Ignite Life Center Makes Emergency Motion to Cancel Upcoming Auction
Ignite Life Center’s mortgage foreclosure case has been reopened in circuit court. Just one week before the scheduled auction, the church filed an emergency motion to cancel the upcoming foreclosure sale.
In June, Chief Judge William Davis ordered that Ignite Life Center will be sold at an auction for their failure to submit mortgage payments to GenFi Ministries, a financial service for churches, unless they could pay the judgement amount of just under $2 million.
The dispute stems from an additional half million that GenFi argues they are entitled to in order for Ignite Life Center to pay off the foreclosure.
On July 21, GenFi President Mark Whitney sent Ignite Life Center a letter that says this is the church’s second foreclosure with GenFi and that they occupied the property without making payments from 2011-2021, following the first foreclosure.
Whitney argues that an additional half million dollars is warranted to pay off the foreclosure and that it is a "fraction" of what GenFi "would have been paid for a performing loan - had there not been a second foreclosure." Between this, the initial judgement amount, and associated attorney’s fees and costs, Ignite Life Center should have to pay over $2.5 million to get the church back, Whitney said.
“We have stood by and partnered with Ignite Life Center for 20+ years,” wrote Whitney. “This has come at a cost for GenFi Ministries. It is now time for the equitable reconciliation of our relationship. The significant value of the property supports this. The $504,000 funds in place amount is a necessary component of the payoff and/or sale amount that serves each ministry - Ignite Life Center and GenFi Ministries - with integrity.”
Ignite Life Center argues, “Said payoff letter is in contradiction of the ordered judgment amount. [GenFi] has inflated the payoff by adding unawarded fees and costs, namely a line item for ‘Funds in place bid to offset loss’ of $504,000 and an additional $8,379.08 in attorney fees… There has been no post-judgment motion for additional fees… or supplemental affidavit to support the award or collection of these additional amounts.”
Ignite Life Center is asking a judge to “enter an Order canceling the sale scheduled for August 13, 2026, auction date, and resetting the sale date for no sooner than 60 days” and further require GenFi to “comply with the Judgment figures awarded in the Final Judgment of Foreclosure.”
According to Ignite Life Center, “Neither party shall be prejudiced should the Court grant the relief sought.”
Unless Ignite Life Center gets their way, the property will be placed for sale at 11:00 p.m. Wednesday, at www.alachua.realforeclose.com.
