Tapped Out: When Water Bills Force Foreclosure


One raw day in early February, Vicki Valentine stood by helplessly as real estate investors snatched her West Baltimore home over what began with an unpaid city water bill of $362. Valentine lost the property after the city sold her debt to investors through a contentious and byzantine legal process called a tax sale. This little-known type of foreclosure can enrich investors as growing numbers of property owners struggle to pay their bills.

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25 comments:

  1. WickedNavajo, 11. February 2012, 4:48

    These bankers, I do not like. I cannot wait until Judgement Day comes.

     
  2. kevp951, 11. February 2012, 5:41

    i hope something terrible happens to the city and water company.

     
  3. OttoLadensack, 11. February 2012, 6:17

    Drowning In Water Bills in Durham, NC — click my name to see my video

     
  4. OttoLadensack, 11. February 2012, 6:38

    Drowning In Water Bills in Durham, NC 

     
  5. Cleanrealestate, 11. February 2012, 7:23

    That’s terrible they should help people especially in this economy!

     
  6. xtremixt1, 11. February 2012, 7:50

    water bill companies. what a monster.

     
  7. yingdiskette, 11. February 2012, 7:57

    Sad thing is that these banks let the homes sit empty.

     
  8. rimemariner, 11. February 2012, 8:27

    Fucking avaricious kikes! what an in injustice. Well those jews are really true to the talmud when it calls for it to steal and cheat the gentiles because we gentiles are subhuman cattle, goyim. Yup the Synagogue of Satan at work.

     
  9. Redboy4, 11. February 2012, 9:21

    “Alltimer’s” disease? Apparently the narrator doesn’t know what Alzheimer’s disease is.

     
  10. Garboho, 11. February 2012, 9:33

    Here’s a novel idea; pay your water bill. That is why you shouldn’t quit your job unless you have a fall back plan.

     
  11. vention4wh, 11. February 2012, 9:42

    Man I would gut that place! The sinks, the toilette the plumbing the drywall, the wiring, the circuit panel, and even the porch rails would be gone. I might even be inclined to carefully remove the window glass from the frames, then place the glass in the middle of the living room and drop a brick on them.

     
  12. bestkeylar, 11. February 2012, 10:15

    This is really heartbreaking, it shows what an evil presence Wall St and the putrid Banking system is to the American Dream. I want to go throw rocks.

     
  13. hjihiihnoij, 11. February 2012, 10:23

    taxlienrus.blogspot.com/

     
  14. snipershniper, 11. February 2012, 10:27

    Don’t you think you need to blame the law not the investors ?

     
  15. thedoodewhonoodles, 11. February 2012, 11:25

    Honestly, America truly deserves the ignorance and confusion it’s in right now. All people have to do is open their eyes. Look how much trouble America is in, because it mortgaged the future for years and years. I just hope that when all this is over, no one is stupid enough to call themselves American and be proud of it. America as it was is now a joke. A stupid, conceited joke.

     
  16. SwarmTheBanks, 11. February 2012, 11:42

    Just what was the house worth? The scam that the banksters have perfected is that anybody who is not working has no right to access any equity in their home, even if the home is PAID OFF!

    So, taking care of a parent with altheimers means you are scum to the banksters if it means take off work to do it. Even though she probably saved the state money by taking off of work to care for her own father, the state still comes and takes the home.

     
  17. lucymo1000, 11. February 2012, 11:52

    If everyone who has watched this story could have donated just
    $2 each to Vicki, then she could have bought another house. I
    feel so bad for her! This is horrible! Does anyone know if any organization came to her aide? We should set up a fund for her. No one will miss a few dollars from their banks, and it would make all the difference for her. Let me know if anyone is interested.

     
  18. violafinishda, 11. February 2012, 11:53

    Belive it or not Free energy is real,But a few ppl make too many billions from our energy needs to let this technology be known,Get a motor that works with the power of magnets only at LT-MAGNET-MOTORdotCOM ,Free yourself!

     
  19. halopa246, 11. February 2012, 12:22

    @MrYoubrian : Greed knows no boundaries my friend, just look around in your own country and I’m sure you will find it evident there as well. In the case of the U.S. however, it’s so pervasive here for the simple reason that the greedy, corrupt power mongers can make more money here…along with the help of the government of course. And the ignorant Tea Party supporters are being duped into going along with the program while the banksters hatch their next plan to take more away from them.

     
  20. halopa246, 11. February 2012, 13:22

    @EquivocallyAbsurd : It’s these kinds of scenarios that many of the wealthy elite bankers drool over. All part of their New World Order agenda see. Before long the middle class will be gone and the majority of our great countries population will by and large living lives of servitude to the plutocracy just just to put processed junk food in our mouths and keep the rent paid while they think of more ways to manipulate the government system to get every last penny they can from us. Sad! Sad! Sad!

     
  21. halopa246, 11. February 2012, 13:47

    @teapartyman : What people like you don’t realize is that it’s in large part a pay to play democratic system of government we live in. The wealthy, corrupt, greedy and unethical corporations buy influence from the politicians to achieve their goals. And in this case the politicians go along because they are losing their tax base and can get a lot more tax dollars from redevelopment when the economy rebounds. Unfortunately this nearsighted thinking is what leads to a shrinking middle class.

     
  22. jubutie, 11. February 2012, 14:39

    @jay1pizza do you ever listen to ur self? The lady sheriff was doing her job period! Just the same as most ppl in the world. It’s not a conspiracy from the gov ima black man in Detroit and that isn’t allowed here! It’s Baltimore city that’s shady. So you and ur bullshit theory can go some were!!!

     
  23. albc1964, 11. February 2012, 15:34

    To all viewers of this video; I would appreciate any information you can sned to me to see if this sort of action can take place here D.C. About my post where I made serveral comments especially the part about the credit score; I would to read what do you think ? I may not have this right and sometimes I am wrong but I love to learn from other poeple valid opinions so that I can increase my knowledge and use to do good in this world. Thank You !!

     
  24. albc1964, 11. February 2012, 16:30

    A couple things; Like one poster stated could the water authorites have encouraged Miss Vicki Valentine the use of avaible equity to pay the bill? I see the use of overdue water bills in tax lien real estate foreclosue sales legal in Baltimore,MD>> Does anyone knowif this can happen here in Washington,D.C. ? Miss Vicki Valentine need to find a place top pritory; Also finding out how and when to begin improving her credit score is a must. I have read how you pay your bills affect the score.

     
  25. albc1964, 11. February 2012, 16:55

    @imah8ter07  Great Idea !!

     

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