This is happening all over….Make sure you have everything in writing and do not let your gaurd down! You will get evicted…it’s part of the game!

They were evicted, and late fees and charges added over $20,000 to their mortgage.

Loraine and Kerry Swope likely would have lost their south Charlotte home to foreclosure last year had they not been trying to resolve issues with their lender and get a loan modification.

They rejected an offer last summer from GMAC that would have reduced their monthly mortgage payment by 40 percent because of several concerns, including their contention the debt wasn’t valid. GMAC reviewed their account several times, and the Swopes tried a court appeal, which they lost. During the battle, late fees and other charges added more than $20,000 to what had been a $197,000 mortgage.

This May, during a morning rainstorm, the Swopes were evicted. They hadn’t finished loading their belongings.

“Everything sat outside and got rained on,” she said.

The Swopes’ saga started in the summer of 2007 with a relocation decision that snowballed into economic disaster.

They were drawn to Charlotte from Florida by the city’s bustle and banking industry. He was also seeking better medical care for complications from a knee replacement.