Bank That Foreclosed On Wrong Ohio House, Took Stuff And Just Shrugged Is Now About To Regret It

The news hit this week that a bank in Ohio which was foreclosing on a house sent a team to the wrong building and hauled out all the owner's stuff, sold it, threw it in the trash and gave it away, according to television station WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio.

The woman, Katie Barrett wanted $18,000 from the First National Bank of Wellston  so she could replace the stuff the bank's team took and, according to the television station, the bank president essentially told her to go pound sand.

Katie Barrett points out her house emptied improperly
by a bank which got the wrong address.  

"He got very firm with me and said, 'We're not paying you retail here, that's just the way it is'.... I did not tell them to come in my house and me an offer. they took my stuff and I want it back," WBNS quoted Barrett as saying.

As several commenters noted in response to the story on the WBNS web page, how is she supposed to replace her items without paying retail?

Since WBNS broke the news, this story has been burning up this Internet thingamajig here. It has all the perfect elements of outrage that have been simmering over big corporations, banks, and all those big outfits.

We've been getting a drumbeat of these kinds of stories.  Apparently, screw ups like what happened to Barrett happen more than you think.

Like how Bank of America is alleged to have really messed around with foreclosure refinancing, screwing over people,  including military personnel, according to news reports.

The perception is that these Big Guys, Big Corporations can do these things because they can. The idea is  there's one set of rules for the big guys, like the banks, and another set of rules for the rest of us.

People see that the sheriff didn't investigate the bank for stealing all the stuff (actually having their minions do it). The sheriff appeared to think this was a civil, not criminal matter. But people believe that the big guys can get away with anything.

The dismissive tone of the bank president, as related by Barrett, also feeds into the frustration that the 1 percent have a "Let Them Eat Cake" attitude toward everyone else.

I wonder if the Big Boys like these banks and big time politicians worry that the rest of us will rebel.  This could be my conspiracy-oriented mind, but there seemed to be an inordinate worry about the Occupy movement one or two years ago among government authorities and police. Which, in the belief of many people, act at the behest of the Big Boys.

But who knows?

As I said, this particular case will probably get resolved, because I don't see how this bank can withstand the social media pressure. Already, Daily Kos has started a petitiion to ask the bank to pay Barrett back and set things right.

No word yet if the bank will budge.

But I wonder if this incident will add to the simmering pile of anger in America over the real or perceived abuse of power by some of the 1 percent.