Homeless homecoming: Bank refuses to delay foreclosure on home of soldier returning from Iraq



When Tim Collette’s son Aaron comes home from serving in Iraq, he wants nothing more than to welcome him into their home with open arms.

There is just one problem - they won’t have a home.

Mr Collette’s bank has decided to foreclose on the property in Bend, Oregon, even though it means Aaron, 20, will have nowhere to go.

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Shut out: Tim Collette has asked his bank to postpone the foreclosure until after his son Aaron has had his two-week leave, but the bank says no

After being made to jump through hoops for a year, the bank will now force him out later this month, weeks before his son is due to return home for two weeks’ leave.

The eviction will be in breach of the law which bans banks from foreclosing on the families of serving soldiers, but JPMorgan Chase will carry on regardless.

‘I just want him to come home and know he can be safe for 15 days,’ Mr Collette said.

‘I don't want him thinking about coming home and having it not be there.’

The nightmare with JPMorgan Chase bank began back in 2008 when Mr Collette, who had been making regular payments on his mortgage, asked for financial help.

He claims he was told that he would only qualify for a loan modification if he missed two of his monthly payments which he did - so the bank tried to foreclose on him.

He started making payments again until last year when he got a demand for $9,000 Chase claimed he should have paid, and the foreclosure process began all over again.

No welcome here: Tim Collette¿s soldier son Aaron is getting two weeks leave, but it looks like he won't be spending it at home

‘All I'm asking for is something to let me be there for a few more months,’ Mr Collette said.

‘You wanna take the house after that, fine.

'After everything I've been through they can give me that much.’

Mr Collette added that his son has been in the Army for a year and a half and recently survived a explosive device blowing up next to his squad.

Aaron has been told he can fly anywhere in the world for his vacation but instead he wants to come home - if there is a home to go to.

Mr Collette said his son has spent hours worrying about what is going to happen at a time when he should be focusing on fighting for his country.

‘I don't talk to him about it when we talk, but he knows what's going on,' Mr Collette told the Huffington Post.

'He shouldn't have to think about this when he's trying to stay alive.’

JPMorgan Chase has foreclosed the homes of 27 active members of the military even though the law forbids them from doing so.

The bank’s chief executive Jamie Dimon has apologised for the error - words which ring hollow to the Collette family.

At the last shareholder’s meeting, Mr Dimon said: ‘There is no class of citizen that we hold in higher regard; there is no mistake that we've made - this is the worst one we've made.

‘We deeply apologize to our veterans ... and we're sorry.’