Heartbreaking Footage: Dateline Follows Police Evicting Families From Their Homes

Dateline NBC correspondent Chris Hansen traveled around the country, riding along with police who were carrying out evictions, and interviewing the families who were being removed from their homes.

The footage is emotional, take a look:

Hansen then returned to visit with one of the families, which moved into a neighbor's home, who itself was evicted:

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Comments

[Dgtlkaos]

Debt in all forms only causes you to be a slave to another.

[Dgtlkaos]

"Dateline Follows Police Evicting Families From Their Homes"

Wrong:
1. If it was their home that they owned then the police wouldn't be kicking them out.
2. All the police did was remove the squatters.

[Flashfolds]

My heart bleeds for them...NOT.....I was foreclosed on once and lost my home, but it was due to my own stupidity and negligence. I was too stupid to understand just how devastating it was going to be not to have my home and a good credit rating. I lost my job at the time but I was too damn cavalier about my priorities. I could have saved my home at the time if I had just been a little bit more careful..Well, I learned my lesson and my home now is my priority and I mangaged to pay off my 30 year mortgage in 10 years by sacrificing instead of bitching. People who want to bite off more than they can chew should fail if they aren't going to work harder. what's wrong with having two jobs...Most people seem to think they are special and don't have to take care of their homes and families. If that is the case, don't ask me to feel your pain.

[Flashfolds]

Seeing as how Barneuy and Dodd got this crap started, perhaps they'll bail out some of the people being foreclosed on.

[dcrinaz]

H.R. 1106, the Helping Families Save their Homes Act of 2009, should help stop foreclosures. However, it is currently languishing in the Senate's committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, chaired by Sen. Christopher Dodd. Please write Sen. Dodd via the link below and demand that H.R. 1106 be passed without delay so that American families can find relief from foreclosure. Here is a link to contact him:

http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3128

Why? Because currently, homeowners cannot find bankruptcy relief on their primary home mortgages like they can with all other debt. In other words, if you have financial problem as the vast majority of people facing foreclosure do, the banks have no incentive whatsoever to renegotiate primary home mortgages.

H.R. 1106 will make banks either renegotiate loans to help consumers, and ironically help the banks protect their principal investment, something they have not been doing with foreclosure. It will keep people in their homes, keep foreclosed homes off the housing market and stop this decline in property values. It's so simple.

So please write Senator Dodd and demand that he get H.R. 1106 passed out of his committee without any modifications to weaken the bill and on the senate floor so that President Obama can sign it.

[Flashfolds]

Why? Bleeding hearts always want our money to bail out someone. Knock it off. Do you people know just how hard it is to lose a home? First, you have to miss at least 3 months payments. Most people will miss a payment or two and then avoid talking to the mortgage loan holder. If you talk to most loan holders early enough they will work out something with you.
As far as ARM's are concerned, they've been around at least since the 70's. Any dingbat knows that a loan of 5 or 6% can jump to 10 or 12% overnight. Only a greedy fool would buy a home with an ARM policy. If you're that stupid, stay in your apartment and out of my neighborhood. Too many people wanted to jump on the "I can buy a bigger house with the money I am saving on such a low interest rate."
Buying a home with no down was a monumental mistake for many people. That's equivalent to buying your child his first car without him having any money of his own into it. Most children will not appreciate it. The same thing will happen to many people who purchase a home without any investment.

If you are buying a home one shouldn't go into the transaction thinking how much money you get out of it for a second mortgage. Instead of bailing out all the losers, maybe they should have a class on mortagage financing....or a lawyer.......

[NHGranite]

I did Loan Modifications through December, but had to stop. I couldn't take the sad true stories most of these folks told me. The ratio of truth tellers to scammers here? 92 to 8.
#1 problem: a health issue that caused the person to lose work, and then lose the job. Prescription costs of $1000 a month (and yes, Montel William's bus commercial is true, they do help with Rx costs).
#2 Bank fraud; who really knows what a bad credit score is? I found a lot of people with decent credit who were hoodwinked into high rate adjustables on 1st and 2nd mortgages with balloon payments and false appraisals.
#3 in October the banks stopped answering the help lines; they knew a govt. bailout was coming and they didn't have to help anybody but themselves. That's also when they told us we were debt collectors for the banks, not helpers for the home owners.

[hippie chucker]

I just think that the 92% of these people bought more homes than they could afford, and didn't think about the inevitable crises that affects all wage earners at one point or another-loss of job, sickness, etc etc.
Being prudent with your finances is job no 1. If you budget your housing expense at the peak of your earnings, you simply set yourself up for failure, which is what the vast majority of these people did.

[BruceHNV]

So why did this happen now and not ten years ago?

What changed?

[dnpvd51]

High housing prices hurt people.

