By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FIVE people in Millennium Gardens whose homes were repossessed by the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation last week are being represented by attorney Wayne Munroe who yesterday criticised policies that kick people out of their homes before a new buyer or tenant is found.
It is not clear how many people overall have had their homes repossessed.
The residents, who found changed locks on their doors, are said to have accumulated arrears over a number of years, some more than five.
"In some cases, it was illness that was a problem," Mr Munroe QC said yesterday.
"In some cases, it was loss of a job. In one case a woman who came to me, her mother got ill and she works now at her mother's stall at the Straw Market from which she now has to take care of her mother and take care of her responsibilities.
"One of these women, and I know it to be the case, says they told her she has to bring $20,000. Her son used to live with her at that time. Her son went to try get the $20,000; he's in jail for armed robbery now."
Mr Munroe added: "Do they have (a) sale presently or leases for these homes they are taking possession of? If the answer is no, do they intend to engage a security firm to make sure the homes aren't vandalised? And are they intending to engage people to go and open the house for periods during the week to make sure they are not closed up and deteriorating? And if they intend to pay all the money out for this, what was the difficulty in leaving these people in their home and collecting any small sums they could collect from them?
"The bottom line is no one is saying if the bank comes to exercise its security because they have a sale for the house that they shouldn't do so, but why should they just put you out to put you out and then leave your house to run down? I don't think any mortgage lender should be permitted to put people out unless they have a sale or lease for the property.
"I've been trying to get cases to advance that view that I have because I do not like mortgage lenders and big banks taking advantage of small people and it's a classic example of taking advantage and spitefulness to put somebody our their house and you have no sale, no lease for it. The BMC is even worse when it comes to this.
"Let's say you put me out my house because I truly can't pay. I now have to go to Social Services. Social Services has to pay rent for me to go somewhere. What's the logic to it?"
With an eye toward the 2022 election, the Progressive Liberal Party has seized on the home repossessions as it builds a narrative that the Minnis administration is uncaring. The party has reacted similarly to a widespread disconnection exercise at the Water & Sewerage Corporation this week.
"It is a marker of the difference between us and them," said party chairman Fred Mitchell yesterday. "Our view is work with people. It's better to have someone in the house than the house being vacant and vandalised."
Government officials responsible for the BMC have not discussed the recent repossession exercise. The prime minister's press secretary, Anthony Newbold, defended the move yesterday, however.
"You got to pay your mortgage," he said. "Five years is a long time to not pay your mortgage. This government wants to have people in houses; didn't want to see anybody dispossessed."
Mr Newbold said Bahamians, faced with PLP criticism of the Minnis administration's "cruel" policies, should remember who's doing the talking.
"There's just concern that the people understand whose telling them that and that these situations didn't all develop in the last year and a half," he said.
"These situations developed and are now coming to a head because of the last administration. These people who the court has ordered that whatever happens with their houses, they didn't just stop paying their mortgages six months ago or 13 months ago.
"They haven't paid their mortgages for years. Who allowed that to happen? We have systems we allow to govern our lives and we have to pay attention to those systems. There are any number of instances where this government has said, 'we want to help the people'…at some point there's nothing else you can do but let the law takes its course."
Former BMC chairman Alex Storr defended the decision of the previous administration to let people stay in their homes despite their accumulation of arrears, though he noted the former administration initiated court proceedings against debtors.
"We had some Saturdays where staff would go and do walkabouts in the areas and leave letters on all the doors," Mr Storr said. "The biggest issue is that persons who are having a problem or are in arrears, they tend to shy away or they hide and that's the worst thing you can do."
BMC settled on a policy of not pushing out of the homes, Mr Storr said.
"Even then on gaining the judgment for vacant possession we didn't put them out," he said. "We still gave them the opportunity to come in and talk and see if there was anything that could be done. Some customers realised they were wrong and couldn't do anything and walked away from the house. Some came in."
Comments
Gotoutintime 5 years, 7 months ago
None of the PLP Officials ever paid their mortgages, why should the small man?
