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Thread: Cost of upkeep puts older residents at risk of losing homes

  1. #1

    Cost of upkeep puts older residents at risk of losing homes

    This story breaks my heart...

    Cost of upkeep puts older residents at risk of losing homes
    Maintenance, loss of insurance put senior citizens at brink of foreclosure
    By Maki BeckerNEWS STAFF REPORTER
    Updated: 05/16/07 7:41 AM


    Marie Lucas has lived her entire life in the Lovejoy District house her grandfather built in 1917. Now she is in danger of losing it.

    Her homeowner’s insurance company canceled her policy late last year because the exterior of the house is in terrible disrepair — and Lucas can’t afford to fix it.

    With no insurance — a requirement for her mortgage — the mortgage company is now poised to begin foreclosure proceedings. “I was born here,” Lucas said of the only home she has ever known. “I want to die here.”

    Lucas’ predicament is one shared by many of the region’s elderly, particularly those in Buffalo.

    There are no statistics available on how many local senior citizens have lost their houses because they cannot pay for repairs, but staff members for Buffalo nonprofit groups say the problem is prevalent — and may even be growing.

    The Rev. Joseph F. Moreno of St. Lawrence Catholic Church, who has been trying to help Lucas get the $6,000 worth of repairs she desperately needs to keep her home, said he gets three or four calls a week from other elderly parishioners in the same situation.

    Carol Brent, staff attorney at Legal Services for the Elderly, who just started handling housing violation cases, said she got six new similar cases just last week.

    Laura Kelly, executive director of the Old First Ward Community Center, has a waiting list of more than 90 people — more than half of them senior citizens — needing grants for repairs.

    The scenario “is a reality,” according to Bryan M. Cacciotti, executive director of Home- Front Buffalo, an independent nonprofit group that focuses on homeownership issues in the city, and it could get worse as the aging population grows.

    “Over my 13-year career in community development,” Cacciotti said, “it’s always been a continuous phenomenon. . . . It’s a challenge that the elderly do encounter. We need to pay close attention.”

    Adrian H. Slocum, intake coordinator for aging services at Catholic Charities, said he believes that the situation is getting worse.

    “We don’t track foreclosures,” he said, “but we see them.”

    Most of his clients are of lower income, but not necessarily in poverty, Slocum said. They have just enough money to pay their bills, buy food and get their medicines, but are at a loss when faced with expensive home repairs.

    “Normally, their income goes up 2 percent or less, but the cost of everything else is going up at a much higher rate,” Slocum said. “They’re having a difficult time maintaining their home.”

    Rising heating costs also have been a major strain on these senior citizens, he said. In addition, some elderly clients also have gotten into financial trouble by taking out home-equity loans to pay for repairs and then finding out they cannot make their payments.

    “It’s a real tough thing,” he said. “They don’t want to leave their homes where they’ve lived 30, 40 and 50 years, but they’re unable to make their payments.”

    Often, Slocum said, he finds himself having to try to convince the senior citizens that their best option is to give up their house and move into senior housing.

    “We try to honor their wish to stay in their homes, but we also give suggestions at some other housing options,” Slocum said.

    Brent, whose group strives to keep the elderly and disabled in their homes, said her clients come to her terrified.

    “It’s traumatic for them,” she said.

    Most of her elderly clients who face losing their homes come to her when they must deal with housing violations.

    Brent has one client who paid more than $4,000 to a contractor who was caught making improper repairs to the man’s house. “The contractor has my client’s money, and my client is now in Housing Court,” she said. “He may lose his house.”

    She has seen situations like Lucas’ in which the clients lose their home insurance. In their cases, the banks holding the mortgages have imposed their own insurance policies, which can be as much as three times as expensive. “The mortgage company has a right to protect itself,” she explained, “but you want to get your own insurance.”

    Lucas’ house is in such bad shape that her mortgage company cannot find anyone to underwrite her insurance, even at the higher rates, Moreno said.

    Brent said she has found that many of her clients simply don’t know how to handle this.

    “It’s hard for them when they’re dealing with out-of-town bank companies and a 1-800 number,” she said.

    There are organizations in Buffalo that can help, but their resources are limited.

    HomeFront administers several programs, including grants for minor home repairs.

    The Old First Ward Community Center provides a small number of grants to cover 60 percent of repairs to the houses of the elderly and other moderate- to low-income homeowners. “We helped 12 people with $278,000 in repairs last year,” Kelly said.

