Last January my 82 year old husband and I (57) purchased a used mobile home from ABC Homes in Picayune, Mississippi.in the process of traveling from Arizona, with a travel trailer, we were in an accident and received a small settlement. We used this money to purchase a piece of property and for living expenses.
Due to a bankruptcy and a home forclosure in another state, our credit was ruined. We had looked everywhere for a home to buy but could not get financed. The last place we looked was at ABC Homes, where we met Marty, who agreed to look for a home and said they would hold the papers on the home, till the home was paid for. She had used homes on the lot, but every thing we liked she would not sell to us. She called me, at my friends home, where we were staying, stating that she had a home that was traded in, that she would sell to us. She said the home was in Pearl River, gave us directions and we drove out to see the home. It was obvious that it needed work, but due to the fact that it was waiting to be moved off the property there was no utilities, and no lights to really see by.
To make a long story short we bought the home, put down $1500 and signed the papers to pay $8000 for this home. The home was delivered to our property on January 31st. Then we discovered that there was no heat system and no refrigerator, the tub was busted in the center and the tolit did not work. I had told her that a window was broken and there was a piece of ply wood over an opening in the side of the trailer where an addition had been removed. She had agreed to repair this and a wall that had been partially removed.
When she found out that she had to replace the heating unit she raised the price of the home from $8000 to $9800 with 12% interest for 4 years.
We lived in this home in the bitter cold of winter, it was 30 degrees inside the trailer, for a month before the heat was fixed and when the electrician said he needed another wire to connect the heat unit Marty refused to pay for it. I called her and she said "you bought the home AS IS and I told her that there was no place in my contract that said as is and she told him to fix it.
It was March 5 th before we had a tub to bathe in and a tolite that worked. The real kick in the pants is now we have roof leaks that the insurance will not cover. They said she should have fixed the roof before she sold us the home. Then I am told, by the Foremost Insurance Adjuster, that our home is worth a total value of $2500.
Next I get a letter stating that if the roof is not replaced or repaired with in 30 days that they will cancel my policy. I called Marty and she told me that she could have it fixed but I would have to pay for it, which I have no money to fix it. She then told me that she is waiting for the day that I miss a payment and she will come out and take the trailer.
I have never been late with a payment and have never missed a payment. I called a lawyer, in fact I called several lawyers and they told me that there is nothing I can do legally that it is an ethical issue but it is not illegal for her to rip us off in grand style.
This gives new meaning to BUYER BEWARE. There has to be some legal recourse. I thought ripping off the elderly was a crime? Abc homes in picayune is a mega rip off they charged us over $11000 for a used mobile home with a total value of $2500. If this is not criminal then i do not know what is.
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