Marian Saves Her House from Reverse Mortgage Foreclosure: She Filed Chapter 13 and Got Fairfax Senior Citizen Tax Relief
Before her husband died, Marian had taken out a reverse mortgage on her home. That way, they hoped, she wouldn’t have a house payment and she’d never have to worry about having a place to live.
But after a couple years, Marian got a reverse mortgage foreclosure notice.
In a Reverse Mortgage, You Don’t Have a Mortgage Payment But You Still Have the Tax Payment
Having a reverse mortgage does NOT mean you have a free place to live. You don’t have to pay the bank, but you still have to pay real estate taxes and insurance. Marion’s monthly tax was $390.00–lots cheaper than rent but not free.
The reverse mortgage company paid the real estate taxes–but Marian was required to pay reverse mortgage company back. She didn’t understand (and didn’t have much money) and so she didn’t do it. For three years. That gave the reserve mortgage company the reason to foreclose her.
Chapter 13 in the Nick of Time
Marion’s house was scheduled to be sold out from under her on July 28. We filed Chapter 13 on July 27. That stopped the foreclosure and the Chapter 13 plan gave her five years to pay the mortgage company back for those taxes. Wew!
But Marion now has to make the chapter 13 payment. It’s $280 a month.
Chapter 13 stopped the reverse mortgage foreclosure. Fairfax senior tax relief helped Marion afford the payments.
Tax Relief for Seniors Saves the Day
On top of that $280 a month Chapter 13 payment, how can Marion pay next year’s real estate taxes? Good news. Fairfax County–like most of the counties in Northern Virginia–has tax relief for low income seniors. (Here’s the info for Loudoun. And Prince William.) She applied and got approved. No more real estate taxes. Her budget is very tight, but she will save her house.
PS For More Info on Danger of Reverse Mortgage Foreclosure
What happened to Marian happens a lot. And not everybody moves fast enough to stop it. The Naples Daily News had this great article in 2019 about senior citizens in reverse mortgages who end up losing their homes in foreclosure.