Houston Man Commits Suicide Over Foreclosure? Not Really But It Plays Well In the Media
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The Drudge Report, not a place where the headlines are tepid, has a link to a story Man Commits Suicide over Foreclosure… . Since foreclosures are on of the hot topic stories this would make sense, but reading the story you find out that the foreclosure was the tipping point, not the reason for the man’s actions. The man, James Hahn, had much greater problems according to the Houston Chronicle.
It would appear that Hahn had prepared for the standoff. He had nailed plywood over windows and doors and stuffed insulation into cracks. A cache of weapons and explosive devices were found in the home, along with a gas mask, chemical suit similar to those worn by Haz-Mat crew members.
Williams said it explained why Hahn didn’t vacate the house after police shot tear gas into the residence on three separate occasions in the hopes of bringing the standoff to an end. Williams said Hahn was recently divorced, depressed and struggled with financial problems and drug addiction. via the Houston Chronicle
For real estate agents and mortgage brokers this is the sort of story you have to watch out for in the world of public opinion. Instead of the press reporting that a man with a drug addiction who was recently divorced and depressed got into a battle with police as it would have been reported last year, we now have a man foreclosed upon refusing to give up his home.
That is the problem with the media these days, they find an angle and every story should fit into that mold. This story is also illustrating a new trend for foreclosure stories. Be prepared for every story that has something to do with foreclosures to have this angle highlighted.
As the reporter Lindsay Wise breathlessly ends the story:
But none imagined that Hahn would take his life rather than leave a home that no longer belonged to him.
She will get accolades in the newsroom because of her link from Drudge. However her dishonest reporting earns a sneer from me. This was a man whose life had turned into a country song and wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. He just used the foreclosure as the trigger.
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Comment by His Friend on 20 March 2008:
I know this is after-the-fact but I just came across your blog and it really ticked me off. You sit here critcizing Lindsay Wise’s article stating she twisted and incorrectly reported this story bc it played well in the media. Well how the hell Do YOU claim to know what ACTUALLY happened?? You are going solely off off the same media reports you discredit. He was a dear friend of mine so, I want to set the record straight with you. I dont care if anyone even reads this as long as you do. Was James battling some demons other than the foreclosure? Yes. Was he thrilled with the way his life was going at that time? No. (how many people truly are?) But none of those things were going to push him to take his life. He had such a giving heart and was there for me in my most difficult of times when maybe I was the one who felt like I couldnt go on. In fact, one time when I was a few hundred short on my rent and it was down to the last day, it was who James loaned me the money and saved me from being evicted. His home symbolized his manhood to him. Taking it from him would have left him feeling less than a man- a failure so to speak. And it wasnt like he hadnt been paying on it for years already. He bought the house in 2001. Almost 7 years before this happened! And he wouldve paid it still had they not jumped the gun. Ok, so maybe he was behind, but he had been paying for years! Had they just given him a little more time they wouldve gotten their stupid money. Instead, a man’s life was lost. Not just a man, MY FRIEND who I love so very much. And Ill never get to see him, hug him, laugh with him EVER AGAIN! Now the jerks turned around and sold the house for $21,000. So it ended up causing them to take a hell of a loss. And I will go the rest of my life feeling like my friend died over a mesely $21,000!! Makes me ill to think about it. Its just so f*cked up.(excuse my french) So now ya know. THE REAL STORY.
Comment by Tom Hanges on 6 May 2008:
I’m sure it’ll never come to this, but…
The only way anyone will get me out of my house (other than purchasing it from me) is by dragging my cold dead body out.
We all gotta draw a line sand somewhere.
Comment by W.C. Varones on 16 May 2008:
Oh, yes, it’s another tally for Greenspan’s Body Count. He’s up to 30 by our count at wcvarones.blogspot.com.