Home seized for dental bill -- fight goes on

Pamela Manson

The Salt Lake Tribune

02/25/2010 06:30:06 PM MST

A Salt Lake City woman who could lose her house over an unpaid dental bill has been granted another round in her fight to keep it.

The Utah Court of Appeals on Thursday said Capri Ramos can ask a trial court judge to void the sale of her house at a county auction in 1996.

Ramos bought the Glendale home for $51,000 in 1994 with a low-income homeowners loan from Salt Lake City. She has continued living there and making payments on the home during the fight over ownership.

In 1995, Ramos was charged $68 for dental treatment for her daughter and failed to pay the bill. Collection agency North American Recovery sued her and Ramos did not contest the action.

The Salt Lake County sheriff's department then was ordered to sell Ramos' real estate to pay off the debt, which had reached $958 with interest and added fees. The house was sold at auction for $1,550 and transferred to Salt Lake City-based Jarmaccc Properties LLC.

Court records indicate Ramos was served with notices of the sale, but she has claimed she knew nothing of it until 1998.

Ramos paid $1,200 to Jarmaccc through a bankruptcy and sued in 3rd District Court for return of the house. She claims the title should be returned under her bankruptcy plan and that there were inaccuracies that voided the 1996 sale documents.

Ramos won the case, but the Utah Court of Appeals returned the home to Jarmaccc in 2008 after ruling Ramos should have filed her lawsuit by 2002

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The Utah Supreme Court overturned that ruling last year and sent the case back to the Court of Appeals to consider Ramos' arguments that the sale should be voided.

On Thursday, that court said it needs more information and sent the matter to 3rd District Court for a hearing on whether Ramos had notice of the sheriff's sale and whether the sale price was "grossly inadequate," among other factors.

 

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