Riverview woman nearly loses house over paperwork error

Article Courtesy of ABC Action News -- Channel 10
Published June 22, 2005

RIVERVIEW - Jackie Delisme works hard to make ends meet. Still, there's often more month than money for the single mother of two.

Last December, she mailed her $250 homeowner's association payment two months late. A week later, the association's lawyer sent a letter that claimed the bill had not been paid and ordered Jackie to pay $225 in dues and fees.

  

"I made it late because I had some problems in my life," she explained. "I feel like maybe the association had the payment and forgot to call the lawyer." Two more letters followed, and by April the association's attorney was asking for $700, still claiming Jackie never made her payment. She responded by calling the lawyer's office. "He told me I did not make the payment, That's when I told him, 'Yes sir, I did make my payment and my check cleared on December 11,' " she continued.

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In May, the Summerfield Master Community Association started foreclosure proceedings on her Riverview home.

"It was devastating. I did not know what to do," she said. "Me and my kids spent the whole weekend praying and crying."

When Jacqueline first called Action News, Taking Action reporter Jackie Callaway sent her to the courthouse to file copies of her cancelled checks. Only then did Summerfield and their attorney abandon foreclosure proceedings.

"Thanks to you guys, it's over. I can now sleep in peace," she told Jackie with a sigh.

In his statement, the association's attorney denied doing anything wrong, saying, "until we received something from the homeowner, there was no way to determine a mistake was made."

It turned out that a bank mistake was to blame for the fact the homeowner's association never got Jackie's check. Jackie learned a valuable lesson in thinking a phone call could take care of an issue where written proof was required.