The senior who fought off foreclosure and eviction from his Bernardston home of two decades and finally came to a settlement with that bank in August has died.
Robert McCollum, 76, who owned Robert H. McCollum Construction and was most recently living in an apartment in Northfield, died Saturday. He had multiple health challenges and often found himself in and out of the hospital and nursing home.
McCollum, with the help of his advocate Al Norman of Greenfield, was able to strike a deal with Bank of New York Mellon, the trustee for Countrywide mortgages that Bank of America purchased. The settlement with the bank gave the senior, who lived completely on Social Security benefits, the money to move into the apartment in Northfield.
When McCollum, who worked as a contractor for many years, was 59 years old, he took out a second mortgage on his home in Bernardston, Norman said. But, after becoming ill and experiencing a few setbacks, he fell behind in payments. By 2018, the bank had foreclosed on him. There were no bidders on the house, so the bank bought it and tried to evict him.
The bank had dismissed McCollum’s case temporarily, giving it time to come to the settlement. Norman said McCollum’s story was a cautionary tale to other seniors.
“Bob was the victim of a predatory loan that he never should have received based on his income and assets,” Norman said. “The loan wouldn’t have been paid off until Bob was 89. Seniors need to stay away from long-term loans.”
McCollum will have private funeral services that are being arranged by Kidder Funeral Home of Northfield. A memorial service will be held later in the spring.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.