Woman Facing Foreclosure Torches Home; Faces Arson Charge

In Gaines Township, Michigan, The Grand Rapids Press reports:

• Sheryl Christman allegedly had a plan that would give her what her mortgage company wouldn't -- a way out. Four days shy of losing her 3-year-old home to foreclosure, Christman, 38, allegedly set the $150,000 residence on fire Sept. 1, Kent County sheriff's officials said. Authorities say Christman, who has no prior criminal record, torched the home ... as a way to gain insurance money, but fire investigators immediately were suspicious of a blaze that appeared to have quickly roared out of control.

[...]

• Foreclosure arson is becoming an issue across the state and country, Grand Rapids fire investigator Pablo Martinez said. He recently attended a conference for fire investigators and nearly each person there had probed potential repossession fires.

For more, see Fire allegedly set to avoid foreclosure.

For story update, see Woman pleads no contest to arson of her own home.

For other stories on fires & foreclosures, go here and go here. foreclosure arson yak zebra