Can’t make your mortgage payment? Have you thought of maybe just burning the house down? Ask a neighbor to see if he’ll help or if you have the right tool kit you may be able to do it yourself! Either way, just burn it down and you’re home free. Oh yeah don’t forget to tell the lender.
That seems to be the way things are going in some cities. According to MSNBC, there has been a spike in arson cases involving folks facing financial (mortgage payment) difficulties. I don’t know how this makes any sense to anybody, but people are doing it all across the nation and these are desperate times in some places.
Some recent cases:
- In Woodland Park, Colo., a homeowner was accused of burning his home just before he was evicted in a foreclosure action.
- In Houston, a man was charged with faking a racial hate crime to cover arson at his home.
- In Russellville, Ind., a woman was accused of trying to cash in on an insurance policy by offering her neighbor $5,000 to help torch her home and cover up the crime.
Those working in the field hear their own stories. “I have heard of builders torching incomplete homes that can’t be sold,” says Vince Brannigan, who teaches in the University of Maryland’s department of fire-protection engineering.
Disclaimer: This blog does not encourage arson. The author is simply reporting what has been reported elsewhere and not in any way condoning or encouraging such behavior.