Recently I went to court not because I am in trouble...but someone important to me...our real estate seller! See they live about 6 hours away..and yes the process of foreclosure has started. Laid off..injured car (needs repairs) and could not make the trip. So what was this seller to do?
They Asked Me To Appear in Court!
Rather than no one appearing...I told them to type a letter..and if the judge will even acknowledge me..and read the seller's letter...there might be some hope to get the offer they received ..to the closing table...all we need is time..time to get the short sale processed..I know it's going to be hard work...I read the wonderful Missy Caulk..and have had REALTORS throughout the state asking me for help to get through to this lender.
I sure hope the judge will accept the letter.
When the sellers name was called I told the bailiff who I was and when I told him I was their REALTOR...I caught the smile on his face. So I asked him do many REALTORS show up instead of the owners...his reply...yes and more than ever! In Daytona Beach there are many out of state sellers!
Once I arrived..the judge read the letter...called the lender's attorney and I crossed my fingers...maybe just maybe the attorney didn't get the memo and missed this date and if that is the case...we have at least another 30 days to get this property sold. As the judge called the attorney's name...I waited...I looked around...and as luck would have it.
The Attorney never showed up and we have a shot on closing this property.
I told the judge we had an offer...and in his words he said to me, "When the seller receives his next notice to appear in court...make sure and show up once again...and if the property is an official contract...I'll give you all another 90 days so that you can get it to closing!" Yes I got a little snap happy...as I left the courtroom...I did a goofy thing...because I felt good...and was happy to do what was in my heart....
I gave the judge thumbs up! Oh well...you can dress her up but you can't take her out!
The moral of the story is if you are in the process of foreclosure...do not....ignore the documents...that means respond to the lender...so you will know your options...respond to court documents and to court appearances..and if you can't get to the court room and its a legitimate reason...call someone who can stand in for you.
I do believe sometimes ignorance is bliss but in a foreclosure situation its a time bomb and more than likely if you ignore it...... will leave you homeless!
Midori Miller is a licensed real estate associate with CENTURY 21 Sundance Realty, Real Estate Trainer and Manager . If you are interested in a career in real estate please contact me! All calls and inquiries are confidential. CENTURY 21 Sundance Realty is located in Volusia County with 3 office locations to better serve the public. Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and Ormond by the Sea. midorimiller@yahoo.com (386) 453-3236
That's too funny. I actually laughed out loud. Great job for your client!
Thumbs up for you for stepping in and taking care of the client. I hope things continue to go in a positive direction. Going the extra mile ... kudos to you for your professionalism!
Good job, Midori. Some other things to keep in mind in this business, and good to know now. I'm hearing you about hoping the other party doesn't show up!
That is a great success story. Your clients will remember you forever!
Midori:
I've actually considered getting a "Going to Court" suit. With the rise of short sales that involved homeowners without any clue of what to do, there will be a rise in real estate professionals making appearances in the courtroom. Hopefully, distressed homeowners will come across this post and be proactive in selling their home before getting too deep in the foreclosure process.
As always.......Great Job and Excellent Post!
Great story, You really went the extra mile for your clients.
Hye....good news. It worked out for you , you got what you needed that day.
Portsmouth NH Real Estate
Ok this brings tears to my eyes. What would have happened had you NOT shown up. Thank God for an understanding judge. It is so nice to read a positive situation.
Good job -- It is common that the attorneys miss court dates -- so you were certainly a star! Thumbs up to you and good luck with getting house sold!
Great story and great job! I am glad you were able to help your seller. Isn't that what we are here for?
Bravo Midori ! What terrific dedication :o)
.... sometimes the good guys get one that goes their way !
Great job !
Sheldon :o)
Glad to hear this story. It's very important that the homeower response to the notices given by the lender. All states are different, though. In NC, you would not have even been heard if the seller/homeowner had not appeared in court with you.
Way to go Midori. You did a wonderful thing for your sellers and that's amazing to hear that more agents are showing up on behalf of their sellers. Here's my thumbs up to you ;)
You are an AWESOME Realtor! These sellers are SO lucky to have employed your services. Great job!
That's awesome. It's nice to see that there are people, like the judge, who have common sense and want to help people. It's especially awesome that you went the extra mile and appeared in court for your clients. Kudos to you!
Wonderful story ... and now for the real question, did you get to the closing?
Great Job well done! Not only will your clients remember you for this but you are helping to get some of our inventory sold!!!! We have so many foreclousres and short sales in our area. In our local area the judges are working with us when possible to help sell the current inventory.
Midori, I not only love you because you are the kind of person who would go that extra mile on behalf of your clients... but you are the only person goofy enough to get away with giving the judge a thumbs up, lol!
