Times are tough and a lot of people are having a hard time paying their bills. So it’s good to know that a number of the large mortgage lenders are now making a serious effort to restructure some of their loans so some families won’t face foreclosure … at least not right away.It kind of restores your faith when creditors show a little understanding, if not compassion.
That brings to mind a couple I knew quite a few years ago. They had unexpectedly run into hard times. Everything was going along quite nicely until the husband, Ron, jammed up his back quite badly. He needed surgery and found himself laid up indefinitely. Then he got laid off from his job. The extra medical expenses were significant and after several months some of the household bills were going unpaid.
It was Helen, the wife, who looked after the family books. Being a responsible person, she called the various creditors, explained the circumstances and promised to make partial payments on the outstanding balances every month.
Every one of them was understanding and agreeable … except Montgomery Ward. They not only insisted on the full payment, they started dunning her almost daily with aggressive phone calls. Finally, when one of the people calling was especially demanding, Helen lost it.
“Listen,” she snapped. “Every month I put all the bills into a hat. I pull them out one at a time and pay something on the balance until the money runs out. But this month, because you’re so damn nasty, I’m not going to put your bill into the hat!” And she slammed the phone down.
Don't you love it, on those rare occasions, when you come up with exactly the right thing to say?
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