Deneen Clarke at the foreclosed house next door. (Photo by David Brewster)
My Sunday column focused on a neighborhood's frustration when a foreclosed home is stripped by a departing homeowner. It's a phenomenon barred by a rarely-enforced criminal law, as well as virtually every mortgage contract. Yet it's happening all over the place, from my research.
The commenters haven't seized on this so far, but this may well be the first Whistleblower column where we did not name the individual or entity whose actions triggered the column. My editors and I had a lively discussion of whether to name the ex-homeowner in this story. While I'm entirely confident in the accuracy of the report, which was supported by public records and witness accounts, the lack of any criminal or civil court actions prompted us to withhold the neighbor's identity. Whistleblower remains committed to naming names when we investigate your tips.
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