Marine Corps pilot who fought in 3 wars evicted from home after scam

[iggy07450]

04/08/04
Copyright 2004 Oregon Live. All Rights Reserved.


Should a decorated Marine colonel and his wife, who say they have been
swindled out of their home and life savings, be allowed to stay in
their home?

Ken Reusser, 84, a veteran of three wars and one of the most decorated
pilots in the history of the Marine Corps, and his wife, Trudy, 65,
were told to leave their Cooper Mountain home last month because they
were unable to make payments. Washington County sheriff's deputies
removed them March 19 from the home, which sits on land that once
belonged to Ken Reusser's grandfather. The couple said they owe about
$800,000 on the house to Washington Mutual.

They recently returned to the house and changed the locks.

Two years ago, Reusser and his wife discovered they had been swindled
out of more than $80,000 by their accountant, Robert E. Thomas, whom
they said they trusted to care for their finances. Thomas was
convicted and ordered to repay $200 a month.

The couple filed for bankruptcy in August. They are suing the bank for
$1 million, saying it should not have cashed bad checks. The bank says
Ken Reusser should be more careful about whom he allows in his
checkbook.

The couple also have said an earlier investment scam cost them
$262,500.

Were the Reussers victims of their own poor financial decisions? Was
the couple right to return to their house after they were removed?
Should they give up on keeping their home or keep fighting for what's
important to them?

Tell us what you think. We'd like to publish your response. To reply
by e-mail, send responses to . To use The
Oregonian's Inside Line, a free service inside the local calling area,
dial 503-225-5555 from a touch-tone telephone, then enter category
number 6689. Responses will be published in next Thursday's Washington
County Weekly.

METROWEST STAFF

The MetroWest News Bureau is in the Cedar Hills Shopping Center at
10100 S.W. Park Way, Portland, OR 97225. Here is how to reach us (all
area codes are 503): General news: 294-5950 or 297-8861; fax: 203-1813
Hillsboro office: 640-9364, fax: 615-5775 Jerry Casey, bureau chief,
294-5952; or Sarah Friesen, Hillsboro
area assistant bureau chief, 294-5929; or
Karen Pate, Beaverton area assistant
bureau chief, 294-5953; or David
Anderson, schools and youth issues, 294-5199; or
Esmeralda Bermudez, Hillsboro area
news, 221-4388; or Jerry Boone,
columnist, 503-294-5960; or Nicole
Chvatal, Beaverton news clerk, 294-5963; or
Richard Colby, Beaverton area news,
294-5961; or Shirley Dang, schools and
youth issues, 294-5956; or Holly Danks,
public safety and courts, 294-5934; or
Aaron Fentress, Washington County prep sports, 294-5954; or
aaronfentress @news.oregonian.com Mike Francis, business news,
294-5955; or Laura Gunderson, county
government and transportation, 294-5958; or lauragunderson
@news.oregonian.com Kate Leeper, Washington County Weekly news clerk,
294-5962; or Michelle Mandel, people and
lifestyles, 294-5959; or Laura
Oppenheimer, growth and development issues, 294-5957; or
Jill Smith, community news, 294-5908;
or John Snell, community news, 294-5949;
or Dana E. Olsen, MetroWest photo staff,
294-5962; or



Copyright 2004 Oregon Live. All Rights Reserved.

[John A. Weeks III]

In article >, iggy07450
> wrote:

> Were the Reussers victims of their own poor financial decisions? Was
> the couple right to return to their house after they were removed?
> Should they give up on keeping their home or keep fighting for what's
> important to them?

There isn't enough information here to figure out what really
happened. Losing $260K a few years ago an $20K to a bad
accountant does not tell us how someone got almost a million
dollars behind on their house.

It sounds like there was a whole series of bad choices here.
One can hardly blame Washington Mutual, one of the best housing
lender out there, for repeated bad choices on the part of a
customer.

Even if the senior Reusser was ill and couldn't make good decisions,
where was Mrs Reusser? Why didn't she blow the whistle or bring
in one of the kids before they got a million in debt? And if
they had any equity left, why didn't they try to save it by
moving to a less expensive property? No retired soldier needs
a million dollar masion, not when they can get an $80,000 townhouse
in Arizona or Florida.

