Tell Wells Fargo: Stop the Auction of Ernesto Viscarra’s Home!

Tell Wells Fargo: Stop the Auction of Ernesto Viscarra’s Home!

Call/Email TODAY!

Ernesto Viscarra received a trial loan modification from Wells Fargo in March. So why is his home still scheduled for auction?

Ernesto has been living in his home in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco for 33 years. In 2008, he fell into default on his mortgage with Wells Fargo. Despite the fact that he had the ability to work out a loan modification he could afford, the bank refused to negotiate with him–until Ernesto began working with Occupy Bernal, staging demonstrations, making phone calls and sending emails targeting bank representatives.

In March, Ernesto won a trial loan modification and has been making payments ever since. Yet Wells Fargo hasn’t lifted a May 21 auction date on his home. It was in response to highly-publicized situations just like these that Atty. General Kamala Harris called for a homeowners’ bill of rights. Among other things, it would ban “dual tracking”, a practice where homeowners are simultaneously on track for a loan modification and for foreclosure, and may lose their homes as a result. Let’s call and email Wells Fargo TODAY and make sure Ernesto is NOT a victim of dual tracking.

Please take action with three steps to save Ernesto’s home:

1) Send the following email right now to Wells Fargo’s CEO, Board Members, and other staff–

To: john.g.stumpf@wellsfargo.com, alfredo.pedroza@wellsfargo.com, ruben.pulido@wellsfargo.com, boardcommunications@wellsfargo.com, jason.ohara@wellsfargo.com, eric.tang@wellsfargo.com

Cc: action@occupybernal.org

Subject: Postpone Auction of Ernesto Viscarra’s Home at 249 Anderson St., San Francisco (Loan # 46110532)

Dear Wells Fargo staff,

Please take IMMEDIATE action to postpone the auction of Ernesto Viscarra’s home at 249 Anderson St., San Francisco (Loan # 46110532).

Mr. Viscarra has lived in his home for 33 years. After four years of being ignored, he finally was able to negotiate with your institution, and was granted a trial loan modification. He has been making his payments on time, but he still has an auction date of Monday, May 21 on his home.

I am aware of situations in which Wells Fargo staff have engaged in dual tracking, where homeowners are simultaneously on track for a loan modification and for foreclosure, and have lost their home as a result.

Please make assurances that you will make good on the terms of Mr. Viscarra’s loan modification and take immediate action to cancel the auction of his home.

Sincerely,

your name here

2) Starting at 8:00am on May 16, call the following Wells Fargo representatives with the message below.

Contact:

  • Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf at 866-878-5865
  • Wells Fargo Director of California Local Government Relations Alfredo Pedroza at 415-396-0829
  • Wells Fargo Communications Staff Ruben Pulido at 415-852-1279
  • Wells Fargo Branch Manager Eric Tang at 415-977-9357
  • Wells Fargo Branch Manager Jason O’Hara at 415-554-8820

Tell them (or leave a message):

 “Please take IMMEDIATE action to postpone the auction of Ernesto Viscarra’s home at 249 Anderson St., San Francisco (lLoan # 46110532). Mr. Viscarra has lived in his home for 33 years. After four years of being ignored, he finally was able to negotiate with your institution, and was granted a trial loan modification. He has been making his payments on time, but he still has a May 21 auction date on his home. I am aware of situations in which Wells Fargo staff have engaged in dual tracking, where homeowners are simultaneously on track for a loan modification and for foreclosure, and have lost their home as a result. Please make assurances that you will make good on the terms of Mr. Viscarra’s loan modification and take immediate action to cancel the auction of his home.”

3.) If the sale of the home is not cancelled, join us on the steps of City Hall (Van Ness side) on Monday, May 21, at 9:45 a.m. to stop the auction.

A family-friendly street party and the Good Neighbor Awards

Video of the Occupy Bernal Fiesta by selene video

Occupy Bernal Media Advisory
For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie B., 415-483-9138, press@occupybernal.org

What: A family-friendly street party and the Good Neighbor Awards.

Where: Andover Street between Cortland and Ellert

When: May 19, 2012 from 1-4 p.m.

