DixieFlatline Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I know this is a story because its Oprah's mom, but I really put it up here because in a sad, funny way I thought this represented a microcosm of what we are seeing in the mortgage area now. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,431191,00.html MILWAUKEE — Oprah Winfrey's mother says she shouldn't have to pay a nearly $156,000 debt to a high-end fashion store because store officials shouldn't have extended credit to her. Valentina Inc. alleges that Vernita Lee of Milwaukee racked up $155,547 in purchases and interest as of July 1. The company sued, saying Lee fell behind in minimum monthly payments of $2,000. Lee filed a counterclaim Friday contending that Valentina took advantage of her "lack of knowledge, ability, and-or capacity" when creating her credit account. Court papers say Lee resolved a 2002 case with the company over a $175,000 bill. The resolution prohibited Valentina from extending further credit to her. A message left for Valentina co-owner Tony Chirchirillo was not returned Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRSmith Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Well they should not have extended her credit unless someone signed saying they would pay the bill if she defaulted But at the same her daughter has the money to pay so something could be worked out, it would be nice if people took the responsibility to pay their own bills though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrumanB Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 But at the same her daughter has the money to pay so something could be worked out, it would be nice if people took the responsibility to pay their own bills though Oprah could scrounge up this kind of money just looking under her sofa cushions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 But should she? Where is it written that having a rich relative entitles creditors to their money? :no: Oprah's mother should pay her debts because they're HER responsibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntotoro Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 But should she? Where is it written that having a rich relative entitles creditors to their money? :no: Oprah's mother should pay her debts because they're HER responsibility. Well, she does give Pontiacs to complete strangers... :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrumanB Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 well, she does give pontiacs to complete strangers... :laugh: lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRSmith Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 But should she? Where is it written that having a rich relative entitles creditors to their money? :no: Oprah's mother should pay her debts because they're HER responsibility. I am not saying it entitles them to her money I am saying as a family member she should help out her mother out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_Edwards_Fan Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 the part of this that seems the most odd to me is that the 2002 case said that the courts barred the store from extending additional credity to her. While morally she should pay, but is this a legally enforceable debt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DixieFlatline Posted October 1, 2008 Author Share Posted October 1, 2008 the part of this that seems the most odd to me is that the 2002 case said that the courts barred the store from extending additional credity to her. While morally she should pay, but is this a legally enforceable debt? Yeah, that's the part I was wondering too. I bet she wins, unfortunately. Maybe the store shouldn't have given her credit, but she still knew she was buying something and she should have known it was going against the court order (if that was the case) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRSmith Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Yeah, that's the part I was wondering too. I bet she wins, unfortunately. Maybe the store shouldn't have given her credit, but she still knew she was buying something and she should have known it was going against the court order (if that was the case) We have similar cases up here where people who having gambling problems are now suing because they were allowed to gamble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAVEONAWARPATH Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Oprah could scrounge up this kind of money just looking under her sofa cushions. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Oprah could scrounge up this kind of money just looking under her sofa cushions. Why would there be money under her boobs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endzone_dave Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 This illustrates why our country is in such a financial mess. Too many Americans are too stupid to turn down credit they can't pay back. When I hear people say "It's the bank's fault for giving me a mortgage I couldn't pay back" or "It's the credit card's company for giving me a limit that's too high" I just want to shake my head. Unfortunately the level-headed people in this country are going to suffer right along with these idiots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntotoro Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Why would there be money under her boobs? Steadman already checked. Dry as a the Mojave desert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACW Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Take responsibility you :censored: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I am not saying it entitles them to her money I am saying as a family member she should help out her mother out I agree with that in theory. but look at it this way. Oprah's mother already had a $175,000 bill go to court from this very same store. In the settlement the woman's lawyers put into language the store was not to give any more credit to his client. Sounds to me like the lawyer was working for Oprah. Sounds to me like O's mom has a huge problem, and folks are knocking themselves out to extend her credit because of who her daughter is and O's mom can't resist... O's mom might be a 70, 80 year old lady who is loosing it. When was the last time a store offered you 175,000 or 150,000 dollars worth of credit? The stores figure that Oprah will pay to avoid the bad publicity, so they will just continue to feed/push the credit junkie. It's a sad situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiLfan Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 they should have had this warning on her credit application... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEANDWARF Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Oprah could scrounge up this kind of money just looking under her sofa cushions. My thoughts exactly. Opara is one of the most riches female celebs ever. Why is her mom going through this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Suppose JMS is right. Suppose her mother is a compulsive shopper or has mental issues or whatever. Is Oprah (or anyone else) responsible for making things right even when the store in question was instructed NOT to extend credit in the future? If you loaned me $10 bucks and I didn't pay you back, would you then turn around and loan me money again? Wouldn't I be considered a bad credit risk? Again, it's her mother's responsibility to work out something with the creditor and they're both equally at fault in my book. However, having a rich relative shouldn't be an "out" for either the creditor or the debtor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I've read that this isn't just a problem with Oprah's Mom. That credit card companies are giving credit cards to 16 year olds, knowing that if the teen defaults, they can't legally collect the debt, but also knowing that often, Mommy and Daddy will cough up the money to prevent their kid's credit from being ruined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I loaned Oprah's mom 20 bucks a few years ago. Said she needed cab fare. I guess I'll never see THAT again. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Unbelievable how blantantly people try to shirk their responsiblities these days. Pay your debt to this HIGH-END FASHION STORE Ms. Lee and STFU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAVEONAWARPATH Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 My thoughts exactly. Opara is one of the most riches female celebs ever. Why is her mom going through this? I'm not sure if Oprah and her mother are really close. Oprah was sent to live with her father as a teeanger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I'm also thinking that if everybody's assumptions are correct, and she's just a compulsive, senile, shopaholic that some crooked retailer has extended way too much credit to (under the assumption that somebody else will pay the bill), . . . Then would it really be immoral for Mom to just file for bankruptcy? Let the crooked retailer eat their loss? Is that the right way to punish someone for loaning big piles of money to somebody who can't pay it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 I'm also thinking that if everybody's assumptions are correct, and she's just a compulsive, senile, shopaholic that some crooked retailer has extended way too much credit to (under the assumption that somebody else will pay the bill), . . . Then would it really be immoral for Mom to just file for bankruptcy? Let the crooked retailer eat their loss? Is that the right way to punish someone for loaning big piles of money to somebody who can't pay it? Clearly legislation needs to be enacted against this kind of predatory lending...assuming they even gave Ms. Lee extra credit based on familial ties. However, people need to shoulder some responsibility here too. Come on. This isn't even mortgage, it's a high end fashion store. Someone who spends that unGodly amount of money on that kind of crap should punished...if nothing more than for morbid stupidity. I'm sorry, but I feel not one lick of pity for people who spend their money on crap like this then shift the blame solely onto another entitiy. That's absolutely absurd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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