ALERT: Stop the Auction of Alberto Del Rio’s Home!

ob.foreclosure.albertoPlease take action:

  1. Contact Wells Fargo staff with the following phone and email message:

    • Brenda Wright, Senior VP of Community Relations, +1 415-623-7738
    • Alfredo Pedroza, Director of California Local Government Relations, +1 415-396-0829
    • Ruben Pulido, Communications Staff, +1 415-852-1279
    • John Stumpf, CEO, +1 866-878-5865

     
    Sample message:
     
    To: brenda.wright@wellsfargo.com, alfredo.pedroza@wellsfargo.com, ruben.pulido@wellsfargo.com, john.g.stumpf@wellsfargo.com
    Cc: action@occupybernal.org
    Subject: Stop the Auction of Alberto Del Rio’s Home!

    Dear Wells Fargo staff,

    Postpone the auction of Alberto Del Rio’s home at 565 Banks St., San Francisco, loan # 47339080 (owner’s name is Gloria Lomeli) and offer the family a fair deal loan modification so they can remain in their home.

    Sincerely,

    Your name here

  2. Protest on THURSDAY, January 31, 1:45pm at CITY HALL (Van Ness side)

    Together we can stop predatory banks and help our neighbors!

    In the past few months we’ve stalled/stopped dozens of home auctions.

Background

Alberto Del Rio is a Bernal Heights resident who grew up in his family home. He lives there with his wife and 3 kids. To help his mother have a decent retirement, the Del Rio family took equity out of the home and refinanced. But their loan from World Savings was a Pick-a-Payment loan. Lawsuits have found these sorts of loans to be predatory. World Savings sold the loan to Wachovia, which was then acquired by Wells Fargo. “Wells took advantage of me like they did so many other people. They promised us the moon,” says Alberto, who has been trying to get a loan modification since 2000. The bank has continually lost his paperwork, and refused to negotiate in good faith. The bank even advised him to stop making payments in order to qualify for a loan modification, which triggered the foreclosure process. Alberto has been working hard and succeeded in raising his income so he can qualify for a fair deal loan modification. Now, Wells Fargo is scheduled to auction his home on January 31. But we won’t let them.

As #1 in foreclosures in San Francisco, Wells Fargo is putting 29 families at risk of losing their homes due to foreclosure and related evictions. Wells Fargo is foreclosing on and evicting veterans and disabled and senior homeowners and families with children, as well as targeting homeowners with life-threatening illnesses. Wells Fargo has engaged in predatory, fraudulent, and racist lending practices and has contributed to a rash of foreclosure deaths.

Links: Stop the Foreclosures and Evictions of the “Wells 29”    Prior Auction Stopped (photos and videos)    Profile (old auction date)   

For more info and updates: http://occupytheauctions.org/wordpress/?p=8143 or call Occupy Bernal at 415-483-9138.

Occupiers Support ACCE at Savanna Jazz Club Benefit

Update: Check out this amazing video from Peter Menchini–


Dozens of Occupiers and other supporters, including Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters Jamila Mohamed, Carolyn Gage, Ross Rhodes, Archbishop Franzo King, Allen Stowers, and Thida Chan and San Francisco Supervisors John Avalos and David Chiu, attended a festive fundraiser for the San Francisco chapter of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) on the evening of December 13, 2012, at the Savanna Jazz Club in the Mission neighborhood.

Foreclosure and Eviction Fighter Pascal Thiam, co-owner of the Savanna Club which is facing foreclosure, took to a stage bedecked with foreclosure fighter banners for some delightful jazz improvisations with Archbishop King. Thanks to the other musicians including Occupy organizer Elaine.

ACCE staff members Grace Martinez, Erin Franey, John Eller, and new executive director Christina Livingston were on hand with a bunch of volunteers who helped organize the event, including Gale Rosboro and Buck Bagot.

Occupy videographer Peter Menchini prepared a special video, which unfortunately didn’t get shown with proper audio speakers and will hopefully get broad exposure at another event soon.

Other notable attendees including Sister E, Julie Anderson, Hanson Lee, Jackson, Christie Hakim, Diane Ross, Becca Gourevich, Tim Poulson, Deborah Gerson, Kathy Lipscomb, Susan McDonough, Julien Ball, Judy Kurtz, Lisa Prochello, and many others who I didn’t catch or left before I arrived.