Like old Forest Gump said...stupid is as stupid does.

-john-

--
================================================== ==================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ==================

[Tex Houston]

"iggy07450" > wrote in message
om...
> 04/08/04
>
> Tell us what you think. We'd like to publish your response. To reply
> by e-mail, send responses to . To use The
> Oregonian's Inside Line, a free service inside the local calling area,
> dial 503-225-5555 from a touch-tone telephone, then enter category
> number 6689. Responses will be published in next Thursday's Washington
> County Weekly.
>
> METROWEST

You damned parasites. Spamming several newsgroups to sensationalize a
couple's legal troubles and invade their privacy. Have you no shame? The
first tenet of your ethical code must be "Blood sells ink."

Disgusted,

Tex Houston

[iggy07450]

"Tex Houston" > wrote in message >...
> "iggy07450" > wrote in message
> om...
> > 04/08/04
> >
> > Tell us what you think. We'd like to publish your response. To reply
> > by e-mail, send responses to . To use The
> > Oregonian's Inside Line, a free service inside the local calling area,
> > dial 503-225-5555 from a touch-tone telephone, then enter category
> > number 6689. Responses will be published in next Thursday's Washington
> > County Weekly.
> >
> > METROWEST
>
> You damned parasites. Spamming several newsgroups to sensationalize a
> couple's legal troubles and invade their privacy. Have you no shame? The
> first tenet of your ethical code must be "Blood sells ink."
>
> Disgusted,
>
> Tex Houston

whoo nellie Tex...this ant spam ok?

[Tex Houston]

"iggy07450" > wrote in message
om...
> "Tex Houston" > wrote in message
>...
> > "iggy07450" > wrote in message
> > om...
> > > 04/08/04
> > >
> > > Tell us what you think. We'd like to publish your response. To reply
> > > by e-mail, send responses to . To use The
> > > Oregonian's Inside Line, a free service inside the local calling area,
> > > dial 503-225-5555 from a touch-tone telephone, then enter category
> > > number 6689. Responses will be published in next Thursday's Washington
> > > County Weekly.
> > >
> > > METROWEST
> >
> > You damned parasites. Spamming several newsgroups to sensationalize a
> > couple's legal troubles and invade their privacy. Have you no shame?
The
> > first tenet of your ethical code must be "Blood sells ink."
> >
> > Disgusted,
> >
> > Tex Houston
>
> whoo nellie Tex...this ant spam ok?

Let me see...

Spammed to multiple groups.

Sent to hundreds of people.

Drafted for nefarious purposes.

Unwelcome in my inbox.

Serves no useful purpose.

Passes the duck test to me.

SPAM.

Tex

[iggy07450]

"Tex Houston" > wrote in message >...
> "iggy07450" > wrote in message
> om...
> > "Tex Houston" > wrote in message
> >...
> > > "iggy07450" > wrote in message
> > > om...
> > > > 04/08/04
> > > >
> > > > Tell us what you think. We'd like to publish your response. To reply
> > > > by e-mail, send responses to . To use The
> > > > Oregonian's Inside Line, a free service inside the local calling area,
> > > > dial 503-225-5555 from a touch-tone telephone, then enter category
> > > > number 6689. Responses will be published in next Thursday's Washington
> > > > County Weekly.
> > > >
> > > > METROWEST
> > >
> > > You damned parasites. Spamming several newsgroups to sensationalize a
> > > couple's legal troubles and invade their privacy. Have you no shame?
> The
> > > first tenet of your ethical code must be "Blood sells ink."
> > >
> > > Disgusted,
> > >
> > > Tex Houston
> >
> > whoo nellie Tex...this ant spam ok?
>
> Let me see...
>
> Spammed to multiple groups. ..Try cross posted..
>
> Sent to hundreds of people.
>
> Drafted for nefarious purposes. ...Yeh im starting a conspiracy!!!
>
> Unwelcome in my inbox.
>
> Serves no useful purpose.
>
> Passes the duck test to me.
>
> SPAM.
>
> Tex

Tex yer out in the sun too long. Check my posting history for any spamming.


Ed