Newbury Park Woman Faces Eviction After Husband's Suicide
NEWBURY PARK (CBS) — A woman is packing up her home after being served an eviction notice -- a situation that drove her husband to commit suicide.
"I lost my husband and it hurts me like hell," said Oriane Rousseau, whose husband, Norman, took his life Sunday after an eviction notice was placed on their front door.
Norman's death has delayed the eviction but Oriane said it's difficult for her to stay in the home where he died.
"I don't want this to happen to anybody. This is horrible. I lost my husband. I lose my pets, I lose my house, I lose my furniture, everything...for nothing," Rousseau said.
The family bought the home 13 years ago and used their life savings to put 30 percent down.
In 2006, their dream home became a nightmare. The family said they were talked into a new loan, an adjustable rate mortgage. Then, the couple was accused of not paying their mortgage. But Rousseau showed CBS2 News a cashed cashier's check used to pay Wells Fargo Bank.
The family then applied for loan modification. Rousseau said they were told not to make payments because it would disqualify them.
Then, a letter of default arrived. Rousseau said they were told to ignore the letter -- it was part of the loan modification process.
In late 2010, the family found out their loan modification had been denied and that the bank was selling their home.
"I had the money...I had the money. I had everything to make that work," Rousseau said.
They were given two days to reinstate their loan but the Rousseau family couldn't come up with the cash in time.
"[Norman] was fighting tooth and nail, everything that he could do," Rousseau said of her husband.
The home sold on Nov. 22, 2010, but their attorney got them a stay, which was later dissolved.
Last week, the bank told the family they had five days to get out of their home.
Norman bought a motor home so his wife and his stepson wouldn't get turned out onto the street.
"He was a family man. He cared for his family a lot. He was so worried where we were going to go," Rousseau said.
The motor home stopped working as soon as Norman drove it to their house. The family had run out of options.
The next day was Mother's Day and, that morning, Norman shot himself in the couple's bedroom.
"He saw there was no more way out and there was no where to go and...he snapped," Rousseau said.
At the attorney's request the bank has granted the family extra time in the home but Oriane said she can't bring herself to stay there.
"I cannot be here anymore with what has happened with that blood bath in there, I can't," Rousseau said.
Rousseau has spent all her money on legal bills. She and her son are staying in a donated hotel room.
Oriane said she wants changes to the home mortgage system so no other family has to endure what she's been through.
