Foreclosure drives 53-year old woman to suicide

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

TAUNTON - The housing crunch has caused anguish and anxiety for millions of Americans. For Carlene Balderrama, a 53-year-old wife and mother, the pressure was apparently too much.

Police say that Balderrama fatally shot herself Tuesday afternoon, 90 minutes before her foreclosed home was scheduled to be sold at auction. Chief Raymond O'Berg said that Balderrama faxed a letter to her mortgage company at 2:30 p.m., saying that "by the time they foreclosed on the house today she'd be dead."

The mortgage company notified police, who found her body at 3:30 p.m. The auction had been scheduled to start at 5 p.m., when bidders showed up at the house and found it surrounded by police cruisers.

But, unbeknownst to buyers and to Balderrama, the auction had been postponed by the time she grabbed her husband's high-powered rifle, O'Berg said.

Balderrama left a note for her family, saying they should "take the [life] insurance money and pay for the house," O'Berg said. The chief said he did not know, however, if the family would be able to collect on the policy in the event of a suicide.

Neighbors on Duffy Drive, a forested side street on the city's east side, said Balderrama had lived in the two-story, brown-shingled, raised ranch for about four years with her husband, John, who is a plumber, and their 24-year-old son, who works in a restaurant.

Joe Whitney, who works with Balderrama's husband, said that she handled the bills in the household and that the husband was unaware of the foreclosure.

"John didn't even know about it; that's the surprise," Whitney said outside the home, where he had come to comfort the family. "It's just one of those awful, awful, tragic events."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/...of_foreclosure/

[DairyFarmer 1]

Its so terrible that things like these drive people over the edge. How difficult for the husband to find out his wife has died and now he has lost his house.

[Jenn! 918]

Very sad.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

This is the part I don't get:

Joe Whitney, who works with Balderrama's husband, said that she handled the bills in the household and that the husband was unaware of the foreclosure.

How could he not have even known??? Does anyone really disassociate themselves from household financials to that extent?

[almaty 19]

yes..in some marriages, one spouse is the manager and the other has no interest

Edited July 24, 2008 by almaty

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Well yeah, in my marriage I manage the finances but my wife still knows what's going on. I don't see how we could be in foreclosure and she wouldn't know, even up to 90 minutes before the auction.

[DairyFarmer 1]

This is the part I don't get:

Joe Whitney, who works with Balderrama's husband, said that she handled the bills in the household and that the husband was unaware of the foreclosure.

How could he not have even known??? Does anyone really disassociate themselves from household financials to that extent?

I know what you mean. I think she must have been suffocating under the pressure.

[Sonshyne 2]

Wow this is really sad.

[Jenn! 918]

This is the part I don't get:

Joe Whitney, who works with Balderrama's husband, said that she handled the bills in the household and that the husband was unaware of the foreclosure.

How could he not have even known??? Does anyone really disassociate themselves from household financials to that extent?

I don't find that surprising at all. Maybe he was even worse at dealing with the anxiety of financial troubles than she was.

[almaty 19]

Well yeah, in my marriage I manage the finances but my wife still knows what's going on. I don't see how we could be in foreclosure and she wouldn't know, even up to 90 minutes before the auction.

i suspect either she over extented the family////or was into gambling or another addicitive type behavior

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I don't find that surprising at all. Maybe he was even worse at dealing with the anxiety of financial troubles than she was.

Interesting.

Well yeah, in my marriage I manage the finances but my wife still knows what's going on. I don't see how we could be in foreclosure and she wouldn't know, even up to 90 minutes before the auction.

i suspect either she over extented the family////or was into gambling or another addicitive type behavior

hhmmmmm..... interesting.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Oh man, that totally sux.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't think its very surprising. Tragic of course - but not a surprise.

Imagine having lost everything you worked for 20 or 30 years and having to start again in your mid-50's. Clearly there are people who find it too much to deal with.

I've read similar stories before from people who have lost everything through medical expenses.

Terrible that there isn't more help out there for people.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Terrible that there isn't more help out there for people.

It is entirely possible that she signed a note she had no ability of repaying.

Given the clearly dyfunctional nature of this family (the husband didn't even know!?!), I'm not ready to call this terrible or tragic. For all I know, this could very well be a case of a good candidate for the financial Darwin award.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Terrible that there isn't more help out there for people.

It is entirely possible that she signed a note she had no ability of repaying.

Given the clearly dyfunctional nature of this family (the husband didn't even know!?!), I'm not ready to call this terrible or tragic. For all I know, this could very well be a case of a good candidate for the financial Darwin award.

I wouldn't presume too much about the circumstances - the woman clearly felt incredible pressure and that her problems were insurmountable. I would imagine that it really is terrible to feel that not only is suicide a viable option, but the only one available.

Edited July 24, 2008 by Number 6