Elderly couple was days away from eviction in home they owned for 23 years —a ‘miracle’ turned things around
Sometimes, when you find yourself helplessly at the lowest of times and when unprecedented turns don’t work for the better, you can only hope for a miracle. Joe and Kathy Cavaliere were an elderly couple residing in Lynn, Massachusetts, for 23 years, as stated by CBS News. Unfortunately, due to a worrisome financial circumstance, the couple was days from losing their home and being evicted. Paying a whopping amount to save it was not an option and the couple worried where they’d go and how they’d start fresh in life. Amidst their frustration, a “miracle” made its way through like an answered prayer.
The Cavalieres had taken up the “Pick-a-Pay” mortgage plan, which helped them pick an amount they had to pay monthly. Unfortunately, they were not informed that the interest kept compounding. When Joe got sick and was laid off from work, they fell into a financial struggle. The 85-year-old revealed, "I was out of work for a little while and then I got laid off and we fell behind on the mortgage payments,” per WBZTV. Eventually, the bank’s parent company merged with Wachovia Corporation, which later merged with Wells Fargo. When they took charge of the couple’s loan, there were different financial policies to follow.
When he could get back to paying, he was told he needed to pay the entire $400,000. That was impossible for the elderly couple, due to which the bank evicted them from their home. With age, a little pension to live by and so many other bleak factors, the Cavalieres were worried about the outcome. They fought for years to get back their home, but in vain. Kathy began to worry about how her husband would take such a devastating loss. That’s when they contacted WBZ-TV I-Team's Call For Action for help. The News channel’s initiative is to help those like Joe and Kathy and deliver justice.
"It's been a whole life in the last 23 years, 24 years. This has been the center of our family. All holidays, all get-togethers. And it was going to be gone within days,” Kathy poignantly said to the I-Team. The team got to work and did everything in their power to help the couple. With their strategy and hard work, the elderly couple finally got their home back. "We have been working with Mr. Cavaliere since 2011 to help him navigate this situation. We have been committed to finding a resolution and are pleased to have this resolved,” they said.
Joe and Kathy were shocked to receive a letter from Wells Fargo stating that they would receive their home back. Speaking with the I-Team, Kathy revealed, “When you called me and said send the paperwork and when you got back to me, I cried.” Paul Collier, the duo’s attorney, was relieved to see the couple find a wholesome ending to their story. "I don't believe in miracles but it felt like a miracle. I could never have accomplished that result and you folks did it in a matter of weeks," he said. The Cavalieres are forever grateful to find a piece of their lives again and it’s a reminder that hope thrives.
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