This story so irked me! Good deeds once again get punished. AND, the nerve of the columnist to insinuate that the home foreclosure was another sign of the times (oh how not Princely of him!)! Crappy owners squandered everyones gifts on a business venture he didn't even have the knowledge to run! The father was not a business man, but thought he'd try his hand at construction....
LAKE CITY, Ga. (July ) - More than 1,800 people helped demolish the Harper family's decrepit home and replace it with a sparkling four-bedroom mini-mansion that towered over ranch and split-level homes in their Clayton County neighborhood.
But three years later, the Harper's home has become the latest victim of the foreclosure crisis after the family used it as collateral for a $450,000 loan. The two-level home is set to go to auction on the steps of the Clayton County Courthouse Aug. 5.
The couple did not return phone calls Monday, but they told WSB-TV they received the loan for a construction business that failed.
The house was built in January 2005, when Atlanta-based Beazer Homes USA and ABC's "Extreme Makeover" demolished their old home and its faulty septic system. Within six days, construction crews and hoards of volunteers had completed work on the largest home that the television program had yet built.
The finished product was a four-bedroom house with decorative rock walls and a three-car garage. The home's door opened into a lobby that featured four fireplaces, a solarium, a music room and a plush new office.
The couple, which ABC chose from some 15,000 applicants, spent the week on vacation in Disneyland while their home was being revamped.
Materials and labor were donated for the home, which would have cost about $450,000 to build. Beazer Homes' employees and company partners also raised $250,000 in contributions for the family, including scholarships for the couple's three children and a home maintenance fund.
A Beazer representative did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Monday.
ABC said in a statement that it advises each family to consult a financial planner after they get their new home. "Ultimately, financial matters are personal, and we work to respect the privacy of the families," the network said.
Neighbors said the Harpers opened the home to friends and described the family as quiet and friendly. Meanwhile, some of the volunteers who helped build the house are infuriated.
Lake City Mayor Willie Oswalt was among a handful of volunteers who helped vault a massive beam into place in the Harper's living room. He's less than thrilled with the couple's financial decisions.
"It's aggravating," he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It just makes you mad. You do that much work, and they just squander it."
No comments:
Post a Comment