ST. PETERSBURG — Saji Mathew missed the Oct. 12 mortgage payment on the Mobil gas station he co-owns.

On Oct. 13, he took the money to the bank, thinking that would make things right.

He tried to make his November and December payments as well. But each time, BB&T kicked back his money.

Ten months later, Mathew is still trying to pay. In circuit court on Tuesday, he offered BB&T $50,000, the total amount due since October.

BB&T didn't want the money.

It wants the gas station.

"They won't take my money,'' said Mathew. "I want them to take it. I was one day behind paying the mortgage."

BB&T's stance flabbergasted the judge in the case.

"All the people that understand anything about mortgage foreclosures need to know this stuff," Circuit Judge Amy Williams said in court. "This is the idiocrasy of this stuff. This is why we're in a worldwide financial crisis because there's no business sense any more in the foreclosure industry, none. And it blows my mind. Totally blows my mind.''