Our
own Paul Bohn recently joined an effort to help save a Livingston County
Veteran’s home, just as he was on the verge of becoming homeless. Paul Bohn and
other local attorneys donated their time to negotiate with the redeeming buyer,
securing an affordable life lease for the Veteran, Ross Dahlberg, so he could
live in his home until he chooses to leave.
And
when we say “on the verge of becoming homeless,” it’s true. The deal to save
Dahlberg’s home was closed less than 24 hours before he would have lost his
home.
Dahlberg
said he was overwhelmed with emotions. And he said of his home: "I'm here
until I die."
***
Here
is the full story from the Livingston
Daily:
Last
week, Brighton couple Keli Murillo and Jay Bobel, CEO of Northville-based
Spartan Equities, stepped forward to put forth more than $142,000 in fees
associated with saving Hamburg Township resident Ross Dahlberg's home.
"It's
a miracle come true," said Dahlberg, a Korean War-era veteran.
The
veteran's home was ultimately sold at a sheriff's auction to Day Glo LLC in
March due to what Joshua Parish, a veterans benefits counselor, believes was an
error by the state's Step Forward Program. Dahlberg fell behind on mortgage
payments because of a divorce and medical issues, which put him in and out of
the hospital and rehab care.
A
state official refuted Parish's claim that Dahlberg's completed application was
received by the state homeownership office on time.
If
it weren't for Bobel and Murillo, Parish said he was told "Day Glo LLC was
going to have the Sheriff's Department come remove Mr. Dahlberg from his
home."
Bobel,
whose company regularly assists with home redemptions in the county, said he
saw the opportunity to "do good" after reading a Daily Press &
Argus article on the topic, which prompted him to call Parish.
"Something
just didn't sound quite right to me, and I wanted to help," Bobel said.
Parish's
mission to help Dahlberg stay in his home became a community effort in July
when he launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign in hopes of securing $130,000
needed to reclaim the home before a six-month redemption period that expired
Thursday. Those funds will be transferred into a secure account and go toward
Dahlberg's tax payments on the home, where he will virtually live for free.
"I
want to go out in the parking lot and do a little dance," Parish said
Thursday. "I've exhausted so much time and effort for this project."
The
Veterans Affairs official has also secured supplies from Home Depot and Allied
Lumber in Howell, Ann Arbor-based Fingerle Lumber and Milford-based ABC Supply
to replace Dahlberg's roof that had sustained water damage over a number of
years. Work began Thursday by volunteer contractors from Pinckney-based Jim's
Roofing.
Dahlberg,
who is wheelchair-bound due to the effects of diabetes, said he has met a
number of "good people" during his struggle whom he would like to
thank. He is now receiving home health assistance seven days per week through a
Veterans Affairs program.
"At
the moment, I'm a little choked up," Dahlberg said Thursday afternoon.
"I'm overwhelmed with emotions.
"I'm
here until I die," he said of his home.
Other
important players in the effort included attorneys Paul Bohn and John Drury,
and Howell-based Matecun, Thomas and Olson PLC, Parish said.
Originally posted Livingston Daily September 25:
