Friends of Ann Martin

Dear Friends of Ann Martin.

Kent Shelman and I worked together at Meyerdirk Title Company and Professional Escrow Services, Inc. in the 1980s.  If you are receiving this email it’s because you likely worked with and remember Ann Martin, one of our Escrow Closing Officers who worked in both our Kansas and Missouri offices and also with Land Title in Overland Park.

I received a call from Kent a few months ago, he had been contacted by Ann because her small house, located near Johnson Community College, was being foreclosed upon; he asked if I could provide Ann some legal counsel as she did not have funds for representation and nowhere else to turn.

I spoke with Ann and looked into the matter for her and contacted the mortgage servicing company that held her mortgage.  I learned that she had taken out a reverse mortgage and that the foreclosure was occurring because of her failure to pay her real estate taxes and homeowner’s insurance.  

I called Kansas Legal Aid Services in Kansas City, Kansas and with the help of James Jones the paralegal there and Leland Cox the managing attorney, they were able to get an Answer filed for Ann in the foreclosure action.  The case is pending in Johnson County District Court.  The attorney for the lender is being helpful and will work with Legal Aid and Ann if she can come up with funds to satisfy the insurance and tax delinquency.  There is also a pending problem with her homes association dues.

Ann is suffering from some memory loss (for example she did not recall getting the Reverse Mortgage).  Ann is living on Social Security of about $1,450 a month.  She has no other income or family that can help her.  According to James Jones, her taxes, insurance and homes association dues make up about $500+ per month.  So the obvious question is what happens if she takes care of this foreclosure now but fails to pay them again this year or next?

This is where something wonderful about technology can help out someone like Ann.  By my rough calculations if we can raise about $15,000 through www.GoFundMe.com we can save Ann’s house and get enough money to put into an account that is arranged to automatically pay her taxes and insurance.

I’m hoping that with all the people who Ann knows and who she worked with over the years at Meyerdirk Title and Land Title, that we together can raise this money.  If you are willing to help, please pull out your credit card and make a donation for Ann; also please let other folks in the real estate community know about the website.  Any amount is helpful the more you can do the quicker we can get to the goal and stop the foreclosure and let Ann sleep a little better.

Thanks for your help. – Mark Meyerdirk