Occupy Bernal is proud to have helped prevent the evictions of some of our neighbors! To show appreciation for the hard work and perseverance of Bernal locals, we’re throwing a “foreclosure fighter” fiesta.

In addition to hobnobbing with our neighbors; still in their homes no thanks to the banks:

– the infamous Wild Old Women who regularly shut down the local Bank of America branch to national acclaim are expected

– hear organizer Stardust play oboe in the Occupy Bernal Band

– see Occupy Bernal instigator Beth Stephens and artist/activist Annie Sprinkle hand out the awards to neighbors whose homes are in foreclosure and who are fighting to stop predatory bank practices.

– eat barbecue cooked by foreclosure fighter Tom German

– enjoy a potluck, live music, kids activities, education, silkscreening with Families Occupy San Francisco [ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Families-Occupy-San-Francisco/236531299734365 ], and lots more

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/349658901761052

To sign up for the Occupy Bernal press list and/or obtain photos and video of the event, see http://www.occupybernal.org/press

Tell Wells Fargo: Hands Off Our Neighbors! Call/Email Day Monday!

Despite recording record profits last year, Wells Fargo continues to drive tens of thousands of people out of their homes through foreclosure proceedings while devastating our communities. The good news is, we’re fighting back.

Occupy Bernal Heights formed to resist the foreclosure and eviction of our neighbors. Through public protest, we stopped the bank from immediately auctioning off the homes of Washington and Maria Davila and Alberto Del Rio, but the bank has merely rescheduled the auction dates. And despite meeting with six foreclosure fighters from the neighborhood and another from Bayview-Hunters Point, Wells Fargo executives have refused to allow any of them to refinance their homes or modify their loans, and have not stopped foreclosure proceedings against them.

Call and email Wells Fargo board of directors TODAY and demand that they grant a loan modification and fair deal to Alberto Del Rio; Maria and Washington Davila; Thomas German; Ernesto Viscara; Victor Granados; DeDe Martinez; Archbishop King; Eric Lundgren and Ross Rhodes. Tell them to stop evicting and foreclosing on our neighbors!

Note: We are trying to keep track of the number of emails sent. Please cc your email to action@occupybernal.org

Wells Fargo Phone numbers/emails:

John Stumpf (CEO): 866-878-5865  john.g.stumpf@wellsfargo.com

Board of Directors: BoardCommunications@wellsfargo.com

Members of the Board of Directors (with available contact info):

John D. Baker II: 877-704-1776 jmilton@patriottrans.com
Elaine L. Chao: 202-543-7063 staff@heritage.org Subject line: To Elaine Chao
John S. Chen: 591-883-6898
Lloyd H. Dean: 415-438-5500
Susan E. Engel: 914-730-0208
Enrique Hernandez, Jr. 626-535-2200
Donald M. James: 205-298-3000 jamesd@vmcmail.com
Federico F. Peña 303-292-6300
Alfredo Pedroza (Director CA Local Gov’t Relations): 415-396-0829 alfredo.pedroza@wellsfargo.com

Sample Email:

To: john.g.stumpf@wellsfargo.com; boardcommunications@wellsfargo.com; jmilton@patriottrans.com; staff@heritage.org; jamesd@vmcmail.com; alfredo.pedroza@wellsfargo.com;

Cc: action@occupybernal.org

Subject: WELLS FARGO: HANDS OFF OUR NEIGHBORS!

Message:

You control Wells Fargo either directly or on behalf of its borrowers and your stockholders. I demand that you cancel the auction of Alberto Del Rio (Loan #47339080) and Maria and Washington Davila’s family homes immediately. I also demand that you allow them, along with Thomas German (Loan #44751501); Ernesto Viscara (Loan # 46110532); Victor Granados (Loan #5000039031); DeDe Martinez (Loan #0046809208); Archbishop Franzo King; Eric Lundgren and Ross Rhodes, to modify their loans with you or refinance their homes. I call on you to stop evictions and foreclosures in San Francisco.

