We recently relocated to Maine. When we were still in Missouri, we made a deal with a bank to purchase a farmhouse here. At first, the deal seemed to be going well, but they tried to pull a fast one; they tried to use our signed contract to start a bidding war on the place.

    So, we took them to court. And we won. We have the legal right to purchase the property as per our original contract. 

    But, due to the bank's deceit, we've had to pay rental, storage and legal fees, on top of the substantial cost of relocation and some unforeseen expenses. When we signed the contract, we had the money to purchase the property outright.  

We started this fundraiser because we no longer do.

    October 17th was supposed to be our closing date. When we close on the place in mid-April, they will have succeeded in keeping us out of our house for half a year. Without help, we will be shut out of this place for good. I don't know about you, but I am tired of reading about big banks bending, breaking, and flat-out ignoring the rules to maximize their profits at the expense of hardworking people. 

    Every dollar that we raise through Freefunder will go toward the purchase and development of this property. It will make an empty farmhouse and barn into a useful shelter for four humans, two goats and a dog. It will return fallow fields to planting and harvest. It will add good neighbors to a community at an address where now there are only dark windows and empty rooms. 

    We're hoping you can be a good neighbor, and contribute what you can to help us. If that's the price of a six-pack, great. If you're in a position to help us move closer to our goal even faster, we surely do appreciate it.

Even if you are unable to contribute a cent, you can still help us by sharing our story with your social network, and encouraging your friends to share it as well. The Freefunder site will actually contribute money to our cause when we reach certain “milestone” numbers of Facebook shares.