Massachusetts Woman Commits Suicide Before Home Foreclosure

[Hum]

TAUNTON, Mass. ? A 53-year-old wife and mother fatally shot herself shortly after faxing a letter to her mortgage company saying that she'd be dead by the time they foreclosed on her house that day.

Police said that Carlene Balderrama used her husband's high-powered rifle to kill herself Tuesday afternoon, shortly after faxing the letter at 2:30 p.m.

The mortgage company called police, who found Balderrama's body at 3:30 p.m. The auction was scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and interested buyers arrived at the property in Taunton, about 35 miles south of Boston, while Balderrama's body was still inside, according to Taunton police chief Raymond O'Berg.

Police did not immediately release the name of the mortgage company. O'Berg said Balderrama's fax read, in part, "By the time you foreclose on my house I'll be dead."

O'Berg also said a suicide note found next to Balderrama told her husband, John, and 24-year-old son to "take the (life) insurance money and pay for the house."

Joe Whitney, who works with Balderrama's husband, a plumber, said that Balderrama handled the bills and her husband didn't know about the foreclosure.

"John didn't even know about it, that's the surprise," Whitney said told The Boston Globe. "It's just one of those awful, awful tragic events."

source

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

That is tragic. :(

[Coldgunner]

Ugh, hate reading about stuff like this. No financial reasons are enough to take your own life, yes she stuffed up but I think this is a cowardly thing to do. I'm a strong believer in suicide being a cowardly, selfish act.

[neufuse Veteran]

Do you even get life insurance money when its a suicide? I was always under the idea that in that case you didn't get the full amount

[Aldur82]

What's more tragic is the fact that her life insurance probably isn't going to be paid out, because she killed herself.

[Coldgunner]

Do you even get life insurance money when its a suicide? I was always under the idea that in that case you didn't get the full amount

yeah, I was always under the impression it covered accidental death or terminal illness?

[~WinGz~]

From what I remember there are some insurance companies that do cover suicide. Because of teenagers who commit suicide they will pay out a certain amount to cover the burial, and funeral costs. But If I remember correctly they usually end up not paying that much out to pay for anything else besides just the basic funeral necessities.

[Deadpool2k]

My God, that is so sad :(

[Hum]

.... suicide being a cowardly, selfish act.

She gave up her life so that her husband and son would still have a home.

Hardly 'selfish'. :no:

[Coldgunner]

She gave up her life so that her husband and son would still have a home.

Hardly 'selfish'. :no:

Maybe not applicable to this case, but I think its selfish for someone to jump in front of a car or train, jump off a building, hang yourself etc etc

I say this because commiting such an act means that someone will find you, have to clear it up and deal with the persons death, causing potential mental scarring. In the case of cars and trains, the poor driver has to deal with the fact the vehicle they were in charge of killed someone. The aftermath often requires everything is stopped to clear up, causing massive delays and generally holding everyone up.

[peterish]

Poor long term financial planning and/or not delving into the mortgage contract thoroughly enough are probably what snowballed into the foreclosure. In any case, losing a property is hardly the end of the world; so I feel no sympathy for this cowardly act which was evidently perceived as heroic by herself. Furthermore, as some of us have pointed out, there will probably be no insurance money. What a twist to her master-plan... I feel bad for the husband and son, particularly for having a wife and mother that doesn't even know what the price of her life is, both figuratively and literally.

[.tony]

~For insurance, the ads on TV in Australia often say "accidental death only for first 12 months" or "suicide not covered for first 12 months" and you get full cover afterwards. U.S could be similar.

Agree with Hum there.

Tragic thing to happen, though. :(

[jwjw1]

~For insurance, the ads on TV in Australia often say "accidental death only for first 12 months" or "suicide not covered for first 12 months" and you get full cover afterwards. U.S could be similar.

Agree with Hum there.

Tragic thing to happen, though. :(

yes, most US Insurance Policies have a Suicide Clause...and its sad...but she probably knew well in advance enough to 'create' and electrical short and claim homeowners....then tell the Mortgage Company to FO and build a new life.

[portauthority]

She gave up her life so that her husband and son would still have a home.

Hardly 'selfish'. :no:

Maybe in Japan...

[maplecookie Veteran]

In some cases and states insurance does cover suicide. The payment is typically lower than if the person had died from murder or illness, but there is a payout. It's like that in Nebraska.

I feel sorry for this woman's family and I can't believe she felt this was the last option for her. Home foreclosures are truly getting out of control and it's a scary situation.

[tsupersonic]

'Tis sad, I heard about this a few days ago

[Dev Null Zen]

Poor long term financial planning and/or not delving into the mortgage contract thoroughly enough are probably what snowballed into the foreclosure. In any case, losing a property is hardly the end of the world; so I feel no sympathy for this cowardly act which was evidently perceived as heroic by herself. Furthermore, as some of us have pointed out, there will probably be no insurance money. What a twist to her master-plan... I feel bad for the husband and son, particularly for having a wife and mother that doesn't even know what the price of her life is, both figuratively and literally.

You're pathetic. How many peoples long term financial planning covers Bush ruining our economy? Or $4 gas? And, god forbid, if you use your brain and read, the husband said she took care of the bulls. So I am quite sure she knows what is and isn't covered in her life insurance since she is probably the one that bought it. As many previously said, most states just have a 2 year suicide clause.

[peterish]

Well, my long term financial planning covers it, and then some....so...yeah..., not so pathetic here. As for the woman's bills, what exactly does 'taking care of them mean? Evidently it means hiding them so that her family isn't even aware of a FORECLOSURE. You can disagree with my statement, but gosh, man, how can you possibly defend her?

[TheElite]

Sad.

[Ayepecks]

Wow. She should have really at least told her husband about the foreclosure... there had to be some way to work it all out.

[ruthord]

It is so sad to hear i think she is wrong before doing this she should think about her children. and my hearty condolences with her family.

===============

ruthordhenley

foreclosure

[Ficman]

RIP

[I am Redbeard]

This is truly sad.

I wonder if they received the insurance money? My first impression lead me to think that the foreclosure would be terminated, I don't know how many people would want to buy a house where someone killed their self in because it was going taken from them.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

She gave up her life so that her husband and son would still have a home.

Hardly 'selfish'. :no:

Her committing suicide is just adding to this families problems, it will not stop the foreclosure. There is never a valid reason to commit suicide. The people that do this have no idea of how it affects the family that is left behind. Especially children.

[spacer]

What she did was pretty selfish, even if she was trying to get her Life Insurance payout for her family.

Her husband and son knew nothing of what was going on, and they can be nothing short of devastated right now. Her husband will now have to go on without his companion. Her son will never have a mother again.

Losing a home because the economy is in the ****** is tragic, but it's no excuse to put your family through the worst pain they can possibly know. It would have been better if she just told her family about the forclosure. They could have supported each other through the rough time of finding a new home, and they would all be ok in the long run. That can't happen now, and that's the real tragedy.

RIP

That's a nice sentiment, but I don't know how any one can rest in Hell.