NEWS

Stranger's act of kindness paves the way for homeownership for another

Mark Walker
mwalker@argusleader.com

Peter Paul’s drunken driving arrest was rock bottom.

Peter Paul stands outside of his future home off of Minnesota Ave. in north Sioux Falls on March 18, 2016.

He knew he had to turn his life around to be a better example for his children.

He knew he had to fight alcohol addiction. He knew he had to win.

So, he did. And now he wants to start fresh.

Paul, a father of four, plans to move this family out of their cramped two-bedroom apartment into a two-story white home with green trim, just outside of downtown.

But no trek on the path to redemption is without obstacles. For Paul, it was poor relief services he received and a bill for court-appointed attorney services from an unfortunate drunken driving arrest.

Paul’s story highlights the impact of billing a person $92 an hour for a court-appointed attorney they can’t afford.

County officials are in the midst of deciding if they should take a more aggressive approach to collecting these debts. But when Paul stood before them explaining how the debt has affected him, some of the commissioners felt the $1,300 he owed wasn’t worth putting him back into a hole.

“After getting that DUI, I had to change my way of life because I have children I have to care for,” Paul said.

Paul wasn’t without a plan: he took his federal tax refund and began paying off his debt and put the rest into getting a place to call home.

The bank financing his home told him he couldn't move forward until he took care of the bill for court-appointed attorney fees from Minnehaha County.

Paul said he wasn’t aware of the lien until the bank attempted to get the title for the home.

Paul asked for the lien for be forgiven to allow him to close on his family’s home, or let him pay a small amount.

“I didn’t know how I was going to pay for it,” Paul said. “I was going to go max out my credit card to pay for the amount.”

The story of a single father of four turning his life around and wanting to get a home for his family seemed to tug at the hearts of the county commission.

Some wanted to forgive Paul’s debt.

But one was little reluctant.

Commissioner Dick Kelly said Paul paid off the debt he had in other counties, but forgot to take care of Minnehaha County.

Kelly wanted Paul to pay half the money he owed, or $650.

Commissioner Jeff Barth argued that the debt amounts for the other counties were minuscule compared to Minnehaha County and that they were for poor relief debt.

Barth said he felt that it was smarter to have Paul to become a taxpaying citizen who can stand on his own two feet.

“I think there are a lot of situations, like his, where we would rather have you living in a home with your family and being a taxpayer,” Barth said.

The commission finally settled on having Paul pay $250.

A few members of the commission at one point, considered putting money together to pay Paul’s lien themselves, Barth said.

But, an unknown person attending the meeting stepped up and paid Paul’s bill.

The Minnehaha County auditor’s office confirmed that bill had been paid, but said the person who did it wishes to remain anonymous.

For Paul, his panic shifted to joy.

Paul said he didn’t have enough time to thank the man who paid his bill, but is trying to track him down.

“It was by the grace of God that he was there,” Paul said. “I want to bless him for the good heart that he has.”

The path to homeownership is clear for Paul. Now, he’s waiting for the homeowners to fix a few housekeeping items the bank asked to be taken care of.

The big move, he said, will be April 1.

“I haven’t showed the kids the place yet,” Paul said. “They are happy.”