Thanks for making my day, and reminding me that sometimes things just need to be done outside of the box!
Yes Midori, I agree with all the above comments...you did a fantastic job for your clients...YOU ROCK!
Wow Midori, above and beyond the call of duty. Let this be a lesson to all of us ... to be advocates for our sellers. Good for you and hurray for the judge.
Hello Midori, If more realtors would follow your lead of excellence in customer service then we would have a better Real Estate Market to work with. Thanks for sharing this story with all of us to see what a true professional is up too.
Mark
Great story, I feel we should be there for our past clients an customers even if we are not making a fee. We should help them because it helps us. If you have worked with a lender on a short sale or foreclosure you become experienced and know how to help the next person as well as it will keep that property out of foreclosure that will have an adverse effect on market values around it.
good job - nice to see someone step up and help.
Midori - what a great story and thank you for sharing it. I am glad it went so well and I sure your clients are extremely appreciative.
Thats AWESOME
Good job, Midori! Thumbs up is OK, now a wink at the judge may be stretching it a bit!
Thumbs up to you. It really is not about the money. Glad you "get it"..... I am very proud of you for being a caring human being...
Midori, You deserve 2 thumbs up for representing your clients in such an honorable way!
Midori... talk about going the extra mile! You are a customer service inspiration! Awesome, awesome, awesome job! :)
That's what being a "professional" is all about. When people ask why they should use a Realtor I always respond, "to start make sure it is a professional Realtor." That then engages a totally different conversation.
Well done.
Craig
Midori. This is a wonderful story. In fact, it inspires me to write about something I've been putting off for some time. I'll let you know and link back.
Good work. Here in Texas things are handled different.
Midori,
Excellent!.... You went against the "norm" and it paid off!!!!.... I'm sure your sellers are very appreciative!
Kathy Opatka Re/Max OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND
Midori,
Great job! And with all the dismal news, it feels great to be able to help someone in this situation.
Good for you and your due diligence with these clients!
Good job for your clients, Midori, I didn't know that you could go to court for a client and be recognized - the times, they are a changin'!
Hi fellow C21 Florida Realtor! You did a wonderful thing for your seller and went above and beyond the call of duty. It's nice to know that you were reciprocated for your good deed and I will definitely keep my fingers crossed that you all have a smooth and easygoing closing.
Also, I have a short sale listing that we currently are trying to negotiate and this info was helpful on how to proceed should my sellers recieve a foreclosure notice.
<thumbs up>
What a great agent you are to take such great care of your clients. Good luck getting the sale to close!
Kim
RE/MAX EXCEL
Logan, Utah
I've heard of those giving the court system a "finger", but this is the first "thumb" I've heard of. Good job.
Hi Everyone..I will address the comments later on when I have some time..a gold star too! :) I am really busy working real estate so I promise to get back as soon as I can! Counting down.Friday dance and ..my workday...I might cut it short today!
Midori- Maybe you should make this your new niche marketing? Great tale of promise.
Midori - That's an awesome thing for you and your client. You are absolutely right, that the homeowners should not ignore any court appearance letter they receive.
Midori,
Did you have power of attorney for your client?
I did that too...the attorney never showed either..they gave us more time but then after we did get the lender to approve the deal...the buyer couldn't get qualified and now the lender won't answer us as to whether or not we can resubmit another contract.
Awesome success story...I give you a thumbs up!
Great story - so many times these stories don't end up so happy. It's so frustrating when you have a willing seller and a buyer and for no understandable reason the bank won't proceed with the sale and it goes to a sheriff sale. Good luck with this one - your sellers are lucky to have you!
Hi Midori:
Way to go! Two thumbs up for you!
Midori, You are a woman with class and grace. Thank you for sharing this seldom heard success story.
Midori, I loved your post! I bet you made that judges day! Thanks for sharing
What an awesome story! I love it.
I can totally see you getting excited over this... I mean I can really see it. Congrats to you and your clients should be thankful they have such a wonderful person in their corner.
AND have your owner listen to this news report of a congress woman's advice about foreclosure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6uNSDz876s
What a great story! Not only did you go the go "above and beyond" for your client, but you set an example for all of us and then took the time to educate your colleagues! Thank you!
Amazing story Midori. I'm glad common sense prevailed and I hope your sellers are thanking their lucky stars they found you!
Midori, That is some great client representation! I bet you will be paid back for that one tenfold! Congrats to you!
That was outstanding, Midori! This is just one more reason consumers are blessed to have you as an agent. Because you go above and beyond the call of duty for your clients.
