Wells Fargo Pushed A Man To Suicide Then Proceeds To Evicts Family 48 Hours After His Suicide
And just like that, Wells Fargo pushed a man to suicide. Wells Fargo claimed that Norman and Oriane Rousseau had missed a mortgage payment. However, the payment HAD been made in person at a Wells Fargo branch by Cashier’s Check. Mrs. Rousseau had the receipt for the transaction to prove it.
As a result, the Rousseaus file a dispute with Wells Fargo over the supposed missing payment. Wells Fargo “investigated” it and comes back saying that the Rousseaus had stopped payment on the check. They stopped payment on a Cashier’s Check? Seriously?
I don’t want to spend too much time on this ridiculous point. So here is how Rousseau’s lawyer explains this wholly insipid issue.
The teller’s receipt establishes that the cashier’s check was in the custody and control of Wachovia on April 1, 2009. Research by the Cashiering Department should have concluded that Wachovia screwed up. They did not apply the cash-equivalent funds to the Rousseau’s account. After it was delivered and accepted by the branch office, it was Wachovia’s responsibility to safeguard the instrument. It was Wachovia itself effectively stopped payment on the cashier’s check.
Okay, so let’s get back to the meat of the story…
Rousseau’s were concerned that they could not resolve the payment dispute. As a result, Wells Fargo (who took over Wachovia from the FDIC) told them to apply for a loan modification.
Thus, the Rousseaus hired a law firm and submitted a loan modification application. After that it was standard operating procedure at Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo began playing the, “We lost this and we lost that. Please, resend this, and resend that game”
This went on for over a year.
Naturally, Wells Fargo told the Rousseaus not to make their payments. Wells Fargo claimed that making a payment would immediately disqualify them from getting a loan modification.
The Rousseaus saved their payments just in case Wells decided to deny them a modification. They saved every single payment.
Wells Fargo Tells The Rousseaus To Ignore The Notice Of Default
Wells Fargo sent them a Notice of Default. The Rousseaus called the bank to find out what the letter was all about. They told Wells Fargo they wanted to reinstate their loan. Wells Fargo told them what they always say, “IGNORE IT… don’t worry about it, everything’s fine. It’s just an automated sort of thing… why, you’re being considered for a loan modification.”
Then Wells filed a Notice of Sale on October 28, 2010. The notice said their home would be sold on November 22, 2010. And still Wells said, “IGNORE IT! It’s just another automated sort of thing. Your loan modification is still pending and please re-submit some documents.”
Then on November 10, 2010, a Wells Fargo representative told the Rousseaues that their loan modification had been denied. The reason: Insufficient income.
However, their income hadn’t changed a nickel since they applied for the loan modification. So, what’s the deal? Did it take Wells Fargo a year to figure out the Rousseau’s income was insufficient? Is that the story we are supposed to be buying into?
The Rousseaus were told the had 2 days to pay Wells Fargo nearly $26,000, including $4,000 of late fees. Amazingly, the Rousseaus drained a retirement fund and tried to pay. However, they could not do it quickly enough due to account limits on cash withdrawals. On November 22nd, Wells Fargo acquired the title of their house.
The Rousseaus Fight Back!
Throughout 2011, the Rousseaus fought Wells Fargo in the courts to reclaim ownership. In July 2011, they got a injunction as long as they could make a monthly payment of $1,800.
However, by then they werefinancially drained by legal fees and in the wake of Norman losing his job. Now, they were struggling. They failed to make the December payment. Wells Fargo went to court and a lockout was set for May 15, 2012.
Norman Rousseau Pushed Norman Rousseau To Commit Suicide
In order to keep a roof over their heads, Norman bought an old motor home on Saturday, May 12th. However, the vehicle’s engine did not work. He struggled to fix it. Then, at midnight, he gave up and went to bed. That Sunday morning he shot himself dead. The Rousseaus’ lawyer, Chris Gardas, believes that broke him. “I have no doubt that was the last straw.”
Oriane is in deep mourning. She is also angry. she said her lawsuit will go on without her husband. She says she is doing it for the many other Americans caught in foreclosure hell.
For its part, Wells Fargo says it is not to blame. “Despite current reports, we tried repeatedly to find affordable options for the family,” a bank spokeswoman said. Wells Fargo still intends to evict Oriane, though it has temporarily suspended proceedings. Not that she can face a night in the place she once thought a slice of the American dream. She is currently living in a motel paid for by a church. That money runs out on Friday.
“I have no idea where I am going to go. I have been left with nothing,” she said.
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