Reno family of 14 faces foreclosure

RENO -- The mortgage meltdown has claimed 14 more victims: a Reno-area couple and their 12 adopted children.

Dave and Kathy Bain of Spanish Springs are facing foreclosure on their 3,400-square-foot home after falling behind on payments.

"Here I am with 12 kids at home that I need a home for ... I need this size of house," Kathy Bain told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "It's hard for me to ask for help, but I need some guidance on where to go from here."

The Bains moved into the house in January 2007, six months before they adopted nine of the children, including eight siblings.

The couple, who earlier adopted three children, weren't able to rent out their previous, smaller home until last September.

Also last year, Kathy Bain switched to part-time work, then stopped working altogether to take care of the 12 children, ages 3 to 16.

Dave Bain does part-time training for county foster parents.

With their old house rented, she said they now are able to make payments on the new house.

However, their lender, GreenPoint Mortgage, is foreclosing because they're behind $20,000 in payments, she said.

In March, the Bains were notified the foreclosure process was being started. They applied for hardship assistance, but were denied last month. The sale date has been scheduled for July 30.

Tatiana Stead, spokeswoman for GreenPoint Mortgage, said she could not comment because of privacy concerns.

"We understand that from time to time hardships may occur ... and we work with those customers on a case-by-case basis," Stead said.

Kathy Bain said the family could move back into their previous home, but the space is inadequate for a family of 14.

She said some of her children suffered emotional trauma in the past, and the last year has been very difficult on the family.

Before moving in with the Bains, the eight siblings had spent five months in a local shelter for abused and neglected children.

It was the most siblings given to Washoe County's custody that social workers could recall.