The bank visit yesterday brought to mind how we ended up at Associated in the first place. It wasn’t by choice.
We originally had our home loan with Fleet Mortgage. We assumed a VA loan when we bought the house. The rate wasn’t bad, but it was a royal pain to deal with those people. After a couple years we refinanced with Olympic Federal S&L.
They were easy to deal with and local. Instead of a separate escrow account for taxes and insurance, they took the amount off the loan balance and then tacked it back on when they paid the bills. In essence we saved a bit on interest this way too.
Unfortunately they got bought out by Associated Bank and all that changed in a hurry. They decided to change the escrow process.
I came home from work one day to find Tracey upset because some clown from the bank called and told her we had made an insufficient payment and had to immediately pay more or they would charge fees.
I called the jerk and he tried to explain how our payment had been increased by quite a lot to cover future increases for escrow and we hadn’t included this new amount. I told him I was on my way down to see him personally about the way he treated my wife and we would straighten out this goofy escrow nonsense.
There was a cop car at the front door when I arrived and the cop followed me in. He didn’t say a word but it was clear he had been called because I had told them I was showing up.
The bank guy immediately ushered me to a desk in the lobby (under the watchful eye of the cop) and started in on me.
I interrupted and handed him a copy of my mortgage agreement. Escrow was voluntary and not a condition of the mortgage. In short order we resolved that problem and settled on my monthly payment amount. As I was leaving, I made a point of telling him he better never, ever speak to Tracey again, about anything.
I also noticed two things, his hand trembled as he lit another cigarette and there was one still burning in the ashtray. The cop had been behind me and wasn’t there when I left. He must have left sometime during our discussion.
MjL 10 Aug 2006, 5:26 a.m.
On Aug. 7th Tammy Legel checked out the Georgetowne site and discovered she recognized some of the people at our reunion. She sent me an email with the picture below of Georgetowne classmate Jeff Teel, son Isaac, and Jeff’s wife Tahdra. Tammy said she was pretty sure that Tahdra’s maiden name is Webb and that her father had been a grade school principal in Morton.
I told Tammy I would email the Teels and here is the reply I received.
Michael,
Yes, Tahdra was “Tahdra Webb” before she married me. Her dad is Jolyon Webb, who was principal of Grundy Grade School for 11 years and before that, principal of Lincoln Grade School for 23 years. He retired in 2002 after 41 years in the education field.
Jeff
Jeff also sent another email:
Michael, I’ve been enjoying your “blog” page. Thought I’d share this with you. It must have been hotter on the Sunday after the reunion than on that Saturday. That Sunday the rear window of my truck became a casualty of the heat:
I had to move quickly on getting it repaired before too many people said to me, “Is that truck worth throwing $198 at it?” I’m hoping that the “slider” will not stress as much in the heat. Jeff
I’m glad you moved fast on the repair Jeff. Your motive is safe with me!
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