Yup. We wake up this morning and there's a big empty place where the car used to be. So we have to call around to find out where our stuff is and we find out we've got to drive to Morrisville, PA to get everything *and* pay them a processing fee of $26.50! Well, it could be a lot worse, I suppose--they could refuse to return Ted's cane and so on until we paid back what we owe. I don't think they can do that.
So Billy, TB and I pile into my van (the one Bill's been driving around for the last 2 years) and drive out to PA to get our stuff. We brought Bill along because when the social security money came in, we picked up an old clunker for him to drive. We did it knowing we couldn't keep the newest Toyota and that it would be repo'd one of these days. We'd gotten the thing re-registered and got new tags for it but TB noticed there were no stickers in the package. He thought the stickers must have fallen out in the repo'd van. Once we got our stuff, we were going to drive Bill back to pick up his new old car.
The drive to PA was long but not terrible. The woman at the tow place was efficient but nice enough and we got all our stuff back. There were no stickers for the new tags, though, and so we figured we'd just drive to the NJMVC and get new ones. TB went in to pick up the new stickers and the lady laughed and said oh no, there's no more stickers--they did away with them now! TB felt pretty silly.
We stopped to get some lunch and when we got back to the car, it wouldn't start.
Click click click click.
Doesn't it just figure? Some days I am the bug and some days I am the windshield. Today, I was most definitely the bug on the windshield, splat!
Luckily, we have AAA and within 45 minutes (and it was *hot* too!), a man came to jump start the car. He told us we have a dead cell in the battery and that it would happen again--in fact, this has already happened several times. It so happened he had a battery in his truck and would we like to buy it and he would install it? You bet!
Within 10 minutes we were on our merry way. We stopped to pick up Bill's car, put on the new plates and gave him the registration and insurance card and followed him home. It's a 1991 Buick Century and is in pretty good shape for a car of that age. Bill is paying us for the car and for the insurance and we told him he'd better set aside money for car maintenance because we weren't going to pay for his tuneups and oil changes and what have you. Bill is very pleased to have the car.
Now I don't feel so much like a bug. Actually, it wasn't such a terrible day just long and full of mishaps. It was cake compared to what we've been through.
Now President Bush has finally signed the bill that should help millions of people who are struggling just as we are. I've been trying to get through to my mortgage company since we heard from social security and the line has been busy busy busy. That tells me there really are a lot of people in trouble out there. I hope this bill really does provide the help we need. Want to read about it? The article is here.
In part, it says:
The measure includes $300 billion in new loan authority for the government to back cheaper mortgages for troubled homeowners; $3.9 billion to help communities fix up foreclosed properties; and $15 billion in tax cuts, including an expanded low-income housing tax credit and a credit of up to $7,500, to be repaid, for some first-time home buyers.
The number of homeowners who could lose their homes to foreclosure by the end of 2009 is estimated to be around 2.8 million. Under the legislation, 400,000 having trouble with payments could avoid it by trading their loans for new, more affordable mortgages through the Federal Housing Administration.
I wonder if the banks will agree to the swap?
I missed Cats on Tuesday again :P, better luck next week!
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1 comment:
Glad you are going to get to keep the house.
I think feeling blah would be normal after all the stress you have been under. ~Alasandra & The Cats
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