Barrow journal. (Winder, Ga.) 2008-2016, June 22, 2016, Image 2

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Barrow journal., June 22, 2016, Image 2

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Newspaper Page TextPAGE 2A BARROW JOURNAL WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016 Five-year battle ends in victory for one-time homeowner in case of ‘illegal foreclosure’ HOUSE DESTROYED BY FIRE The foreclosure on this property on Pierce Road was recently declared invalid by the courts. Despite the fire being ruled accidental by local offi cials, the owners never received payment from their insurance company who disputed the cause. Approximately five years ago the home occu pied by Norma Jean Brown and her family was destroyed by fire. In that time. Brown has had to fight an ongoing legal battle to even be able to step back on the property located just off Pierce Road. The lot is overgrown. The swimming pool in the backyard still has water, but not the kind one would want to get in. Items such as the air conditioning unit have long since been stolen for the copper wire contained inside. Brown, despite it all, still has some sense of victo ry as she recently won a legal battle declaring the foreclosure which took her property to be illegal. “I have so many emo tions,” Brown said. “Hav ing a foreclosure, even though it was illegal, on my record, has kept me from getting a job and pre vented me from running for Chairman of Barrow County.” In May, Barrow Coun ty Superior Court Judge David Motes signed court documents rescinding the foreclosure sale following a civil action against Geor gia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance. Barrow County Superior Court Clerk Regina McIn tyre congratulated Brown on having the foreclosure reversed. Officials with the Bar- row County Fire and Emer gency Services had long ago declared the fire an accident, determining that it was caused by a cooking grill on the home’s back deck. However, the insurance company wanted to have its own investigator look into the fire. While wait ing for that to happen, the home sat in its burned state on the Pierce Road proper ty while the family moved elsewhere. Unknown to Brown and her now ex-husband, Keith, the property was put up for sale in May 2012 and Ocwen Loan Servic ing, the highest bidder, transferred the property to Federal Home Loan Mort gage Company, aka “Fred die Mac.” A lawsuit was filed in 2013 to prevent the fore closure sale. Brown, a former Barrow County Board of Commis sioner and former Barrow County Human Resourc es director, said she has not been able to find work and has gotten through the ongoing ordeal with the help of family and friends. She remains thankful her children were not injured in the fire although the family pets were lost, something Brown still can not talk about. She wanted to run for county chairman, but said since the foreclosure, despite being illegal, was still on her credit report she didn't feel right running for an office which over sees a multi-million dollar budget. Brown returned to her property last month and was immediately over come with emotions. “I never thought I would break down when I saw it,” she said. “It was just too much.” She said she remem bered having trees planted around the house. Those trees now are part of the overgrown property. She carefully went inside the structure and found her daughter's first Bible. “If I could have gone back sooner I could have saved more,” Brown said. Despite her long, ongo ing battle, Brown said she never let it enter her mind that she wouldn’t win. “So many people were there to support me,” she said. “The hardest thing has been trying to find a job. It will still take six months for this to get off my credit report. I have had four potential employ ers tell me the reason they didn't hire me was because of the foreclosure.” Brown faults the insur ance company for holding out so long to make pay ment, especially after local fire officials declared it an accident. She offers constant praise for Barrow County fire officials who attempt ed to save one family cat through CPR. The bodies of the other family pets were recovered and buried by local fire officials. Brown plans to honor local officials during an upcoming county commis sion meeting. “This ordeal is a warn ing to everyone,” Brown said. “It can happen to any one. I am a blessed woman because I did not lose my children. Still, this has been such a hard thing to get through.” Brown said she knows of six families in Barrow County who have had to deal with delays from insurance companies in terms of paying benefits. In three of those cases, the couple ended up divorced, partly because of being in financial limbo, she said. “I had the same insur ance company for 25 years,” Brown said. “I never missed a payment.” Ginn draws criticism from Franklin BOC member Says state senator not working full time as economic developer State Senator Frank Ginn, who represents mul tiple counties, including Barrow for District 47, has come under criticism in Franklin County for his role as Economic Devel oper there. According to an article in The Franklin Coun ty Citizen Leader, coun ty commissioner Jeff Jacques, who serves as the commissioners' liaison to the Industrial Building Authority, blasted Ginn for “not communicating well” with the BOC and for giving a “part-time” effort. Jacques said