Client Stories Archives - Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc.

JALA housing counselor prevents foreclosure for a woman in major health crisis

JALA housing counselor prevents foreclosure for a woman in major health crisis

Jane (not her real name) has dealt with severe health problems since 2017. Most recently, she was hospitalized for atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular and rapid heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots in the heart. Ms. Williams’ hospital bills were costly, and it meant that she had to pay those expenses instead of her mortgage. She had issues with her bathroom faucet at the same time and received a major water bill on top of the damages to her bathroom caused by the plumbing issues. JALA housing counselor Carmen Curtis-Skownronski was able to obtain over $4,000 from the City of Jacksonville’s Foreclosure Intervention Program. This brought her mortgage up to date, and Ms. Williams is no longer in fear of foreclosure. Ms. Williams expressed her sincere gratitude, saying, “I felt overwhelmed and stressed, but your support made a real difference.”

Dennis Harrison2025-09-24T10:33:32-04:00September 24th, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing|

JALA helps daughter regain title to her home after her father’s death

JALA helps daughter regain title to her home after her father’s death

“Emily,” not her real name, deeded her home to her father so he could have a nice place to live and get a homestead exemption. Her father later passed away, and after a year had passed, she reached out to JALA for assistance, but her sister had hired a private attorney to handle the matter, so JALA closed the case. Eight months later, Emily reached out to JALA again after the private attorney failed to file any pleadings on the case. Once two years had passed since Emily’s father had passed way, JALA staff attorney Jessica Farmer was able to file the probate as a summary administration with Emily's mother as the beneficiary. Emily’s mother, who lived in a nursing home, then signed a deed transferring the property back to Emily, who now has her house back in her name and can apply for a homestead exemption. “You have no idea how happy you have made me,” Emily wrote in a thank you note.

Dennis Harrison2025-07-02T13:13:44-04:00July 2nd, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing, Family Law, Tangled Title|

JALA housing counselor helps widow assume her mortgage

JALA housing counselor helps widow assume her mortgage

Betty Nell Reaves Green came to JALA for help after her husband passed away and the mortgage company told her and her daughter that they needed to go through probate. In fact, spouses can become successor in interest and then assume the loan without probate after a death or divorce. They need the income to support the mortgage and decent credit for the assumption process. Probate is needed when there is more than one person who could become the owner, such as if both parents are deceased and there are multiple children. Betty just needed help becoming successor in interest and assuming the loan. JALA Housing Counselor Carmen Curtis-Skowronski helped Betty and her daughter with phone calls to the lender. They have now signed the closing documents and assumed the loan. “My case was handled professionally and actually went quicker than I thought possible,” Betty said. Betty’s story is a good example of how JALA’s housing counselors can often help families resolve everyday problems efficiently and effectively.

Dennis Harrison2025-07-02T11:47:34-04:00July 2nd, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing, Family Law, Tangled Title|

JALA attorney helps son avoid foreclosure on his late mother’s home

JALA attorney helps son avoid foreclosure on his late mother’s home

“Marcus,” not his real name, was half owner of the home he and his brother had inherited from their mother, but he was in danger of losing it. The brother who had inherited the other half had passed away, and a foreclosure case was pending on the home. Before JALA attorney Carol Miller could stop the foreclosure, she had to file a probate case for the estate of Marcus’s brother. Through the probate process, the court transferred the brother’s share to Marcus. Miller then submitted the court orders as an urgent matter, and being sole owner of the home, Marcus was able to sell the property to avoid the foreclosure. Fortunately, Marcus had found a buyer for the property, and with the closing just a day away and the home finally in his name, he was able to close on the sale. Miller’s swift action helped Marcus avoid losing his inheritance.

Dennis Harrison2025-06-17T06:53:56-04:00June 17th, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing, Family Law|

Worker overturns her Reemployment Assistance denial with guidance from JALA

Worker overturns her Reemployment Assistance denial with guidance from JALA

“Muriel,” not her real name, came to Jacksonville Area Legal Aid for help after being improperly denied Reemployment Assistance benefits. She had taken a job with a government agency as an insurance claims adjuster, having been promised that she would receive mentoring in the role, which was new to her. For the first year, her employment went well, but then a number of claims adjusters left the department, leaving Muriel with a much greater workload and without the benefit of a mentor or any day-to-day supervision. Under the circumstances, Muriel’s job performance began to suffer, and instead of addressing her repeated requests for support, her managers gave her one performance warning after another, ultimately placing her on a Performance Improvement Plan. In the meantime, repeated power failures caused the computer system in the office to go down frequently over the course of a month, negatively affecting the timeliness of her claims resolution.

