'It has just wrecked my whole life': Texas woman, 85, says she faces homelessness after her bank disputed an 'oral agreement' to modify her mortgage — here's what happened and how to avoid it

According to the local broadcaster, the ordeal began in 2012 when Jefferson verbally agreed to a loan modification. It has since escalated into a legal battle over mortgage payment amounts, threatening her housing situation and her future.

Here’s what happened.

Where did it all go wrong?

Jefferson's upscale home, which she’s lived in since 2002, is more than just a roof over her head — it represents a lifetime of hard work. As a nurse, Fox 26 reports she was among the first non-physicians to own a medical clinic in the greater Houston area. Jefferson says she put her life savings into the house.

But the decision to get a loan modification may have cost her dearly.

“[She] spoke to someone and it was an oral agreement,” Kietha Hamilton, an attorney representing Jefferson, told Fox 26. “They never got it in writing.”

Afterward, Jefferson’s bank disputed the mortgage payment amounts, and according to the broadcaster, in 2019, the bank filed a motion for summary judgment to take the house. It’s now in foreclosure, documents obtained by Fox 26 show.

Foreclosure occurs when a borrower fails to make the necessary mortgage payments, and the lender takes legal action to reclaim the property. In most cases, the process is initiated after the homeowner misses multiple payments, and can take months to complete.

Jefferson’s legal team says they’re engaged in a lawsuit to recover the equity — estimated to be $400,000 — from the million-dollar property.

Fox 26 didn’t indicate if they tried to reach the bank or its legal representatives for comment.