You are absolutely right - ignorance can be more than bliss in situations like this. Ignorance can be the catalyst that will make many people end up sleeping in their car.
~Renae
Way to go Midori. I'm so proud of you for standing up for your seller, which is what we ALL should be doing. I'm so happy the Judge is cooperating. Best of luck to you and your sellers. Go get 'em!
Good job on going out of your way for you clients. Not a lot of agents would do that.
I have never thought about it. Good idea, talk about taking care of your buyer, you did the job well!
Midori - This is absolutely great! I'll bet that you made the Judge's day and the sellers, too. You are a true inspiration.
I just helped my seller close her home via a short sale. She gave me a giant bear hug at closing and was near tears with gratitude for helping her when no one else would. It really feels good to help someone, as I am sure you feel the same way about your clients.
Midori-Thumbs up! Cool! Did he smile? It's very rewarding to assist our clients in these challenging times. Best to you!
Excellent job Midori!!! Way to go waaaaaaaaay beyond the call of duty. Now hopefull with some more time you will get this deal closed for the seller. Good luck!!!
This is fantastic, Midori! Way to go above and beyond... glad to see things worked out and I'm praying you get it closed.
Ahhh where do I begin? In the state of Florida we don't have clients we have customer's.. so it brought up a good point....representation as in single agency and transaction broker...and implicating representation.....every state is different in their foreclosure process...but most end up in court! It's clear I am talking about Daytona Beach...I did this in South Florida from time to time and on some occasion the judge did not want anything to do with me..but I think times have changed...and in reality...regardless of where we stand...who we are...we are all in this together...with these difficult economic times..we probably have more understanding and commonalities than ever before..while its horrible in a sense I hope and feel ..a bit more unity among us mere mortal beings. It's clear to me..many focus on money over humanity.
I think if a seller can't make it...someone needs to step in for them. No I did not have power of attorney as a matter of fact that was a conversation I had with the seller.. I did not want it...nor do I want to imply by my words and/or actions that I was acting as an attorney on behalf of the seller...I told them to type the letter...because I am the messenger...who is their REALTOR and hope the judge is in a good mood when I show up...and I had hoped the attorney for the lender did not.
A good deed never goes unnoticed and in the nick of time. I don't feel I did anything above or beyond the call of duty...I did what I had to do...just like many of these sellers who make the decisions that they do! By walking away...or fear of responding
There were 36 people on the docket...and I can tell you the halls were bare...I got in around 10 ish..and was out of there 3 minutes after...
It looked like it might have been an easier day for the judge...for lack of response to these foreclosure notices...you can't assume the worst...you have to take action that makes a difference and sometimes think outside of the box or better yet just do what you need to do for your fellow man.
Thank you Lenn for the compliment and I'm going back to your post!
David Patterson so good to see you..have you been busy?????? I sure hope so.
Missy-ahhh...as I read the comments I got teary eyed! You are the bomb baby!
Gary-you had me rolling...Lysa said blowing a kiss...sounds more like me! It's the one time I am glad I was a bit goofy.
Larry-they seem to be different challenges in every transaction that we do...I gotta tell you I love the challenge..I love helping people and most all I finally get satisfaction! :)
Grace-I would hope most judges would take into consideration what is going on in their own marketplaces..and within their own families.
Wendy-thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Midori - Terrific Story! Did it ever close? You do "get it". It's not always about the money. Always happy/glad to hear more positive stories. Oh and by the way you were right it was Lisa that did that blog. LOL I started a separate blog now although I'll still be contributing on our team blog site. And thank you for the Bday greeting. Thanks for being such an inspiring person to us. Bob H here....:-)
Midori, great job going to bat for your client!!! I am always amazed at how much work we real estate agents do on behalf of our clients -- for little or NO compensation.
THERE IS A NEW WAY for homeowners to fight foreclosure -- to sue their lender! I will be writing a blog about that later today. Stay tuned!
Regina P. Brown
Alan-now that made me bust a gut
Ellie-yes it hit me like a ton of bricks...I was thinking the same thing.
Kathy-"You went against the "norm" and it paid off!!!!." that is a powerful message
Becky-this time it worked and people will never know..if they don't show up for court!
Neal-I love our short sale discussions well in truth I just like talking with you...but I love these kinds of conversations with you! :) I tagged you on facebook...
Jennifer-the last short sale I did I wasn't sure it was going to go through...the seller was in and out of a coma and the next thing I know..she is fighting with the bank! I never knew she was in the hospital when she was in the hospital..we had periods where it was hard to get her..I swear she was in and out of the hospital....that woman..inspired me to get the job done. I think of her spunk..she is one heck of a spitfire.
