Government Hell: Pawtucket Woman Loses Her Home Over $1,500 Water Bill - Now Being Forced Out
GoLocalProv News Team
Government Hell: Pawtucket Woman Loses Her Home Over $1,500 Water Bill - Now Being Forced Out
On Wednesday, she learned that the city of Pawtucket auctioned it off for $1,700 to a firm that targets properties in distress at municipal auctions.
Her well-kept home was auctioned by the City of Pawtucket in December of 2018 and the winner of the auction was Fernando Cunha and his associate Robert R. Woods Cunha was once a business partner with Vincent “Buddy” Cianci.
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Until Thursday, Rivera says she was unaware that the house had been transferred. Earlier this year, she did receive notification from Superior Court of Rhode Island of an issue with the house and contacted the clerk's office and was told that nothing would take place due to the courts being shut down by the coronavirus.
However, on May 20, according to court documents, Judge Melissa Long signed the order which finalized the transfer of Rivera’s home on Carnation Street to Woods for $1,701.
Rivera and her husband are not facing economic hardship. Her husband Geraldo Martinez has a successful granite business, and they have made significant improvements to the home and where they live with their 16-year-old daughter.
The family is proud of its success in America. Rivera had immigrated from Mexico in 2004 and had received her working authorization from the Immigration and Naturalization Service. She had tried to do everything right, she said.
Rivera told GoLocal that the mail carrier in their neighborhood often refused to deliver their mail and sent it back to sender, claiming it was undeliverable.
State Representative Carlos Tobon confirms Rivera’s complaints and twice meet with U.S. Post Office officials on Rivera’s behalf in Pawtucket and was promised that the issue would be addressed. Tobon said he spoke with postal supervisor Jack Clegg. GoLocal sought to speak with Clegg, but he was unreachable.
Notices of delinquency were never delivered. Pawtucket Water Supply Board officials said they were unaware of the situation. Chair of the Pawtucket Water Supply Board William Masuck told GoLocal is a phone interview that there are many ways to address this in the process.
Masuck could not explain why Rivera's water was never turned off for non-payment -- a step that most utilities use.
"What are we going to do let them do live there for free?" said Masuck.
Tobon said he met with post office officials twice in both the summer of 2019 and again in February of 2020. "Ms. Rivera was having an ongoing problem with her postal delivery and her carrier. I had no idea that she had any problem that there was an issue with her home -- she did not know and I did not know. She knew her mail was rarely being delivered," said Tobon.
In many states, the auctioning of a homeowner's home over alleged delinquent water or sewer bills are prohibited by law.
Rivera said, “I paid all my bills and, in fact, have overpaid Pawtucket Water Supply Board by $200."
Auctioning Homes Over Utility Bills Allowed in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, it is a standard procedure.
"I don’t write the law. We just follow it," Jim DeCelles, Chief Engineer of the Pawtucket Water Supply Board.
DeCelles admitted, "We don’t have to do it."
Pawtucket Water Supply officials said they would look into the incident and review copies of notices sent to Rivera.
The other party -- the mortgage company -- according to Rivera is equally "shocked" at the incident. Rivera called Homestar Mortgage company on Friday and the company was unaware of the issues.
Today, Rivera's mortgage balance is $198,833.07. She had just paid this month's mortgage payment for a house she no longer owns.