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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2016)
community september1 Community Action Team: Resources for Homeowners materials at www.OregonHomeowner- Help.org, but a few of the preliminary ones are: the home must be the owners’ primary residence and a single family unit (including condominiums and town houses); in Columbia County the un- paid principal on the loan must be less than $418,750; and projected household gross income for 2016 is capped at 120% of the state median income based on the number of people in the home. For example, a two-occupant household’s maximum gross income is $60,840, for a household of four it is $76,080. Partici- pants are required to periodically report their income to demonstrate continued eligibility. Prior recipients of OHSI as- sistance are not eligible. The number for MPA inquiries to OHSI is (503) 986- 2025. Columbia County has a dedicat- ed MPA counselor located at their main office in St. Helens. Sally McLaughlin is available to meet with homeowners in person or over the phone (503) 366- 6544). Households in Clatsop and Tilla- mook Counties can contact Nicole Mar- tin in Astoria at the numbers listed at the end of this article. They can review all the options that may be helpful in your particular situation. The MPA applica- tion is handled on a case-by-case basis, so it is critical to have all the details in line when it’s submitted. It is always important to start exploring your options as soon as pos- sible. If you’re already behind on your payments, don’t wait to see “if next month will be better.” It gets harder to catch up each time you turn a page of the calendar. CAT staff recognize how hard it can be to ask for help, but that’s exactly why they’re there. As with all client relationships, confidentiality is a vital priority, so you can trust your per- sonal information will remain private. This program is funded with tax dollars to support Oregon residents when un- anticipated challenges arise; there is no shame in seeking assistance. When someone is facing the prospect of mortgage foreclosure and they don’t qualify for the MPA program, CAT also has resources managed by Nicole Martin to help those homeown- ers. Foreclosure Prevention services are available as soon as someone real- izes they are struggling to pay the mort- gage. They do not have to have received a foreclosure notice and CAT is able to serve households at any economic lev- el. Martin helps clients review all their debt, their budget and other variables in order to create a Plan of Action. If a household is three or more payments behind on their mortgage and foreclosure is imminent, the Oregon Foreclosure Avoidance Program (OFAP) ensures homeowners have the opportu- nity to meet with and negotiate a fore- closure avoidance measure with their mortgage lender. The borrower must re- quest a resolution conference and pay a fee of $175 ($50 if low-income require- ments are met). Both parties provide extensive documentation that is coor- dinated through CAT’s certified OFAP Counselor Cindy Peake, who is based in Astoria but is in Columbia County twice a week. The first conference occurs face- to-face within 75 days of the request and involves the homeowner, Peake, a state- appointed facilitator and the lender’s attorney. In addition, the lender’s mort- Three positions on the Vernonia City Council (Mayor and two Councilors) will be open for the General Election in November. Vernonia City Council Meetings and Closures The following persons are running for City Council: Two Council positions (4-year term) Bruce McNair (incumbant) Mike Buffum Susan Wagner City Council Meetings are scheduled for 7:00 pm: The following persons are running for Mayor: One Mayor position (2-year term) Kim Tierney Mario P. Leonetti Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Monday, September 19, 2016 City Closures are scheduled for: Monday, September 5, 2016 Labor Day Dates and times subject to change due to conflicts of schedules Vernonia Police Blotter August 15-29, 2016 REPORTS TAKEN • August 17, 2016 Vehicle Impounded near Madison Ave. and Maple St. • August 18, 2016 Arrest near Stoney Point Rd. on a warrant • August 19, 2016 Arrest for Driving While Suspended near Weed Ave. and Maple St. • August 21, 2016 Arrest for Driving Under the Influence and Driving While Suspended near Bridge St. and Grant Ave. • August 25, 2016 Report of Theft of Services CITATIONS/OTHER • August 19, 2016 Cited for Driving While Suspended near Bridge St. and Weed Ave. • August 20, 2016 Cited for Driving While Suspended, and Driving Uninsured near Rose Ave. and Cougar St. • August 20, 2016 Cited for Driving While Suspended near Rose Ave. and Cougar St. • August 25, 2016 Cited for Violation of an Open Container near Washington Ave. and North St. • August 28, 2016 Cited for Operating a Vehicle Without Privileges near Bridge St. and State St. Vernonia Police Department responds to calls that do not always end in Arrest, Report, or Citation. 08/15/2016 through 08/29/2016 VPD had 131 calls for service. gage department representative is pres- ent over the phone. Often times the pro- cess requires multiple meetings. Since Oregon lawmakers creat- ed OFAP with the passing of Senate Bill 558 in August 2013, CAT has worked with 350 homeowners in Columbia, Clatsop, and Tillamook Counties. This law requires mortgage lenders to meet and negotiate with their borrowers when they have trouble paying their loan. The majority of mortgage holders who have wanted to stay in their home have been successful in negotiating new terms with their lender. There are three typical types of agreement: modification of the origi- nal loan, creating a repayment plan, or reinstating the account by paying the balance of the missed payments. And, there may be conditions that lead a homeowner to not want to keep the home. They are encouraged to contact CAT as well in order to learn more about the options that include a deed-in-lieu, short sale, or simply walk- ing away and allowing the foreclosure to proceed. Every household has different circumstances and variables to con- sider. CAT housing counselors take the time to learn about a client’s situation so they can be the best advocate for them. These negotiations are complicated and can take months, even more than a year, so it’s important to have someone who knows the intricacies standing by your side. There are other ways CAT can help too. They offer one-on-one finan- cial readiness counseling to help with budgeting, getting out of debt, and im- 2016 5 continued from front page proving credit worthiness. These servic- es are available to anyone, even non-ho- meowners. Frequently CAT hears from residents who have arranged a reverse mortgage and then find themselves in a bind with property taxes. Laws are dif- ferent for reverse mortgages. There are situations when it can be beneficial, but it is absolutely critical to be fully in- formed. CAT can also help with that. To find out more about how Community Action Team programs might be able to help with your home mortgage, please call (503) 325-8098, 1-800-325-8098 or visit www.cat-team.org/nworhc. Leanne Murray works at Community Ac- tion Team in the Human Investment De- partment 291 A Street call Kim Lovable service at a reasonable price • Bathing • Haircuts • Nail Clipping • Nail Polishing • Specialty Shampoos
