Radivoj Balog
58 years old
“If they take my house away, I’ll go and live in the chicken coop for which I took out the loan in the first place. They can’t take that away from me. What else can I do? Indeed, it’s a bit ridiculous, but it’s also sad. I don’t want the bank to forgive the debt, I just want an opportunity to be able to keep returning the money.”
In 2008, Radivoj mortgaged his house to take out a loan and build an industrial facility – a chicken feedlot. His business plans have been thwarted by the global economic crisis and the people’s economic downturn. He suffered material hardship. He is not paying back the loan because he is unemployed and has no income, but the interest keeps growing. His house has been publicly auctioned twice so far. Due to stress and pressure, he had a heart attack followed by a stroke.