Sep 15, 2008 11:33 pm US/Eastern
I-Team: Woman Forces Habitat Home Into Foreclosure
LOWELL (WBZ) ―
A charity is taking action after WBZ's
I-Team exposed a local woman who took advantage of its generosity.
Tammy Berry betrayed an entire community. Now
Habitat for Humanity is in the process of taking back an opportunity Berry once had to help her and her family get back on their feet.
The grass is overgrown and screens are knocked out of the windows.
22 Glenside Ave. in Billerica is a Habitat for Humanity house that was supposed to be a much-needed home, a dream come true for Tammy Berry and her family, but when the I-Team started looking into Tammy Berry's habitat deal last February, we discovered she was breaking some of the habitat rules.
Now
Habitat of Greater Lowell is in the process of closing the door on the charity they gave to Tammy Berry.
"For us this is very difficult, we've had to do a lot of soul searching," said Dana Owens of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell.
Over the years, Berry's friends and other family members have actually been the people who called the Habitat house home. During the I-Team's investigation, we found Tammy Berry, Habitat's client, living with her husband 12 miles away in Lowell.
Not only did we find Berry living in a different house, we found a woman who says rooms at the house were once up for rent and a document backs those claims up. According to state records, Jessica D'Amico paid Berry monthly for room and board. "It's just wrong what she does and she's making a lot of money off people for something she was practically given."
But the opportunity that was given is being taken away. After the I-Team's report, Habitat filed for foreclosure. Some of the rules laid out in Berry's mortgage have been broken.
The I-Team asked Jerry McDermott from the
South Shore Habitat for Humanity if there are any restrictions against renting - and do the applicants have to occupy the home?
McDermott said they do. "It's spelled out clearly," he said.
This all comes when the need for homes is growing faster than habitat can build.
"On this house we're standing in front of right now (in Westford), which is our latest house, we had 176 applicants," said Owens.
"What do you hope happens to 22 Glenside Ave.?" asked Curran.
"Obviously we want to see a family that's willing to give and partner, so that somebody has a chance," said Owens.
Owens can't talk specifics about Tammy Berry's case, but when it comes to homes and helping families, Habitat's message is clear. "The answer is to give a helping hand up, but not a hand out. We build houses for families to get a shot at it. We expect a family to be a partner, we expect a family to live in the house, pay the mortgage and be good neighbors."
The I-Team tried to get in touch with Tammy Berry, but the calls weren't returned. This foreclosure is the first for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell since the chapter was founded back in 1991.
Habitat tells the I-Team once the foreclosure process is complete, they'll have to do some renovations on the house. Then applications will be accepted from new families.
Volunteer For Habitat For Humanity Apply For A Habitat For Humanity Home
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