    This year, she has $300,000 to give out and more than 90 people on her waiting list.

    “The urgency is so great,” she said. “I would like to bring in more funds and just keep this rolling.”

    Kelly also helps coordinate a yearly volunteer ministry, World Changers, which is bringing 500 people to Buffalo in late July to do home repairs.

    As for Lucas, she has been praying for a miracle since she lost her insurance in November.

    At Christmas, Moreno said, he came to her home with a little Christmas tree and Communion for her, and the two knelt down to pray. “Baby Jesus,” she said, “please save my house.”

    Moreno said he left Lucas’ house that day in tears: “I’m out of miracles on this house.”

    Lucas’ house is in dire need of a new roof, gutters and a coat of paint. Moreno estimates the whole project would cost no more than $6,000.

    Moreno has reached out to the community, from Lovejoy Council Member Richard A. Fontana to Buffalo Police Lt. John P. King, all of whom are trying to help.

    The priest is hoping that some individual or some business will donate the supplies and labor to fix Lucas’ home before the bank forecloses on it: “We’re grasping for straws and a miracle at the same time.”

    _________________________________

  2. #2
    Member Eat My Gun's Avatar
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    Just think, if the Church wasn't complicit in the ongoing sexual abuse of its younger members by men of the cloth, it could use the millions of dollars it spent in settling molestation lawsuits to help its elderly and soon-to-be-homeless members.


    "I won't live by rules that make no sense to me." - Evan Tanner 1971-2008

    Transfixus sed non Mortuus

  3. #3
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    With no insurance — a requirement for her mortgage — the mortgage company is now poised to begin foreclosure proceedings. “I was born here,” Lucas said of the only home she has ever known. “I want to die here.”

    People are also being assessed out of their homes. Money which is taken as "property taxes" could of been saved for the golden years or used for repairs.

    We really need to break this cycle of State/Erie County/local town goverment employee contracts and games they play.

    Elections are coming up in november..

    Next time you see your local political party leader at the mall or just out.... Walk up to them and demand why have you been endorsing idiots who put us in the spot. Let them know the community should come first... political patronage second.....

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by WNYresident
    People are also being assessed out of their homes. Money which is taken as "property taxes" could of been saved for the golden years or used for repairs.

    We really need to break this cycle of State/Erie County/local town goverment employee contracts and games they play.

    Elections are coming up in november..

    Next time you see your local political party leader at the mall or just out.... Walk up to them and demand why have you been endorsing idiots who put us in the spot. Let them know the community should come first... political patronage second.....
    Well assessments are pretty low, it's a matter of a contracting population / economic base, as far as I can tell.

    Regards.

  5. #5
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Quote Originally Posted by Genoobie
    Well assessments are pretty low, it's a matter of a contracting population / economic base, as far as I can tell.

    Regards.
    Low compared to what? Using the worse case of high assessments in the USA?

    WHen I purchased my home 8 or so years ago my complete tax bill was about $3100 or so.... now it's about $4900 or so... I just go reassessed AGAIN after 3 years and I should be approaching over $5500 or more to live in cheektowaga.... If i'm going to pay that much I don't expect to live in stripmall alley.... At this rate how on earth does anyone plan for retirement when your property taxes can go up at a rate higher than you can adjust for?

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    Darn, that's alot...move to where the taxes are lower. I pay about $2000 for a $100k house right next to a beautiful large park. I think *everything's* going up in price. It mostly has to do with *some* bureaucratic growth, but there are other factors. There are rising energy costs causing inflation to spiral upward. There's a shrinking population base, etc., etc. What irks me are these unethical contractors moving in like so many vultures ready to suck the last dime out of these elderly people...they are crooks and I *hope* they are punished. Where's the family to help advocate for these people? Oh that's right, they moved away and forgot about their folks. I guess *some* do value things over family...

    Regards

  7. #7
    I can top that.

    In the first eight years of owning my home in Lancaster, my property taxes doubled from $3,100 to $6,400. And they've been going up ever since.

  8. #8
    Unregistered Enough's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gshowell
    I can top that.

    In the first eight years of owning my home in Lancaster, my property taxes doubled from $3,100 to $6,400. And they've been going up ever since.
    $6,400 Do they come into your house and empty your wastepaper basket for that???

  9. #9
    Member Downstate Buffaloian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Enough
    $6,400 Do they come into your house and empty your wastepaper basket for that???
    My taxes $8100 (including STAR), on a 1100 square feet cape!

