A woman contacted 17 News because she says her 70-year-old parents were wrongfully foreclosed on. She says they were on track to modify their loan, and had been making payments, faithfully, for months.
Last year, the Ortegas fell on hard times and got six months behind on their mortgage payments. They decided to try to modify their home loan. "We found a place where they would try to help us modify their loan," said the Ortega's daughter Anna Arizaga.
They were put into a trial period program and their payments lowered. They've been making payments since the beginning of the year and just made a payment on August 6. But on August 18, they say they got an unexpected phone call. "We found out their house had been auctioned," said Arizaga.
Their beloved home sold, the bank telling them there's nothing they can do. "I've tried everything, tried to talk to the bank, and they don't care. They don't care that they're 74 years old, they're on a budget," said Arizaga.
IndyMac Bank, the company that previously owned the mortgage, says the Ortegas did not submit proof of income forms, and although the payments were coming in, the bank decided to foreclose. IndyMac Bank representatives say they notified the Ortegas about the problems, but the couple says they never received those notifications.
Arizaga says her parents don't deserve to be homeless and they're not giving up. If nothing more comes of telling their story, she hopes she keeps someone else from going through the same ordeal.
Channel 17 News requested all the documents IndyMac Bank has on the Ortegas to determine whether they were properly notified or not.
If you have a story you'd like 17 News to investigate, call the newsroom at 283-1717 or go to our website and click on the "Contact 17" link.