Let these people get evicted and go rent. I rent so like what the hell is the big deal??????

And then houses prices will come down to a more reasonable level, people will buy the houses at affordable prices and everyone will live happier lives.

I cannot believe all the people here that want to keep housing costs high. What is the matter with so many people?

[baseballmom]

I am shocked and amazed that using a real estate attorney is not common practice. Here in New York State virtually everyone uses one. Occasionally the local real estate newspaper columnist publishes a letter about some real estate fiasco; invariably the letter writer had not availed themselves of legal representation. I can't imagine signing any contract for hundreds of thousands without having it reviewed by someone who is working for me, to protect my legal interests. A lawyer who specializes in real estate would quickly notice if the seller, agent, or mortgage company is trying to take advantage of you, and he or she can explain anything in the contract that you don't understand.

Get it?

[xzalate]

In this country it seems like you are ok until....[copy and paste]

[AN2009]

The numbers in these video clips are staggering.

- 14,000 evictions a year in Miami.
- 50,000 evictions a year in Las Vegas.
- 10,000 evictions a year in Detroit.

Insane.

[BruceHNV]

They're higher than that now.

[Dgtlkaos]

Proof that there are a lot of irresponsible people out there

Either, the14,000 in Miami,50,000 in Las Vegas,and10,000 in Detroit:
1. Bought a home that they could not afford,
2. Thought they could make a buck by flipping it and failed in their attempt.
3. Over payed for a product.
4. Just plain dumb.
5. Had a gvn held to their head to sign the papers.

Either way (with the exception of the gvn) - their own fault.

[dcrinaz]

Please find your U.S. senator at this website, then follow the instructions to contact both of them and PLEASE demand that they pass H.R. 1106, the Helping Families Save their Homes Act, in a consumer-friendly, strong, unweakened, not-for-banks form. This is the only thing that will stop foreclosures. And that is why the mortgage bankers are trying to either weaken it or kill it. They might actually have to use their bailout money to help the consumers then.

Here's the link: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Don't be shy, it's painless and it's democracy--government of the people--in action. Make the senators do our bidding for once and not the super wealthy's.

[TequilaMockingbird]

It is the so called irresponsible people who created this very real wealth for quite a few people.. Yeah sure people could have said NO but that would have meant someone wouldn't have made all that money. Financial Irresponsibility has been shoved down our throats and speaking as someone who has spent the last 15 years paying cash.. They have so many annoying ways in which to try to herd you into debt it is not even believable..

It you can't see how the appearance of wealth has been glorified in the media and in the rhetoric of those who would call the suddenly poverty stricken 'Loser's ';..then you haven't been looking and that's great for you... sorta.. until you realize they are drowning in the same water that would drown you..

I am not losing anything and haven't lost anything and never believed any of it to be true anyway... I suppose my cynicism has been vindicated but my heart bleeds for the people who did believe and just wanted something they were told would make them somebody..

[hippie chucker]

I think man has struggled with saving money since it's creation. I agree with you that our entire society is over the top with consumer spending, that's pretty obvious. Of course, our leaders are in a precarious position, because if Obama/congressional leadership urges people to save, the economy crashes even more, since its of course built on that spending.
Part of growing up is to be able to say no. No to playthings, no to every credit card that comes in, no to BS mortgage schemes that pop up....it is sad that people got suckered into it.

[TequilaMockingbird]

I wish it was simply over the top spending but when you have an entire industry profiting/preying on minimum wage slaves that can't pay their utility bill.... and wages that stagnated for most American Workers while the cost of Living and Home Prices Sky rocketed.. You have to wonder...

Most people can't save 30 grand on their wages.. it that was the criteria for a Mortgage.. the Housing Industry would have collapsed years ago..right around the time wages stagnated and Stores like Wal-Mart decimated Rural Small Town Main Street America..

Who gets lashed with a wet lettuce for that bit of bad business that was so necessary for this current bit of bad business?

[DontJustFollow]

incredible footage - very sensational and extremely touching. what is next - showing people getting their pink slips? how about filming reactions when parents get the news their child has been killed in Iraq? maybe even some interviews with the guys detained at Gitmo saying they want to do great harm to the US?

you gotta wonder about the agendas of TV shows and producers that post this kind of stuff.

no matter that reason, losing ones home has got to be the most traumatic event. I don't see why the public needs to be privy to this - - -

[hippie chucker]

Or why these people would agree to the public humiliation voluntarily either. I agree completely.

[rdiaz921]

agreed.

[misslejoi]

One of the agendas seems to be to provide coverage of events that viewers are most likely to watch. That seems like a no brainer...the public TALKS about these issues and you've all provided proof in your comments. You're creating as much of a buzz as anyone else, regardless of what you believe.