Clamshell 5 years, 7 months ago
... or their utility bills.
B_I_D___ 5 years, 7 months ago
Damn fool...here is your eviction notice...but we are going to let you stay until we have a new tenant...rent free...and please, be sure to keep the place nice and neat and tidy for us...but if you trash the place, that's OK as well, since we have no security deposit anymore to hold you accountable...idiot... Kick to the curb and change the locks.
Sickened 5 years, 7 months ago
Remember, Munroe is only a lawyer - common sense is not a requirement.
Sickened 5 years, 7 months ago
"I've been trying to get cases to advance that view that I have because I do not like mortgage lenders and big banks taking advantage of small people..." Sounds like Munroe has it all backwards. It's these people who have taken advantage of the Mortgage Corp and the people's money all this time.
bogart 5 years, 7 months ago
THE ROOT OF DA SITUATION NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT......START WITH THE APPLICATION PAPERS ...SHOULD BE STILL ON FILE.... BRUNGS UP THE ISSUE AS TO WHETHER THEY WAS QUALIFIED IN THE FIRSTEST PLACE......,!!! Simple mathematical calculations. If applicant gets home but did not qualify by bank to repay then fraud should be looked into and or perhaps bank erred in verifying application for successfull repayment ensuring failure to customer and loss to shareholders......NOT all defaults are customers fault. One must also bear in mind other influences affecting loan approval.......... In the US there was the subprime issues that caused massive customers defaults....Wells Fargo recently fined ..perspns let go customers had accohnts opened in their names they didnt approve.....Bahamas is not immune to loans not repaid as in Resolve from BoB. The Bahamas also had highest rates of mortgage defaults in Caribbean ....Independent investigations should have warranted as they involved some 4,000 mortgage loans and almost a billion dollars of loans....untold billions more in homes....massive effects on other businesses.....AND...the same banks now redisigning...the very same forms they used to approve.....of the mortgage application process which now......many should show fewer persons being able to qualify for mortgages.....AND the massive increase in liquidity affecting overall business.....Investigations needed...!!!
Sickened 5 years, 7 months ago
Now the people are coming out with their sob stories - I believe NONE of them. I also assume they all have at least 2 decent cars parked in the driveway at night as well and they get their hair and nails done twice a week and can find money to hire Munroe dead quick!
sealice 5 years, 7 months ago
dey does eat chingro food errynite for dinna 2....
Bahaman17 5 years, 7 months ago
But they can find money for a lawyer tho.......
jackbnimble 5 years, 7 months ago
Munroe is an opportunist. Like Fred Smith, he's using it for political brownie points.
joeblow 5 years, 7 months ago
Don't forget, people come to him, why shouldn't he take their money? I would!
sealice 5 years, 7 months ago
Pro bono work for sure this slant face fool still think's he was made for politics and ga win next time round....
TheMadHatter 5 years, 7 months ago
I bet most of these people being put out of their homes take part in the Independence Day celebrations every July - meanwhile the Queen holds onto FREE land they should have been given in 1973 and calls it "Crown Land".
That's not the saddest part.
What's worse is after they are evicted and live out in the bush with infected rat bites, they will still be on Bay Street next year July, CELEBRATING.
Economist 5 years, 7 months ago
Man, you must be joking, the Queen???
Who do you think controls the distribution of Crown Land??? it sure is not the Queen. Since 1973 it has been Sir Lynden, Hubert I, Perry and now Hubert M.
Clamshell 5 years, 7 months ago
You have to admire a political party with the audacity to declare, as its official slogan, that nobody should ever be required to pay their bills.
EasternGate 5 years, 7 months ago
Munroe QC (quick cash) is full of horse shit!! He wants the tax payers to underwrite these leeches, to stay in homes but he wants to keep killers out of jail on bail!
Apostle 5 years, 7 months ago
I really do not expect any better from Munroe. Where in the world do people not pay their mortgage for five years and the lending institutions tell to to stay in the place and keep it till w find a buyer. Some of these lawyers are just too smart for themselves until they just never say much that make any sense.