The event raised more than $10,000 for the organization, which has partnered effectively with Occupy Bernal, Occupy Noe, and other Occupiers to fight predatory foreclosures and evictions in San Francisco. Thanks to everyone who made it happen and to everyone who gave generously to save people’s homes!

ACTION: 2pm November 17 Occupy Chase to Prevent Homelessness, Foreclosures, and Evictions

What: Occupy Chase to Prevent Homelessness, Foreclosures, and Evictions with a soup kitchen, street theater, foreclosure and eviction fighters and other speakers

When: 2:00pm on Saturday, November 17

Where: We’ll announce the surprise! location in San Francisco the morning of the action at http://www.occupytheauctions.org/chase.

Who: So far, we’ve got bread donated from Arizmendi and Ryan and the Space Transformers folks are setting up a soup kitchen, Bob on transport, Lisa and David on signage, music including guitarists Francis Collins and Tommi Avicolli-Mecca.

Join Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/492628647435647.

Brought to you by Occupy Bernal, ACCE-SF, Occupy Direct Action Workgroup, Occupy Action Council of SF, Occupy SF Environmental Justice Workgroup, Community Not Commodity, Occupy Noe, San Francisco Tenants Union, Senior and Disability Action, Manilatown Heritage Foundation, Communities United in Defense of Olmsted, and others coming soon.

ALERT: Eviction Witness for Larry Faulks – Protest DMG Asset Management and Wells Fargo!

Update as of 12:10pm on November 14, 2012: Larry Faulks’ eviction postponed by two weeks until Wednesday, November 28. Please mark your calendar in case DMG and Wells haven’t come to their senses! Keep those calls to DMG coming (see numbers below).


Investment firm DMG Asset Management plans to evict disabled African-American senior Larry Faulks today even after they agreed to postpone the eviction to work with him and his family on negotiations with Wells Fargo.

Larry Faulks and his brother — both disabled — as well as their renter want to stay in the home their parents purchased in 1962.

DMG plans to evict Larry at 1:00pm today, Wednesday, November 14.

Please take action to help the Faulks family–

  1. Please come to this action–

    What: Eviction Witness Action
    When: 12:30pm, Wednesday, November 14
    Where: Larry Faulks’ home at 25 Cameo Way, San Francisco (Diamond Heights neighborhood)

  2. Call DMG management, their real estate agent, and their attorney with the following message:

    • Daniel Woo, +1 415-706-6170
    • Angela Woo Lee, +1 415-420-8881
    • Gilbert Chung, +1 916-947-8625
    • Marcus Lee, +1 415-999-2022 (real estate agent)
    • Jak Marquez, +1 415-495-8500 x12 (attorney)

     
    Sample message:

    Please stop the eviction of Larry Faulks and his brother — both disabled — as well as their renter. The Faulks family has lived in the family home at 25 Cameo Way in San Francisco for 50 years. Wells Fargo promised in writing not to foreclose on the Faulks during the modification process, but instead sold the property to you. DMG agreed to postpone the eviction to work out a plan to sell the property back to Wells Fargo at the price you paid, so that Wells Fargo can offer the Faulks family a loan modification to remain in their home.

    Please don’t put disabled African-American seniors out onto the streets.

For updates and this action alert: http://occupytheauctions.org/wordpress/?p=5948

Links: Larry Faulks Profile    DMG Asset Management Profile    Occupy DMG Home Action    Occupy Wells Fargo Noe Branch    Bay Area Reporter Coverage    Occupy Wells Fargo HQ    Occupy Senior and Veteran Evictions and Foreclosures (Occupy Anniversary)

ALERT: Demand Deutsche Bank Stop Eviction of William Bailes and Caregiver Gigi Ellis

Update as of October 8, 2012: Deutsche Bank has agreed to postpone the eviction of William Bailes and Gigi Ellis in order to hopefully come to a mutually agreeable solution, so we have postponed the October 9 protest and all phone calls and emails for the action alert.


