by KYW's John Ostapkovich
When foreclosure hits an owner-occupied home, that's bad. When it hits a rental property, often many more people get evicted.
Phil Lord, executive director of Philadelphia's Tenant Union Representative Network, says calls about foreclosure evictions are up 10-fold from last year, now 50 or 60 a week. Lord says, there are a lot of renters in the city:
"It's 40 percent of the population. When it comes to foreclosures, it's half of the people being forced to move, and the multi-unit buildings are particularly challenging because a lot of people have to move at the same time."
Lord says tenants have few options if the new owner of the property wants them out, but he says renters get 21 days after the sheriff notifies them. Watch out for scams.
He says thieves have been known to show up at the door and say, I'm your new landlord. How about that rent?
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