#300 Is Repossessing Homes a Necessary Evil?

The Niall Boylan Podcast (They Told Me To Shut Up)

In this milestone episode, Niall tackles the emotional and complex issue of home repossession, asking, Is repossessing homes a necessary evil? The conversation is driven by a heartbreaking email from a listener, Dolores, who shares her family’s struggle. Twelve years ago, she and her husband bought a home they could barely afford, determined to give their children a stable future. But when her husband lost his job during the pandemic, they fell behind on mortgage payments. Although he’s working again and she’s doing everything she can to make ends meet, they’re still unable to catch up on the missed payments. Now, they’ve received a letter from the bank, initiating the process to repossess their home.

Dolores asks, Is it fair to lose their home because of circumstances beyond their control? She feels like they’ve let their kids down, knowing they may soon lose the only home their children have ever known. While she understands the bank has a business to run, she questions if there’s more that can be done to help families who are genuinely struggling.

Some callers take a pragmatic stance, arguing that while it’s a painful situation, banks are not charities and have their own responsibilities to uphold. They point out that repossession is typically a last resort, but if homeowners can’t pay their mortgages, the system simply can’t function. These callers acknowledge the hardship but believe that repossessions are a necessary measure to maintain financial stability for the larger economy.

Other callers, however, strongly disagree, emphasizing the human impact of repossession. They argue that banks should be doing more to work with families like Dolores’, offering more flexibility and payment plans, especially when hard times come unexpectedly, such as during the pandemic. For these callers, it’s not just about money—it’s about keeping families together and ensuring that no one loses their home due to circumstances beyond their control. They believe banks and governments should do more to help struggling families before resorting to repossession.

Niall wraps up the episode by highlighting both sides of the argument and reflecting on the difficult balance between economic stability and human compassion.