Deutsche Bank has pursued a protracted battle to evict disabled renter William Bailes and his niece, caregiver, and homeowner Gigi Ellis from their Bernal home in San Francisco. Bill and Gigi want to remain in their home, where Bill’s doctor says he must remain to receive the nearly round-the-clock care he requires for life-threatening illnesses including hepatitis C, interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary fibrosis, which has him on an oxygen tank.

The eviction is scheduled for Wednesday, October 10.

Please take action to help the Bill and Gigi:

1) EMERGENCY RALLY
When: 9:00am on Tuesday, October 9
Where: Deutsche Bank office, 101 California Street at Davis Street, San Francisco (one to two blocks from Embarcadero BART station)

2) Call and email Deutsche Bank with the following message:

* Seth Waugh, CEO, +1 212-250-5646 or main line +1 212-250-2500

* Jeffrey Ruiz, Director, +1 212-250-3667

* Duncan King, Head of Press & Media Relations, +1 212-250-4864

* Randall Naiman, Eviction Attorney for Deutsche Bank, +1 858-535-4808

Sample messsage:

To: seth.waugh@db.com, jeffrey.ruiz@db.com, duncan.king@db.com, info@naimanlaw.com
Cc: action@occupytheauctions.org
Subject: Stop the Eviction of William Bailes and Caregiver Gigi Ellis at 433 Nevada Street in San Francisco

Please stop the eviction of disabled renter William Bailes and his niece, caregiver, and homeowner Gigi Ellis from their home at 433 Nevada Street in San Francisco. Bill and Gigi want to remain in their home, where Bill’s doctor says he must remain to receive the nearly round-the-clock care he requires for life-threatening illnesses including hepatitis C, interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary fibrosis, which has him on an oxygen tank. The eviction is scheduled for Wednesday, October 10.

Gigi Ellis was in negotiations for a loan modification from Washington Mutual (which took over the loan from Long Beach Mortgage and was later acquired by JP Morgan Chase) when Deutsche Bank foreclosed on the home without Gigi’s knowledge. Please stop the eviction and negotiate with Bill and Gigi so that they can obtain a loan modification or have a third party purchase the home so they can remain in their home.

Please don’t put disabled people out on the streets.

3) Please mark your calendars for possible eviction defense on Wednesday, October 10.

For updates and this action alert: http://occupytheauctions.org/wordpress/?p=4873

Action: Nationstar 7 Take on Fortress Hedge-Fund Billionaire Peter Briger to Save Foreclosed Homes

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Nationstar 7 Take on Fortress Hedge-Fund Billionaire Peter Briger to Save Foreclosed Homes

Growing Number of Nationstar and PNC Bank Homeowners Stand Together Against Mistakes in Foreclosure and Loan Modifications

SAN FRANCISCO — This Monday, August 27, members of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Occupy Bernal, and supporters will protest at Fortress Investment Group, majority owners of Nationstar Mortgage, and at PNC Bank offices in San Francisco for foreclosing on and attempting to evict eight San Francisco Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters (FEFs).

Homeowners facing foreclosure and eviction will call on billionaire Peter Briger, Board Co-Chair of the Fortress Investment Group, to halt Fortress’ “Great Liquidation” strategy for acquiring distressed credit, which they refer to as “Financial Services Garbage Collection”.

Seven of these FEFs, known as the “Nationstar 7”, have made repeated attempts to reach Nationstar in the last month, when Aurora Loan Servicing sold their entire loan portfolio to Nationstar. A recent Denver Post article reports that this sale was a re-branding attempt by Aurora, perhaps in an attempt to avoid lawsuits from Aurora mortgage holders nationwide. So far, Nationstar has responded only with eviction notices, such as the one received by Nationstar 7 FEF Denise Collins scheduled for this Wednesday, August 29.

“Billionaire Peter Briger over at the Fortress better not try to take us out with the trash,” said Denise Collins. “We’re not garbage — we’re homeowners trying to make our payments and take care of our families.”

PNC Bank previously postponed the eviction of Yin Wong and her family six times, but instead of following up with an offer of a fair deal loan modification, they have issued another eviction notice for this Wednesday, August 29.