I also demand you direct Wells Fargo to meet with Occupy Bernal, SFHDC and ACCE to end and redress your predatory lending practices, and those of your purchased affiliates, by instituting a moratorium on foreclosures, and having your CEO meet with our neighbors who are in immediate risk of losing their homes as a result of Wells foreclosures. Stop evicting and foreclosing on our neighbors!

——–

Tweets:

Tell WellsFargoCEO John Stumpf to stop evicting & foreclosing our neighbors 866-878-5865 john.g.stumpf@wellsfargo.com #OSF #OccupyBernal #OWS

Tell WellsFargo stop evicting & foreclosing on our neighbors Call Alfredo Pedroza 415-396-0829 #OSF #OccupyBernal

Tell WellsFargo modify loans & grant fair deal to neighbors alfredo.pedroza@wellsfargo.com #OSF #OccupyBernal #OWS

Tell WellsFargo grant fair deal to Bernal Neighbors Del Rio; Davila; German; Viscara; Granados; Martinez; & Archbishop King #OccupyBernal #OSF

#OccupyBernal #OSF is working to stop foreclosures and evictions by WellsFargo. Mtg Mon 2/13 7p 515 CortlandSF housing@occupybernal.org

#DumptheBanks #OccupyValentinesDay -Meet at Bradley Manning Plaza 12pm & March to #WellsFargo #BofA #causajusta #occupybernal #OSF Housing
__________________________________________________________

Background:

Occupy Bernal has identified 84 homes in foreclosure proceedings in Bernal Heights alone. Of these, Wells Fargo owns the mortgage in at least 13 of these cases. Of the homes we have visited, a disproportionate number of the owners are African-American or Latino, reflecting the racist practices of the banks who are preying on communities.

While foreclosures in Bernal Heights represent just the tip of the iceberg in a city that has seen as many as 12,000 foreclosures in the past three years, Occupy Bernal is hopeful that a victory in our neighborhood could spark victories elsewhere in San Francisco.

Bios of Occupy Bernal foreclosure fighters:

Thomas German is a seventy-two year-old veteran and retired worker from the US Mint in SF.  Has lived in Bernal since 1967 and at his home at 248 Andover since 1974. Thomas is known and loved by all on his street. He was the first Bernal resident to step forward and join OB to battle to keep his home.

Melodie “ DeDe” Martinez is a third generation resident of 150 Elsie St. Her family was at the heart of the launching of the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center(BHNC)  in 1976, when she was a child.  Her Grandmother Jean Hamer and mother Charlene Martinez were on the founding Board of Directors of the BHNC.

Alberto Del Rio is a father of three, who grew up in his home at 565 Banks St.  A strong but gentle and religious man, Alberto is an eloquent speaker on behalf of his family and other foreclosure fighters.

Victor Granados is a tenant at 4207 Folsom St. with his wife and family. He is a quiet but determined fighter against his and other foreclosures. When Occupy Bernal needs guidance and inspiration, he often has words of wisdom.

Ernesto Viscara is an owner and occupant of 249 Anderson, where he also rents to another family living on his 2nd floor. Ernesto has lived in Bernal for 30 years. He is also an accomplished public speaker, a veteran fighter for social justice and a participant in struggles against U.S. military intervention in Central America.

Maria and Washington Davila are a quiet couple with two beloved Yorkshire Terriers, the Davilas have rented their home at 4255 Folsom St. for 7 years. They have been the ideal tenants, and the inside of their home looks like a photo shoot from Home Beautiful.

Their landlord, who faces foreclosure, is ill and lives in Las Vegas.

Archbishop Franzo King pastors the John Coltrane Church, located in the Western Addition community of San Francisco.  He is a life-long resident of the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood.  He has owned his house for over 20 years.  He is a member of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE).

Eric Lundgren has lived in Bernal Heights for a long time and is active in Occupy Bernal.

Ross Rhodes lives in the house he grew up in and is a lifelong resident of Bernal Heights. He heard about Occupy Bernal on  a Monday, started working with Ed Donaldson with San Francisco Housing Development Corporation (SFHDC) on Wednesday, and by Thursday he was an active member of Occupy Bernal.