Friends and neighbors,
Many of you will recall the case of Rosemarie Benter, an 82-year-old who has lived in her home in the Haight for the past 26 years.
A predatory scheme that involved a refinancing loan resulted in her beautiful, turn of the century Edwardian home being sold at a foreclosure auction in February for $13,000 — less than 1% of its value. It was a gut-wrenching story, but Rosemarie fought back. She was represented by the incredible advocates at Legal Assistance to the Elderly, and they filed a fraud and elder financial abuse complaint against the mortgage adviser and broker.
Our office made sure Rosemarie had the help she needed. I visited her at her home last year to let her know that we had her back. Rosemarie had been through a lot – she lost two sons to HIV/AIDS, battled breast cancer, and on top of all that had to deal with the possibility of losing her home of more than two decades – but she had not just talented counsel, not just my office, but an entire community that reached out to support her.
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We are pleased to share wonderful news: Rosemarie’s case was resolved with her ownership re-established. A recently filed Court judgment determines that the deed transferring title from Rosemarie is “canceled and declared void,” and “that title a 100% interest, in fee simple absolute … shall be quieted in favor of Plaintiff Rosemarie Benter.” The case is Bentner v. Biche, San Francisco Superior Court, Case No. CGC-23-606023. Rosemarie can stay in her long-term home.
Thanks to all the neighbors who supported Rosemarie through this ordeal, to my former Chief of Staff Kyle Smeallie for his work on this, and to Tom Drohan, Darren Orr, Monica Castillo, and Mujghan Ahmed of Legal Assistance to the Elderly for their work on this case and more broadly to protect San Francisco seniors from elder abuse, foreclosure, and eviction.
In solidarity,
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Dean Preston,
District 5 Supervisor
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