"sensational" and "touching" is completely subjective and those producers are well aware of how to create attention to suit their demographics. Seriously, I don't care if you which network you may watch, each one of them is designed to hold your gaze as long as possible with excitement and smart editing.

Is tv a new phenomenon to you?

[hippie chucker]

Is being civil a new phenomenon to misslejoi?
Why the nastiness at the end?

[hippie chucker]

It's sad that we as a country live beyond our means. I feel bad for these people, but 99% of them aren't victims of circumstance-they simply bought a house that they could afford only when the economy was booming.
While I thank Reagan that he gave us tax free primary home sales (and certainly hope all you liberals who hate tax cuts think about the boon that it is) I'm starting to agree with Peter Schiff, who has said it does lead to more boom/bust cycles...
Homeownership is not a right, it's earned by those who sacrificed playstation and fancy cars....most of the people who are getting evicted would be known in earlier times as simply renters.
They are simply facing the reality that they are consuming more than they are taking in, much like our out of control federal government.

[KarateKid]

What an amazingly insensitive person you are. Someday, if you face something like this, remember what you wrote.

Your assumptions are cynical and condescending. Ever lost a job and couldn't find another for two years? Ever gotten sick or injured and unable to work?

Not everyone can foretell the future like you obviously think you can; who knows when any house investment is affordable? Of course, for silver spooned, live off daddy's wealth types like you, what does that matter?

[hippie chucker]

See, you don't know me at all...I grew up poorer than you'll ever know, Karate.
No, Ive never lost a job and not been able to work. Work is always out there, you just have to lower your standards. My grandfather lived out of a rail car during the Depression, buying chickens and sleeping in the same car as them-that's what I'm made of.
Even during the Depression, 75% of people held jobs....and if you read what I wrote, you'll see that I said most of them bought more than they could afford-and if you don't beleive that, you aren't very observant of our society, frankly.

[uniquelyme]

How do YOU know "99% of them aren't victims of circumstance"? Have you seen their bank accounts, do you know chapter and verse of all their financial situations? OF COURSE, they could afford it when the economy was booming -- they actually had JOBS!!! When karma catches up with you, who will give YOU sympathy? Looks like probably nobody, and it certainly sounds like what you deserve.

[hippie chucker]

Do you really think that it makes financial sense to own a house that if you or your wife gets disabled or looses your job....you'll lose your house?

Do you think your grandparents thought like that?

[VPN]

When I read cr-ap like what YOU wrote here it confirms for me that conservatism/republicanism is a mental disease. Unless you personally know every person that was foreclosed on and know their circumstances its ins/ane to make such generalized blame the victim pronouncements.

[hippie chucker]

Oh, so you believe, what? That these were people who scraped and saved to buy these houses? Who put 20% down?

Or is the more likely story that they bought a house with an adjustable rate ARM?

[jynx]

Care to list a source for your enlightening statistics? Oh, let me guess- you just made it up.

[hippie chucker]

I love how you guys take the most meaningless sentence from my post and try to make hay with it. How about I amend it to " the overwhelming majority", and we take it from here.

Or do you also believe these are people who put down 20%?

[hippie chucker]

from the AP, 2006....

'NEW YORK - In 2003, Anita Britten refinanced her two-story brick cottage in Lithonia, Ga. using a hybrid adjustable rate mortgage, or ARM. Her lender reassured her that she could refinance out of the riskier loan into a traditional one when her interest rate started to reset.

Three years later, Britten can't get a new mortgage and her monthly payment has jumped by a third in six months. She can't afford her payments and may face foreclosure if her financial situation doesn't change.

As more ARMs adjust upward and housing prices begin to dip, many Americans like Britten can’t refinance and are finding themselves trapped in too-high monthly payments. For those who can’t make their payments, foreclosure — the legal process by which the lender reposseses the house because the owner has defaulted on payments — is the only way out."

Remember, this is 3 years old, and the economy was doing well then. Imagine this woman's circumstance, repeated several million times, and you begin to understand the problem.

It's not a conservative/liberal problem, it's a SPENDING problem.

[lynnn]

A lot of people get sick and THEN get into trouble. Seriously medical bills cause a lot of this.

[hippie chucker]

Yep, they do. They also don't plan for sickness, or loss of a job, and think that our lives will continue on in a continual boom cycle.
Buying a house based on a best case scenario is pretty short sighted. You are essentially betting that rates won't rise on your largest investment, where you are raising your kids and sleeping. It's stupid, frankly.

[Figerre]

this is so incredibly sad - and the other side of this story is about the renters who are thrown out of homes where the house has been foreclosed, yet they have been paying their rent, they lose their deposits as well. None of it is pretty - and all of it is hard. I hope the banks and mortgage companies that did all this subprime stuff fry in hell forever. and even that would be too short a time.