The 71-year-old retired insurance saleswoman has been living in her house, a two-story on a half-acre in a tidy middle-class neighborhood here in central Florida, since 1978. The last time she made a mortgage payment was October 1985.
The story of how Campbell has managed to avoid both paying her mortgage and losing her home, which is assessed at more than $203,000, is a cautionary tale for lenders that cut corners and followed sloppy practices when originating, processing and servicing mortgages. Lenders are especially vulnerable in the 23 states, including Florida, that require foreclosures to be approved by a judge.