Photo by Bill Green Frederick County Sheriff's Deputy First Class Kevin Eyler posts a final eviction notice on a residence door shortly before the door is opened and the contents are carried to the street. Housing Crisis: Complete Coverage
	SUBPRIME LENDING & FORECLOSURES Homeowners around the nation are struggling to make mortgage payments, and Frederick County is no exception. The map below show the area with the lowest and highest concentration of subprime mortgage loans. Click the map for a larger image. SEARCHABLE DATABASE Search the list of foreclosures filed in Frederick County Circuit Court from Jan. 1 to March 18, 2008. BIZ BLOG Business editor Cliff Cumber blogs about the project. Click here to check out his blog. THE ECONOMY & ME This new online-only section houses all sorts of stories that come our way on the economy, as well as tips consumers can use to stretch their dollar a little bit further. Click the graphic to go to the section. RELATED STORIES Foreclosure: A far-reaching problem Published on May 04, 2008 Ellen Scrivens reminisces about the house that she lost due to foreclosure last August that is located off Burning Bush Drive.more » Getting hit from all sides Published on May 04, 2008 In 2006, 455 foreclosures were filed in Frederick County Circuit Court. In 2007, that number more than doubled to 1,025. more » Officials seek to help foreclosure victims Published on May 04, 2008 People facing foreclosure, or who know someone who is, will have the opportunity Monday night to hear from someone who can help. more » Comptroller: state efforts to stem Published on May 04, 2008 The effect of the foreclosure crisis will hit hardest at local budgets, according to the state's chief tax official. more » Borrowers' euphoria clouded subprime risks Published on May 04, 2008 People were so happy to be in a home that the risks of the subprime loans they signed up for went right over their heads. more » Budgeting measures may protect county from foreclosure trouble Published on May 04, 2008 With conservative budgeting, Frederick County is prepared financially for effect from the local economy caused by the foreclosure crisis. more » Signs of trouble Auctioneers saw dangers of subprime loans coming Published on May 04, 2008 Auctioneers saw it coming. They knew the subprime loan frenzy would cause many homeowners to mortgage their futures. more » Commercial real estate market ‘cautious’ Deputies notice rise in evictions and foreclosures Published on May 05, 2008 Deputies notice rise in evictions and foreclosures Frederick County Sheriff's Deputy First Class Kevin Eyler posts a final eviction notice on a residence door shortly before the door is opened and the contents are carried to the street. more » Commercial real estate market ‘cautious’ Minimal subprime impact expected Published on May 05, 2008 Frederick County's commercial real estate market remains strong, but cautious, and experts predict that the foreclosure crisis rocking residential real estate will have a limited impact. more » Foreclosure: Taking a wider look Published on May 05, 2008 The foreclosure problem is having an impact on the Frederick community -- to what extent, and what may lie ahead for Frederick County, is still up in the air. more » Bargain bus offers tours of foreclosed homes Published on May 05, 2008 Anyone interested in buying a home facing foreclosure can save time and gas by boarding the Bargain Bus. more » Tips on buying a new or foreclosed home Published on May 05, 2008 Tips for buying a new home: be approved by a reliable lender; make sure you get enough of a price cut to cover unnoticed damage or deferred maintenance and repairs; look for the homes on the market the longest (90 to 120 days) for the best deals; pay for your own inspection and, real estate agents advise, be patient. more » How and where to get help Published on May 05, 2008 HUD foreclosure prevention. more »

No one answered. Eyler announced he was coming inside, then, alongside a few maintenance workers and the apartment complex manager, entered.

They found the apartment mostly bare. The stove had been left on.

A pair of slippers, a small television, a futon, several car magazines, a cardboard box and three shower curtain rings were among a few items left inside.

Eyler had come to post an eviction notice. He and Deputy First Class Roger Venzin from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office are the only deputies in the county that post late rent payment notices and oversee evictions.

"This was an easy one," Eyler said.

Although this was a routine eviction, the deputies' jobs are becoming busier as the tide of foreclosures rise in Frederick County and the economy nationwide declines.

Watching the problem grow

Eyler has noticed an increase in the number of evictions and foreclosures throughout the county over the past several months.

About three and a half years ago, when Eyler took the job after working in patrol, he said he served an average of five housing foreclosures a year.

Now, he estimates an average of at least one home, including townhouses and single family homes, is foreclosed on each day in the county.

County data shows that as of April 18, 485 homes had been foreclosed on, 30 more than the total number from only two years before.

In such cases, families have packed up and moved out because they had been notified several times by their banks, he said, often over the course of a year.

Deputies can officially evict residents from a home as soon as the foreclosure is filed, Eyler said. However, an attorney and/or real estate agent often cannot come to the property immediately, he said, and therefore bank authorities will schedule an eviction seven days after the home has been foreclosed.

Bank authorities often allow residents an extended period of time -- about a week or two ----to move out after their home has been foreclosed, Eyler said.

Such evictions take several hours if the residents have not already moved out, he said.

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office deputies tell people they run the risk of losing their homes.

Later, those same people often watch as their possessions are placed on sidewalks or in a trash bins.

Being evicted

Eyler went to a home on Sagner Drive recently to post a late rent payment notice. Because the tenants had paid just a few hours prior, the deputy moved on to the next location.

Every day, Venzin and Eyler coordinate where each deputy is going, depending on where late rent notices need to be posted and where evictions are scheduled, to work quickly and efficiently, Eyler said.

Eyler's next stop was the almost empty one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit in a local apartment complex for an eviction, which he said is also called a "set out."

The deputy had posted an eviction notice on the door about a week earlier and came back recently to find the yellow paper had not been removed.

Maintenance workers carried out the television and futon, set them next to the nearest road, and changed the locks to the apartment.

Eyler said the deputies do not carry any items out of a home during an eviction because it could be a liability issue.

Landlords and owners are required to place all abandoned items on the curb with care, Eyler said. Harmful items, including toxic chemicals and knives, and pornography go in a trash bin.

"We don't put any food out on the street," Eyler said.

If any drugs or weapons are found, a task force is called to take them to the sheriff's office, he said.

Before an eviction occurs, tenants have been notified they owe their landlord money, given a court date and told the date of the eviction. They can pay the rent due any time before the eviction begins.

Eyler said there are a number of uncertainties in his line of work. Landlords and owners sometimes change their minds at the last minute before throwing a tenant out on the street. Tenants may pull together enough money to pay what they owe moments before the eviction takes place.

Tenants facing eviction might leave before the date they are forced out.

On the street

The hard part for Eyler is seeing what people sometimes leave behind, such as children's toys.

Abandoned belongings must be left on the street for 24 hours after the eviction, Eyler said. No one can take the items until the deputy has left the area.

Landlords and owners must pay to remove any items left on the street after that time, he said.

Though he did not have exact numbers, Eyler estimated an average of 20 to 30 evictions take place in the county each month.

The deputies often find tenants have left before evictions take place, Eyler said, in which case they must still walk through the property and make sure no hazardous items, drugs or weapons have been left behind.

The deputies also must notify Frederick County Animal Control when any animals have been left behind.

"They are usually done fairly quickly," Eyler said, and tenants are more often cooperative than not. "If they're cooperative, I'll let them help with getting their stuff out."

He tells tenants who are not cooperating to wait outside until a landlord has finished removing their belongings, he said.

Eyler has seen people sit beside their furniture to make sure nobody walks away with anything. He once watched a woman auction off some of her belongings.

"She was just having a yard sale right there," he said. "We've had that before."