to 52 in 2008, state figures show.
In Garcia's case, she had no idea of the vulnerable situation she was putting herself into when she agreed to her refinance her home with a sizable, variable-rate mortgage in 2006.
The New York native, divorced since the 1970s, took out a $281,000 mortgage in June, 2006, from Sand Canyon Corp., which had formerly been known as Option One Mortgage Co.
The loan was packaged by Merrill Lynch Corp. as part of its "Investors' Trust Asset-Backed Certificates," but when that company fell on hard times, LaSalle Bank, of West Hartford, was made the trustee of the loan.
When the 6.99 initial interest rate -- nearly 2 points higher than was available from other lenders -- rose to 9.1 percent in June, 2008, Garcia missed a $2,300 monthly payment, and with late fees, liens and other charges, and never caught up.
"It's a machine," Small said of the mortgage refinancing industry. "These people appraise your house for what they need, and the goal is to get the commission. They are kids in boiler rooms all over the country, who send a notary to your house with the papers.
"They'll tell you not to pay your mortgage that month because the new loan will be in effect by the end of it," Small said. "But these people are not your friends and they are not there to explain the paperwork.
"They are there to get you to sign, and by the time you realize that it is a variable rate you have no choice but to sign because you're already behind," he said.
The workout sheet in Garcia's court file shows that the fair market value of her home was $285,000 but her unpaid debt had climbed to $299,570. She had a negative equity of $14,000 in the property.
But Garcia made mistakes too, the biggest of which was not having someone review the loan during the three days she had to pull out of it, Small said.
Then she represented herself at two court mediation hearings, in February and March, at which, according to the file, Garcia admitted that she was in default without offering a modification plan.
In her file is the "Notice of Available Help" given to every property owner in a foreclosure action. It suggests applying for emergency mortgage assistance from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, among other programs, and carries this warning in boldface type: "You should consult with an attorney to assess your rights under this act."
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AZUSA, Calif. -- Authorities say three people found dead in a fire-gutted home in Southern California were all siblings who committed suicide.
The three were found dead Dec. 6 in the aftermath of a house fire in Azusa. Also discovered at the home were two dead dogs and two dead cats, along with 22 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Public records show the house was in foreclosure, and family friend Nora Dewester told the Tribune that the siblings were expected to move out the day they died. Friends also say the siblings' father died earlier this year and their mother died several years ago.
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http://www.datamasher.org/mash-ups/number-deaths-due-suicide-100k-foreclosure-rates
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