Dennis Harrison2025-06-17T06:49:11-04:00June 17th, 2025|Client Stories|

JALA Helps client avoid foreclosure and save her home with City of Jacksonville foreclosure assistance

JALA Helps client avoid foreclosure and save her home with City of Jacksonville foreclosure assistance

Facing overwhelming financial challenges, “Emma,” not her real name, and her husband, both self-employed, struggled to keep up with their bills after the birth of their son. Transitioning from a two-income household to just one, combined with the breakdown of their semi-truck, which was their primary income source, left them falling behind on their mortgage. Despite their tireless efforts to catch up, the mounting debt left them feeling as though they were sinking further into financial distress. As hope dwindled, Emma shared her mortgage troubles with a Jacksonville Area Legal Aid attorney, who referred her to HUD Housing Counselor Carmen. From their first conversation, Emma felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Carmen carefully explained the process, outlining the necessary steps, and reassured Emma that they could navigate through the crisis together. Carmen was proactive, always keeping Emma updated and following up regularly. When Emma mortgage company became difficult to work with, Carmen immediately stepped in to assist. Through a conference call that lasted an hour, Carmen worked alongside Emma to secure the necessary documents to access the City of Jacksonville’s Foreclosure Intervention Program funds that would help her get caught up on her payments. Within just two weeks of submitting everything, Emma’s mortgage was current again.

Dennis Harrison2025-04-15T15:06:06-04:00April 15th, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing|

JALA attorney keeps mother and daughters housed after housing authority mixup

JALA attorney keeps mother and daughters housed after housing authority mixup

“Cynthia” came to Jacksonville Area Legal Aid after receiving a notice from her landlord demanding rent and threatening her with eviction. Soon thereafter, the landlord filed an eviction lawsuit. Cynthia believed at the time that she had paid what she owed. She had rented her unit with a Housing Choice Voucher, which covered part of the rent. Due to delays by the local housing authority, the portion of the rent she owed was unclear for several months. Once she received the correct information, she had to catch up, which she thought she had done. But in fact, she had underpaid.

Dennis Harrison2025-04-08T17:10:16-04:00April 8th, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing|

JALA and City of Jacksonville team up to save widow’s home

JALA and City of Jacksonville team up to save widow’s home

“Valerie,” the widow of a veteran, was in imminent danger of losing her home to foreclosure when she reached out to Jacksonville Area Legal Aid for help. The home was set to go up for auction within three weeks when JALA Housing Counselor Marissa Vetter leapt into action on her case. “I was very terrified of losing my home,” Valerie said. “She understood the urgency and wanted to help me right away with the limited time that we had. She sent me the list of documents I needed to get. I got her all the documents she needed me to get and completed the required financial education courses.” Vetter said the resolution of the case happened in record time, in large part because of Valerie’s diligence, but also because of teamwork involving staff from both JALA and the City of Jacksonville’s Foreclosure Intervention Program, which provided funds to help Valerie get caught up on her mortgage.

Dennis Harrison2025-03-31T17:50:37-04:00March 31st, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing, Veterans Services|

JALA helps clients keep their home during financial hardships

JALA helps clients keep their home during financial hardships

After facing severe financial struggles, “Charles,” not his real name, and his wife were on the verge of losing their home. Thanks to the help of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA), their situation was turned around, and they were able to retain their property. Charles, a self-employed contractor, had faced a tough financial year even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. With two clients backing out of contracts, his income was significantly impacted. Despite efforts to recover, the situation worsened, and he was forced to apply for a mortgage modification. Things took a further turn for the worse as the pandemic compounded the financial strain, leaving Charles and his wife with dwindling savings and mounting pressures.

Dennis Harrison2025-03-31T17:42:57-04:00March 31st, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing, Tangled Title|

JALA helps client secure transfer of home and vehicle ownership

JALA helps client secure transfer of home and vehicle ownership

Following the unexpected passing of her husband, “Lisa,” not her real name, needed guidance to secure ownership of her home and vehicle. JALA Attorney Jessica Farmer assisted Lisa through the probate process, ensuring she could remain in the family home with clear legal title. Lisa’s late husband had children from a previous marriage, but they fully supported her right to the home. Under probate statutes, the children had to be included in the legal process before transferring their interest. JALA utilized a legal form called a quitclaim deed to officially place ownership in Lisa’s name. After smooth transfer of title, Lisa sought to also claim her husband’s vehicle as exempt property, allowing her to take full ownership without legal complications.

Dennis Harrison2025-02-25T14:44:25-05:00February 25th, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing, Tangled Title|