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Since an article about their situation appeared on the front page of last week's Herald, Franklin and Vicki Irish of South Royalton say they've been "overwhelmed with phone calls from people who have said they wanted to help us."
Unable to work due to permanent disabilities, the couple is facing foreclosure proceedings on the home that's been in their family for three generations.
"We haven't received actual foreclosure papers yet, but every time I call the mortgage company, they tell me we're in foreclosure," Vicki told The Herald this Tuesday.
Vicki said they had received a phone call from Tom Candon of the Vermont Banking Commission, who said he would try to help them. Several anonymous cash donations have also been received.
In fact, as the Irish's April 1 foreclosure deadline approaches, Rev. Jim Proctor of United Church of South Royalton confirmed that "donations have already been received here at the church that will bring the Irish family current on their mortgage payments and stave off foreclosure for the present. It's been wonderful to see the community response."
Rev. Proctor told The Herald that anyone who wants to make a donation may do so through the church, sending their donation to: United Church of South Royalton, PO Box 116, South Royalton, Vt. 05068, earmarked "Irish Fund."
The Irishes are hardly alone in their predicament. Nationwide, there has been a sharp increase in mortgage defaults, with resulting foreclosures. Here in Vermont the same has held true. A recent article in the Burlington Free Press noted that in the last three months of 2006, 3.4% of Vermonters were at least 30 days behind on payments from all types of mortgages- up 2.9% from the year before.
Of about 5,000 sub-prime home loans in Vermont, 12.1% are currently past due and 7.1% are seriously delinquent or have been foreclosed upon.
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