James Brown's capeman could be out in the cold

The man who held James Brown’s cape and ran his errands for 46 years faces eviction from his home in Augusta six days before Christmas.

Daniel Ray’s home was foreclosed on and sold Dec. 4 because he was eight months behind in his mortgage payments, he said.

Mr. Ray, 72, said that after Mr. Brown died last year he had no income except for Social Security and got behind on his payments.

“Once I got behind, I couldn’t catch up,” he said. “They moved so swiftly. I was intending to get a reverse mortgage.”

Mr. Ray’s niece Georgean McConnell said she thought she had succeeded in getting Mr. Ray a home equity conversion mortgage, but there had been a “miscommunication” and the house was sold.

Ms. McConnell said she found out about Mr. Ray’s situation after checking on him and has been trying to help him, but has made little headway.

Ms. McConnell said Mr. Ray owed $18,000 on the house, which has been appraised for $150,000. He also owes about $30,000 in federal and state tax liens, she said.

Mr. Ray faces eviction in Richmond County Magistrate Court on Wednesday .

Ron Meardy, of Southeast Mortgage, who bought the house for $50,000 after Wells Fargo Mortgage foreclosed on it, said he did not know whether the transactions could be undone.

“The tax liens would have to be paid before anybody would lend them any money for a mortgage,” he said.

He said the IRS and state of Georgia have been putting tax liens on Mr. Ray’s house for  10 years.

“It’s kind of a complicated situation,” he said. “Right now, I own the house, and for it to go back in his name, I don’t know if he’d have to pay those tax liens. And I don’t know if he could get money on it for a mortgage from a lender.”

Real-estate Attorney David Wilkin said the sale can’t be undone.

“Mr. Ray, under Georgia law, is a tenant holding over, and is subject to eviction at any time,” he said. “The owner could let him stay there,” he said. “Mr. Meardy is the one holding the cards. If he wants him to go, he will have to go.”