I feel for the people that loss their jobs or their homes. It speaks to the economy of the Bahamas. The PLP was government for five years with these same people and despite their mortgage relief program, did nothing to help them. Oh! sorry they let them remain in the homes and not pay their mortgages. Will Bajalo.
Dawes 5 years, 7 months ago
Will be fun to watch Munroe win this one. All that will do is make it harder for all to get a mortgage to buy a house as the banks will want more security to ensure what Munroe is trying to make happen not happen. The last thing the bank wants is to take the homes away (they would always rather the payments are made), but they have to because if they don't everyone will stop paying.
Sickened 5 years, 7 months ago
True. If Munroe wins then we all lose. Borrowing is tough now - it'll be MUCH tougher (actually impossible) if lenders aren't allowed to evict and repossess.
bogart 5 years, 7 months ago
In any other country in the world........when there is a problem with ....that countrys ....major industry ...there are imvestigations.....car industry an cars recalled.......problem with ground beef an ground beef recalled.....problem with car an too much pollution dey recalled.....problem with US bank an plenty investigations.....Brazil corn beef recall investigate all......
DDK 5 years, 7 months ago
Problem with U.S. bank, U.S. government bailout. Problem with Bahamas Bank, Bahamas government bailout. Bahamas government learning from U.S. how to Ponzi treasury finances. Sooner or later it all comes crashing down. Obviously ours cannot last as long as Uncle's.
BahamaRed 5 years, 7 months ago
Da Fack
There is no way in hell they didn't put one dollar on the mortgage for 5 years.
Take them houses please...
rawbahamian 5 years, 7 months ago
No word from TalRussel about the Imperial Red Shirts being involved in this exercise, awesome !!! I wonder who or what shut his pie hole this time ?
realitycheck242 5 years, 7 months ago
LOL ...Tai Russell convenently goes quiet on certain issues. that a known fact. If its critical of a PLP ....he does shut up.
Sickened 5 years, 7 months ago
Give the man a break - he just lost his house! LOL!
BONEFISH 5 years, 7 months ago
Five years without paying a dollar on your mortgage. These people can't be serious.These people get some nerve. Wow
SP 5 years, 7 months ago
Guaranteed these people waste fortunes wearing all the newest fashions, shoes, riding around in shiny, fresh cars with expensive tires, rims, window tint, and have a ball wasting money every weekend and holiday!
These fools have their priorities backward. How did they figure not paying their mortgage was a good idea?
Let's see how they will go to work without those clothes that got locked up with the houses and how they will live and eat in those nice shiny cars with a dray load of pissed off kids who can't go to school.
Stupid does as stupid is. I have no sympathy for these stupid people, they deserve to be kicked out, but I am concerned about the innocent, suffering children of these stupid "parents".
geostorm 5 years, 7 months ago
@SP, I have to agree with you!
TheMadHatter 5 years, 7 months ago
Economist - what you're saying is like perceived law. Like when the web shops were open without licenses and anyone could say the chief of police allowed them to stay open, when we knew it really wasn't his decision.
Check the Constitution where it says Her Majesty is the Head of State. I will leave you to take up that discussion with the captain of the British Navy destroyer that enters Nassau harbour on her orders One ship could take out the entire island with missiles. Power plants - gone Water pumps on Skyline Drive - gone Gas stations - gone Food wholesalers - gone
Who could we call to help us? Nobody because we would not be invaded by a foreign power. Instead simply law enforcement by our Head of State. The USA's hands would be tied.
It's truly amazing how something written in black & white in the King's English can be ignored by so many Bahamians - esp the ones that read, like you.
Continue to live in your fantasy world that the Queen no longer has power here. Just last week we had a judge rule that a convicted murderer was not "the worst of the worst". Why can't we hang murderers? You know why, but prefer an imaginary land of cotton candy and unicorns jumping over rainbows - all in your head. A pretty picture though. I don't blame you.
Economist 5 years, 7 months ago
It is clear that you are either incapable of comprehending or are just running the standard propaganda to mislead the man in the street.
I suspect that you know better.
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