Man Fights To Save Home After Wife's Death

INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indianapolis man is fighting to save his house after the death of his wife, but he has been told he doesn't qualify for help with his mortgage.

Elmer Little's wife of 31 years, Helen, died several months ago, leaving him grieving and unable to make the payments on the couple's south side home, Call 6's Rafael Sanchez reported.

"For 32 years, I did nothing. She took care of everything," he said, noting that the family's income was cut in half. "There's no way I can keep it up."

Little said he mailed paperwork to JP Morgan Chase seeking a loan modification, but that the bank said he did not qualify. He will be three months behind on his payments in November.

Chase officials said they could not discuss Little's case specifically because of privacy laws, but that the bank has sent him more papers to fill out.

Little said he hopes he qualifies for help this time around.

"I'd like to stay here. I just need a little help," he said. "(If I'm rejected again) you can have the home. I'll get out."

Chase is among the institutions participating in the government's Making Homes Affordable program, which aims to help at-risk individuals with loan modifications, like Little is seeking.

A loophole in the program stipulates that if an investor group owns a home, it has the final say or not a homeowner can get a loan modification, and can its mortgage service provider's decision.

It's unclear if Little was denied due to the loophole, but the bank will have to reveal that information if he is denied again.

The only way to find out if a home is owned by an investor group is to ask the company that handles a home's mortgage payments.