    Here the big saving grace: Value in 1999: 180K, value in 2007: 500K-550K

    Fot that $8100 they pick up garbage Three times per week, that's right Three times!

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    I guess what makes it "worth" it for you folks is this. My income is relatively low so my taxes are relatively low and standard deductions are greater than itemized. If my salary were greater then I would be paying more federal taxes. Rather than pay more federal taxes I would pay that money into a house so I would buy a more expensive house and itemize. I could deduct all those taxes and instead of paying the federal govt, the money would be going to local munis. So if I make more I pay more taxes, but the money stays locally. If the money stays locally, the local economy stays stable (somewhat) and I get to keep my job or benefit from customers consuming my goods / services. Otherwise the money would go away to the federal govt. and leave the area. The nature of the beast is bureaucracy, because *everyone* has to work (especially middle class and up), jobs have to be created where people don't really *do* anything. It's a poor economic paradigm that's going to make everyone's taxes and expenses keep going up as long as population increases.

    Regards

  11. #11
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Quote Originally Posted by Downstate Buffaloian
    My taxes $8100 (including STAR), on a 1100 square feet cape!

    Here the big saving grace: Value in 1999: 180K, value in 2007: 500K-550K

    Fot that $8100 they pick up garbage Three times per week, that's right Three times!
    So there's so much patronage down state they have 3 times as many sanitation workers than needed?

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    But seriously people, if you want to put a stop to increased taxes, vote with your feet. Leave. If enough people do that taxes will cease to increase, otherwise what you're saying is...

    "Yeah, I don't like increased taxes, but I will put up with it. It's not *bad* enough to make me move."

    Regards.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Genoobie
    But seriously people, if you want to put a stop to increased taxes, vote with your feet. Leave. If enough people do that taxes will cease to increase, otherwise what you're saying is...

    "Yeah, I don't like increased taxes, but I will put up with it. It's not *bad* enough to make me move."

    Regards.
    Acutally, you are wrong,

    1. People leave, your tax base shrinks and expenses stay the same you have to either cut taxes or raise taxes... Funny, they always seem to choose raising taxes
    2. You raise taxes, more people leave and you start the cycle again.


    Sadly, the poor and old stay increasing state and local govt. expenses.

    I am glad someone doesn't mind paying higher taxes. I pesonally enjoy spending less in taxes and having more of MY MONEY to spend on my family.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by CarlNads
    Acutally, you are wrong,

    1. People leave, your tax base shrinks and expenses stay the same you have to either cut taxes or raise taxes... Funny, they always seem to choose raising taxes
    2. You raise taxes, more people leave and you start the cycle again.


    Sadly, the poor and old stay increasing state and local govt. expenses.

    I am glad someone doesn't mind paying higher taxes. I pesonally enjoy spending less in taxes and having more of MY MONEY to spend on my family.
    If taxes go up, people will move. Eventually the loss of revenue will force government to cut expenditures (unless subsidized from outside sources) and taxes will decrease. Other areas will grow as will the taxes in those areas forcing people to leave and so the cycle continues. It looks like taxes are never cut, however, if you adjust for today's dollars and look at taxation history, there are probably periods where tax increases fell below the rates of inflation. In essence this is a tax cut.

    Regards.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Genoobie
    If taxes go up, people will move. Eventually the loss of revenue will force government to cut expenditures (unless subsidized from outside sources) and taxes will decrease. Other areas will grow as will the taxes in those areas forcing people to leave and so the cycle continues. It looks like taxes are never cut, however, if you adjust for today's dollars and look at taxation history, there are probably periods where tax increases fell below the rates of inflation. In essence this is a tax cut.

    Regards.
    Can I have some of what you are smoking? Lets look at some data...

    http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/rel...r06/042606.htm

    Local Property Taxes Increased By Three Times
    The Rate Of Inflation in Last Five Years
    New York State’s Property Taxes Among Highest in Nation

    New York’s Property Tax Burden Higher than National Average

    Largest Local Tax. By far, the property tax is the largest tax imposed by local governments, representing 79 percent of all local taxes outside of New York City.

    Highest Local Taxes in Country
    Highest Combined State and Local Taxes in Country


    I could go on and on posting data that shows NY/WNY taxes continue to increase during the time population decreased. And, that increase was above the rate of inflation.

    Please show me where you actually had a real tax cut in the past 20 years that was below the rate of inflation.

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