Bank forecloses on gingerbread house
I wrote this a couple years back for The Plaid Crew. Sadly, it still holds true.
FORT MYERS FL — Second-grader PJ Casey was shocked today when he discovered that his recently completed gingerbread house had been placed in foreclosure. Casey, 8, received the troubling news early this morning while watching “The Fairly Oddparents.”
News of the foreclosure saddened Casey, who had planned to enter the house in a local contest. Winners of the contests were to receive a $25 gift card to Chuck E. Cheese.
Alexis Voutas, a representative from SunTrust Bank who arrived to reclaim the property, acknowledged the poor timing of the foreclosure so close to the holidays, but maintained that the bank had no other options.
“We see this a lot around this time of year,” Voutas explained, “People build these elaborate houses that are way beyond their means. They use way too much frosting. Did you see how many gumdrops he used? How’s he going to pay for that?”
While Casey did not fully understand foreclosure at first, he quickly began to grasp the concept when Voutas attempted to take the house. Despite the her efforts to ensure a peaceful transfer of property, the situation rapidly escalated when Casey threw his juice box at Voutas, calling her both a “poop” and a “mean lady.”
Unfortunately, Casey has little recourse. “The law is on our side here; especially, considering Mr. Casey’s record,” Voutas said.
Apparently, Casey has a long history of defaulting on his debts. According to Voutas, he has yet to repay his mother the $8 she lent him to buy a Nerf football last March, and has repeatedly refused to return the Hot Wheels cars he borrowed from an unnamed friend back in June.
The property, now in SunTrust’s possession, will go up for auction in the few weeks. While Casey’s hopes of regaining his house are slim, his four-year-old brother Aaron expressed an interest stating, “I’m gonna eat it up.”
local bound | jim sabataso 