Have you ever been stopped by a preforeclosure occupant?

[Debra]

Hello!

Have you ever been stopped by an occupant for which you were doing a drive-by foreclosure on and you weren't suppose to have contact with the occupants? If so...what did you do/say? What happened? Sometimes I feel like a spy or something. Just Curious...

 

[Farm Gal]

:lol: :lol: Debra:

Gonna happen sooner or later

On at least one occasion, when ambushed, I looked up surprised, and 'checked' the address, conveniently then laying the file face down, and moved forward 50 feet and sat in front of the neighbors house to finish my notes. Took a couple pictures of the neighbors house for good measure.

Only once has an occupant directed questions of me and I mumbled something about wrong house and moved on. I was really green and totally at a loss for reasonable explanation. The homeowner was patently hostile. Often they know EXACTLY why you are there. :evil:

In this case, I was pulled over by the local police about two miles further down the road. I gave the officer my license, stated that I had not tresspassed and that I was contractually forbidden to discuss my reason for being on the subject street. He asked me why I was pointing a camera at the house and I said I was not at liberty to discuss the matter. That and the official license satisfied him that I wasn't casing the joint :roll: , and the baby rattle, used Cheerios on the floor and car seat probably furthered my cause.

One hint: if you are doing a preforeclosure, park DOWN THE STREET, and make as many notes as you can, drive up shoot and LEAVE!

What happened to YOU?

 

[Mountain Man]

I just say that I was driving down a PUBLIC street, doing a road side inspection of your house for my client. 8) They don't need any more info than that. :wink: If they want to, they can call the Sheriff or Police. I don't care, most of the deputies know me by now anyway. I use to get a call a week from the SO saying someone got your tag number, and wanted to know why you were driving around taking photos. Now they just call me and ask, were you on so and so street a minute ago. Yep, why? Mrs. Nozzey saw you. :roll: Okay, give her my reguards and say thanks for watching out for us.

 

[Ross (CO)]

..... (phone rings later that evening ).....Uh, Huh....Yes....I was driving down Maple Street today.....and pulled over when my cell phone rang and I took a brief call. Then this crazed-looking person with a long, shiney butcher knife came running out of their front door and came directly for my car. Of course I was going to leave the area quickly.....there's just no telling what motivates some people these days. Do they have any sort of record ? I hope the parents with young children on that street know about that person's tendancies...it would be a shame if .......and I guess now you and I both know to be cautious near that address any time in the future. No...no...thank YOU for calling, as I was wondering who I should tell about that experience today.

 

[jtrotta]

Pre-Forclosure; Pre Paired - get all the info you need ahead of time; get all the town hall stuff; do the do and make the subject the last Photo you take, on yer way out o town; dirve down the street as fast as you can, slam on the brakes right on front of the house shoot your shot and smile :mrgreen: screaming at the top of your lungs - we're commin ta tow that puppy away in an hour :lol: :lol: :lol:

8)

 

[Mountain Man]

:lol: :lol: J, like your responce better than mine.
But it is not so funny is when they try to hook up their F150 to the hitch, and move it to a new find me if you can location. Hey y'all, watch this :!:

 

[Oregon Doug]

Debra - many times! I do a lot of foreclosure/pre foreclosure appraisal - some WAY out in the boonies.

Over the years, I've run into some pretty nasty junk-yard dogs, some pretty nasty junk-yard dog owners, a few armed whackos, the ocasional "tenant" and a few meth labs - it goes with the territory. I even had a run in with some wild eyed character that claimed that he was in the "witness protection plan" and wanted to know why I was taking pictures of the house.

Just keep your wits about you. NEVER EVER GET OUT OF THE CAR until you feel safe. Keep your cel phone handy, charged and on. If you have to inspect a house you don't feel good about - get a police escort. Take someone with you if you know that you're going to some remote corner of the county. Carry some Mace in your inspection kit.

Most folks are OK, even those going into foreclosure. The majority realize that you are just doing your job and are not the enemy - but it only takes one!

Now you know why I want a Hummer with the Kevlar canopy and the .50 Cal BMG on top - something that can withstand small arm's fire and maybe return some.

Keep your head down, Oregon Doug

 

[Restrain]

Because of the danger (gangs, drug dealers, drive-by shootings, etc) I no longer accept foreclosure, pre-foreclosure or drive-by appraisals in certain areas. There's enough work out there without putting my life in danger for a few hundred dollars. I got tired of having the police meet me and remain nearby when doing an appraisal. The danger really became apparent at the last one I did in that area when three cars showed up, the officers clearing the house with their guns drawn and remaining in front while I did my work. If they felt it was that dangerous, it was too dangerous for yours truly. I truly felt sorry for the honest people who were living in the neighborhood. They couldn't go back home after a few minutes.

 

[slacker]

I wasn't doing a foreclosure, just taking some comp pictures. My comp was at the end of a dead end street in a nice semi-private neighborhood on the Fox River Chain. (For anyone who might be reading from that area).

Anyway, I take my picture and turn the car around only to find a band of retired homeowners approaching me with their lawn tools in hand ready to strike. I never felt threatened; I was just worried that I might pass out from laughing so hard.

So there I was, in my little piece of junk appraiser-mobile surrounded by 3 old fat guys with garden rakes in attack position all sporting white tee shirts, plaid shorts, and black knee socks. I told them I was in the area doing research for an upcoming documentary for the "Fashion Channel" and drove away. Meeting these types of people is probably the most enjoyable part of the job.

 

[Bobby Bucks]

Slacker I had an incident almost identical to yours once and I was simply shooting a comp photo.....there
was a geezer patrol waiting for me on the way out of a culdesac street......I couldn’t help but
laugh at them.....the head of the posse had a weed eater, a pot belly like a bowling ball, Bermuda
shorts and those thin black pull up socks....totally ridiculous......he was scowling and asking me
what the hell I was doing then started mumbling something about calling the cops and I said
“Please call them, I need to take some more pictures on the next street and I’d feel safer with their
presence. This neighborhood looks kind of seedy.” I thought the guy’s forehead was going to
explode........it’s easy to be brave when you know there’s no real threat.


Debra this is what I do for pre-foreclosure drivebys, I’m very cautious even in expensive
neighborhoods, you never know what state of mind the person is in for delinquencies......imagine
a paranoid guy inside who is armed and high as a kite and keeping watch.......I do MUCHO
pre-foreclosure driveybys and have reached the point where I turn down most assignments if they
even smack of being rural because you’ll have a hard time identifying the property and you may
encounter private dirt roads even if the property has an address on a public road. Squinting for
address number with a neighborhood full of Dobermans and Deliverance casting extras is not my
idea of fun. I love drivebys in cookie cutter subdivisions.....you can take the picture 2 blocks
away. ......... I try to get the tax map, site map, MLS photo if one exists and as much info as
possible beforehand. I usually drive by the property, slow down and look as closely and safely as
I can without arousing suspicion. Many times I take my photo on zoom before or after driving by.
I don’t like taking a photo directly in front of the subject. If the client insists on a National
Geographic quality photo, they can hire someone else. I turn down assignments if the area is
considered dangerous and I'm even more selective for REO interior appraisals......those idiots
can’t understand why I’m willing to do an exterior pre-foreclosure and won’t do an interior later.
What I truly enjoy about REO and pre-foreclosure work is realizing that the $$$$$$$ so many
people thought was wealthy is soon in for a humbling experience......perception isn’t always
reality when it comes to a delinquent mortgage.