After MoJo Story, Soldier Gets Home Back

[n2doc]

By Nick Baumann| Thu Aug. 19, 2010 11:42 AM PDT

A few folks have been asking me on Twitter, so I figured MoJo readers were owed an update on Michael Clauer, the Texas soldier who lost his $300,000 home over an $800 debt while he was serving in Iraq.

When I wrote about the Clauers' plight in May, it hadn't yet received any national attention. But reader response was swift. The article garnered over 650 comments on MotherJones.com, plus thousands more on Huffington Post and other sites that linked to our investigation. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending.

I exchanged emails with the Clauers' lawyer, Barbara Hale, earlier this month, and she told me the case has been resolved. As of now, it looks like Michael, his wife May, and their two children will get their home back. The financial terms of the settlement are confidential.

The Clauers were saved by a law called the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which essentially forbids foreclosing on active-duty troops. If Michael hadn't been on active duty, the Clauers might not have had any legal recourse. Of course, they really shouldn't have had to deal with lawyers in the first place. Whatever happened to being neighborly?

more

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/08/michael-clauer-update

F*** the HOA.

[HillbillyBob]

1. I dispise condo commandos

every one I have ever met was a self important pri**.

[Warpy]

2. HOAs usually turn out to be pure evil

It's one of the reasons I cling to my shabby fixer in a slum.

Besides, that bright yellow house with electric blue trim down the block always makes me grin.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, n2doc.