Bank of America owed this couple more than $2,000. Despite their repeated attempts to get it, the bank completely ignored them. Finally, they realized there was only one thing they could do — get revenge by beating the bank at their own game.
Warren and Maureen Nyerges of the Naples, Florida area found themselves living a nightmare when Bank of America tried to unjustly foreclose on their property — a home in the Golden Gate Estates section that the couple had not only bought from the bank but for which they had paid cash for and owned free and clear.
The year after they paid cash for the house, they were notified of the pending foreclosure from Bank of America, which was an obvious error. Unfortunately, Bank of America was less than cooperative in correcting their own mistake, forcing the couple to take matters into their own hands to prevent their Collier County home from being taken away by the bank.
Although the Nyergeses had paid for the home in cash, they were still in danger since the bank had filed for foreclosure on the property. With nothing left for them to do since speaking with managers was getting them nowhere, the Florida couple finally took the financial conglomerate to court.
Sadly, it was a year and a half later before the foreclosure was dropped, a year and a half of headaches to be sure. So, the Nyergeses sought damages for their troubles, and the judge agreed. Bank of America was then ordered to pay the couple $2,534 in legal fees, according to CBS News. But, if the Nyergeses thought their problems with Bank of America were over, they were wrong.
After five months, the banking giant still hadn’t paid the couple the money they were rewarded in court. That’s when the couple’s lawyer, Todd Allen, decided to turn the tables on Bank of America, and boy was it glorious.
With police and moving vans, the couple and their lawyer showed up at Bank of America to legally seize the corporation’s assets. Quite simply, the bank was told to pay up or be prepared to part with their possessions. “I instructed the deputy to go in and take desks, computers, copiers, and filing cabinets, including cash in the drawers,” Allen explained.
While the bank supervisor, who Allen said was “visibly shaken,” tried to figure out what to do, Allen was reportedly locked out of the bank manager’s office. “I’m either leaving the building with a whole bunch of furniture, or a check or cash or something,” Allen vowed, according to NPR, and he was right. It worked, and an hour later, the couple was eventually cut a check.
“Having two Sheriff’s deputies sitting across your desk, and a lawyer standing behind them, demanding whatever assets are in the bank can be intimidating,” Allen said. “But, so is having your home foreclosed on when it wasn’t right.”
Since Bank of America eventually paid the couple, no assets were actually apprehended. The bank also apologized for the delay in payment, saying the original request was sent to an attorney who is no longer in operation. However, most feel that’s not an excuse since the bank wouldn’t likely accept it from someone who owes them.
The couple’s attorney said banks often fail to do their due diligence when foreclosing on homes, adding, “As a foreclosure defense attorney, this is sweet justice.” And, there’s not many who would disagree with him.