since Ginn was hired as developer, the amount of information given to Franklin County commissioners was “abso lutely minimal compared to what I had seen in years past,” The Franklin Coun ty Citizen Leader article reported. Jacques said Ginn was being paid “a full-time salary for a part time performance.” Ginn is paid $60,000 as Franklin County's ecomonic developer. The county’s Industri al Building Authority is comprised of the mayors of Carnesville, Canon, Lavonia, Royston and Franklin Springs plus two appointees by the Board of Commissioners. The IBA's role is to promote indus trial recruitment and pro vide funding options for new industries. The eco nomic developer is hired to recruit industries and answer industrial ques tions. In addition to the $60,000 a year job. Ginn serves as state senator for District 47, which covers Barrow, Madison and parts of Jackson and Clarke counties. In those duties, he spends time in Atlan ta during the first three months of the year for the General Assembly session. been a lack of informa tion concerning projects in Franklin County. He also expressed concern there is no one in the office to han dle outreach to businesses and industries. In response, Ginn told The Franklin County Citi zen Leader that he has had past communication prob lems with Jacques. “Somehow or another, we’ve never been able to get on the same page,” Ginn told the Franklin County paper. Jacques said it was not fair for taxpayers to pay a part-time developer a full time salary but said the final decision was up to the Franklin County IBA. $ 5 00 0FF Ticket Of^O 10 Or More. Valid with coupon Mon.-Thurs. only. La Hacienda Commerce La Hacienda Braselton 173 Steven B. Tanger Blvd. 5391 Highway 53 706-335-7458 706-654-0070 I The Original Mexican Restaurant! Not affiliated with any other restaurant. | SENATOR GINN Ginn recently won re-election to another term as state senator eas ily surviving a primary challenger. Ginn’s absence has caused concern by Jacques who said there has REPRESENTING BARROW Barrow County committee representative Patty Healen and Barrow County Democratic Party chairman Dwight Acey (from left) are shown with Jim Barksdale, 2016 Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. Barrow County Democrats help nominate delegates Democrats from around the state of Georgia met on Saturday, June 11, in Atlanta at the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) union hall to select del egates for the Democratic National Convention which will be held in Philadelphia from July 25-28. The group of several hundred people were composed of well-known politicians to local county party members. U. S. Senate candidate Jim Barksdale; State Senate Whip, Vin cent Fort; State House Representative, Calvin Srnyre; CEO primary winner for DeKalb County, Michael Thurmond; and Mayor Ted Terry of Clarkston were among the politi cians networking with attendees. The delegate selection process was designed to be inclusive of women, minorities, LGBTQ, youth, and the disabled. Seventy people competed to represent Georgia Democrats at the national convention. Thirty-one delegates were selected (22 regulars and 9 alternates). The great bulk of the delegates were awarded to Hillary Clinton and the remainder to Bernie Sanders. In the 2016 Barrow County Presidential Primary, Sec retary Hillary Clinton won 1,458 votes to Senator Bernie Sanders’ 879 on the Democratic ballot. Barrow County committee representative, Patty Healan and Barrow County Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Acey participated. "We have had differences between the Clinton and Sand ers camps on issues. But we are determined to resolve them and to come together to win big in November,” said Acey. SHOWING SUPPORT Elizabeth Tang, an elected Bernie Sanders dele gate, is shown with other supporters. Auburn continued from 1A OTHER BUSINESS In other business at the meeting: •the council approved a resolution and certification in support of the Transportation Enhancement Grant for the Gateway Bicycle Trail Head. The grant is $300,000 with a $75,000 match that has already been paid to the engineer. •the council unanimously approved a resolution in support of the OneGeorgia Authority Equity Fund Grant application. The grant, up to $300,000, if approved, will be used for Scott Industrial Boulevard road improvements. •the council discussed a rezoning application from Ricky and Pamela Wright for 19.00 acres on Mount Moriah Road from C-2, General Business District to R-100, Residential Single Family District. A public hearing on the request will be held on July 7, in the council meeting room. •the council discussed the proposed ordinance revisions for swimming pools. The proposed ordinance deals with the care and maintenance for pools. •the council considered the contract with Phillips State Prison, Buford, for the prison work detail for the term beginning July 1, 2016, and ending June 30, 2017, at the rate of $39,500. This is the same amount as the previous year. •the council discussed a resolution for the 2017 Gwin nett County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) projects/categories with a six-year revenue projection of $210,707. The projects to be funded include 60 percent of roads, streets and sidewalks and 40 percent for storm water. 77 East May Street Winder, Georgia 30680 (770) 867-NEWS NX' The office will be closed Monday, July 4.