Alberta Homeowner Facing Someone Else’s Debt Route – Lethbridge | Globalnews.ca

A woman who bought a home in Coutts, Alta., three years ago, says she hasn’t been able to get a much-needed loan because of a nearly $15,000 debt on land title belonging to her previous owner.

Natalie Elliot bought the house 2019 through a cash transaction. It took possession on 15 June, with the official transfer of the land title on 26 June of the same year.

After about 10 months, on April 24, 2020, he got the loan successfully.

“I got a mortgage on the property (when) COVID (-19) first hit because I wanted to make sure I had some money to make sure (we had food), she said.

“And of course I was a new mother.”

However, it wasn’t until last May that Elliott hit an unexpected roadblock while trying to obtain another loan. She needed more financial support while waiting for disability payments.

“I was trying to resolve the loan, and only then (lenders asked if I am) paying off this other loan,” she said.

“I said, ‘And what debt?’ “With CIBC,” he said. And I’m like, ‘I’ve never done banking with CIBC.'”

According to documents provided to Global News, a writ of enforcement was filed on the property on May 26, 2020, but under a different name.

The debtor was named as the previous homeowner, which Elliot said had nothing to do with it.

Despite her name nowhere in the writ, she alleged that she was denied financial assistance because of a debt of $14,827.79 attached to her property.

“Looking at it closely, it has tickets for 2017 and 2018, so it’s like, How did this happen?”

Elliot said he did not remember seeing any mail or phone messages about the time the writ was placed, although he acknowledged that it may have been lost or lost in the mail.

“I don’t think I was informed, but I may have been,” she said.

After coming to know about the situation, the single mom said that she tried to contact CIBC several times by phone and in person at a branch of Taber.

Elliott said one of the more frustrating parts of the situation is that it is being dealt with in a timely manner after spending weeks looking for answers.

“I don’t know if there are other people who have dealt with this and paid off someone else’s debt because how difficult it is when you’re going from person to person,” he thought.

CIBC declined an interview request but issued a statement regarding the matter.

“This is an unusual situation, and we sincerely regret the concern and added complexity that has occurred for Ms. Elliott in working with her mortgage lender,” a CIBC statement sent Wednesday read.

“We are working through the Land Ownership Office as soon as possible to make this right by removing the writ from his property, and we continue to discuss how we can help resolve this matter. can do.”

After Global News reached out to CIBC, Elliott said she finally got a response.

“They have offered some compensation because I have had to scramble and borrow money from people to pay the bills, as I am getting a limited income at the moment,” she said.

CIBC provided Elliot with a written letter acquitting him of the writ he had taken with the lender in an effort to obtain the loan he had sought earlier in the spring.