Dayton, Ohio, Mortgage Foreclosures Affect Families

When Chris and Maggie Lewis discovered that she was pregnant with their fourth child, they decided to move to his hometown of Dayton, Ohio. After spending their first years as husband and wife in the town, they moved to Michigan, but he was eager to return home, and she was happy for the help.

Their children were seven, ten, twelve, and fourteen when the problems started happening. Maggie damaged tendons in her knee while working, and was pressured to return before fully healed. The stress caused more damage, leading to a six-month medical leave. Chris continued working, but when Maggie's medical pay ran out, the family was forced with some hard decisions.

Her employer refused to pay, unless she returned to work, and doctors warned her against it. The couple found a lawyer willing to work pro bono, and the case lingered in court.

Chris worked as a truck driver, but was home every night. To make more money, he switched to driving cross-country for a new company. Unbeknownst to him, his new employer did not have disability insurance, or any form of insurance for her employees.

The pain in his back started as a dull ache, and slowly grew to something more painful. Concerned because his wife still walked with a cast on her leg and a limp, he immediately made a doctor's appointment. A week of bed rest, and he was back on the road, but the pain was still there. Within a month, he was back on bed rest. It continued like that for six months; Maggie not working, and Chris spending a week out of every month resting in bed. The doctor finally broke the news that he needed an operation, and that he wouldn't be able to drive a truck anymore.

Suddenly the couple found themselves with four mouths to feed, a mortgage, and no income. Chris went to his boss, and she demanded he return to work against doctor's orders. Instead he hired a lawyer. They now had two pending lawsuits along with an overdue mortgage. The first overdue notices were ignored, as many people tend to do.

"That lawyer said that we had a clear cut case and we'd get it settled soon. I'd have money and we wouldn't have to worry."