Lane-As I walked out of the courthouse...I was skipping down the steps...called the seller immediately...and had one of my best days ever...I really felt like the air is changing. don't forget to do the 25 random things about you on facebook! I want to know. :)
Everyone thank you for the comments..
Bob-I just went to court this week and we are submitting everything Monday. I thought I would have all the docs by now..I'm missing one and I won't submit a package without it. Trust me...I'll post about it when it closes! I have to visit your blog! I love you and the Mrs. You guys rock.
Regina-interesting...will you send me the link after you write it?????
Midori...
It's a bit late for me so I am parking so I can come back and say "What was this post about?" :)
I'll be back Sweetie :)
TLW...ROAR!
Whoa...
I just had a Love Relationship site come up behind your Blog. What was that?
TLW...ROAR!
Yeah you can do all of that but the seller still has to accept the short sale. I think if you get the lender too excited they may become uncooperative.
Midori, what a great, heartwarming story of David vs. Goliath with a judge who understands the human factor. Many kudos have come your way for the action you took - here's one more, with many to follow!
I wonder if the arrogance of the lender's attorney by not showing up is indicative of the arrogance of the lender?
Love seeing TLW hope you are feeling well and I am with you Friday night and I am ready for bed! :)
Russ-the lender wasn't there to be excited so it got me excited! Not sure of the outcome if they would have shown up...seller accepted now to see if the bank will...cash deal..and a pretty good one at that!
Kent-yes it is heart warming..and the judge was very nice even if I was a goof ball! :) Well the lender has a reputation for being difficult to deal with...is that arrogance? Not sure but keep your fingers crossed!
Way to go Midori!! Good looking out for your client! I'm sure you gave that judge a little chuckle at the thumbs up, too.
Kathy
Midori: It is good to hear that things are working out for your seller. Way to go..
Nicely done. You helped your client potentially avoid foreclosure and gave you both time to get your job done, and now have a judge who may give you more time if you need it later.
Midori~ Hurray! Way to go! I think it is great that you were willing to go to the judge with their letter and that it helped them. Your clients are so lucky to have such a caring Realtor. Not all are like YOU!
Great job, Midori! You should be on TV telling folks just how this can work for them if they are in a bind. :)
Midori,
Kudos, Kudos and more Kudos to you! You certainly made a difference for your client. Being a close friend of the Wizard of Oz I have emailed him and requested that he design and bestow upon you a "good deed doer" medal. Furthermore that his design should incorporate the use of a pink ribbon. Atta girl!
I 'll give you the thumbs up too. .great job!
These are the best posts to read when Realtors do everything in their power to provide great customer service.
Midori, here is an amazing but common story of homeowners fighting back. I just wrote my blog this am: http://activerain.com/blogsview/921762/Citi-using-Taxpayer-Bailout-Funds-to-deny-Loan-Mods-and-Foreclose-on-Cooperating-Homeowners
Midori,
Be sure and let us know the outcome of the rest of the story. Good job!
Midori,
Wonderful news. Let's hope the sale closes on time. Now you know what to do in a courtroom representing your clients. Good post for all of us here to read and learn from.
Congratulations on going above and beyond the call. I'm glad the judge was sensible and open. Think you'll need to see him again?
not sure its up to the bank but we have a very good offer with a very good package..so keep your fingers crossed and I hope not to rant! :)
Tough times call for different actions and it sounds just like what you did. Congratulations to you!
Midori, very impressive. You rock, girl. I love to hear when our profession stands up and helps the homeowner...just goes to show you that you have a heart, a conscience and true grit!
Outstanding job & client service as the numerous responses have congratulated you on:)
Now, let me ask you a bold & tough question - did you get PAID to go to court for your client?
If not, why not?
Attorneys, CPA's, doctors and many others get paid for going to court to testify.
Why would real estate agents sell themselves short on this?
The real estate community does TOO many freebies for the public. This is why the public thinks we're all a commodity.
How many times have you bent over backwards to service a consumer, only to have them use you and leave you with nothing?
Worse-case: charge your clients an upfront fee for this service that you will credit back to them against your commission if you successfully complete their transaction.
I do not wish to take anythig away from the kindness you showed your client in assisting them in their hour of need.
I just hope to cause you and the other agents reading this, to think outside the box a bit.
Well done! And so good of you to appear in court for your sellers! They got a good one when they hired you!
This rocks, it always feels great to do something good for someone down on their luck. We need more good people like you in this world.
If you help people get what they want , they will help you get what you want. -Zig Ziglar
Great job with your client! Keep it up!