Press Conference

WHEN: Monday, August 27 at 12:00pm (noon)
WHERE: Fortress Investment Group Offices, One Market Plaza, Spear Tower, San Francisco, CA
WHO: ACCE and Occupy Bernal Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters, the Nationstar 7, Yin Wong, and supporters

PNC Protest–

WHEN: Monday, August 27 at 10:00am
WHERE: PNC Bank Offices, meet in front of 575 Market St., San Francisco, CA
(at 11:00am, a march to One Market Plaza)

Nationstar Protest–

WHEN: Monday, August 27 at 12:00pm (noon)
WHERE: Fortress Investment Group Offices, One Market Plaza, Spear Tower, San Francisco, CA

Background on Nationstar Cases

Nationstar is one of the largest home mortgage loan servicers in the United States. The Fortress Investment Group, a humongous hedge fund operation run by many former Goldman Sachs employees, owns 77 percent of Nationstar. James Briger is a billionaire hedge-fund strategist, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Fortress Investment Group, and a former partner at Goldman Sachs, known for its role in financial malfeasance that led to the current economic crash.

The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office previously investigated the role of Fortress Investment Group in the wake of housing advocates’ concerns that tenants have been issued a high volume of notices warning that they could face eviction due to unpaid utility fees just after Fortress acquired a controlling interest in the 3,221-unit San Francisco residential compound at Park Merced. Housing activists report that Fortress is evading San Francisco rent control laws, forcing out current tenants to renovate or build new units without rent control protections.

Kim Mitchell purchased his home on 8 Le Conte Cir. in 2005, after living in Bayview Hunters Point his whole life. When Kim’s loan payments begin to increase, Kim called Aurora to apply for a modification. He was told that he needed to be behind for 6 months to qualify for a modification. After 6 months of holding on to his payments, he applied for modification and entered into a trial modification. He paid on the trial modification for one year, never missing a payment. In December 2010, Kim reached out to Aurora about his last payment and if he was going to receive a permanent modification. He was informed to not to bother sending this last payment in as they were not going to approve his modification request because he was missing paperwork.

“After three years of fighting for my home, Aurora let me believe that if I got behind, I would qualify for a modification,” says Denise Collins, an ACCE FEF who is also one of the Nationstar 7. “They had committed to rescind my foreclosure and modify my loan, but a week before Aurora ‘sold’ its loans to Nationstar, they told me they had changed their mind and I no longer qualify.”

In mid-January 2011, a potential buyer approached Kim Mitchell’s home and informed him that his home was up for auction that day. This was the first he had heard of a sale date after a year of paying on a trial modification. However, it’s still unclear who exactly homes the note on the home as Aurora Loan Services, according to its website, is closed and “transitioned all accounts to new servicers”. Aurora continues to be named as the party evicting Kim Mitchell.

But according to the Denver Post article on July 5, 2012, as many as 1,400 Aurora Loan Servicer employee would be retained as employees to Nationstar.

“At this point, I’m not sure who is evicting me, Nationstar, Aurora…” said Kim Mitchell, “We’ve tried to call both. But I’m going to fight to keep my home.”

Last Wednesday, August 22, 2012, about 40 ACCE and Occupy organizers showed up at the Mitchell’s home and succeeded in pressuring Nationstar to fax the San Francisco Sheriff to postpone the eviction of Kim Mitchell and his family that day.

The activists are now continuing to pressure Nationstar to rescind the foreclosure and offer Kim Mitchell, as well as the rest of the Nationstar 7, affordable loan modifications.

Nationstar and PNC Bank Foreclosure and Evictions Fighters will be available for interviews at the press conference.

The Nationstar 7 are Denise Collins (60 Garnett Terrace), Vivian Richardson (1479 Quesada Ave.), Mike Doyle (1471 18th Ave.), Daniel Pociernicki (324 Bocana St.), Sherrell Fennell-Murphy (400 Alemany, Unit 5), Kim Mitchell (8 LeConte Ct.), and John Nolan (1175 Palou).

Background on PNC Cases

PNC Bank is illegally foreclosing on the home of Yin Wong, a disabled senior, after National City Mortgage sold the loan on her home to PNC Bank. The first she heard of PNC’s purchase of the loan was a foreclosure notice in the mail. Even though Yin Wong has the money to pay the loan and has tried to get PNC Bank to accept it, PNC has refused and has pushed eviction proceedings forward even after four prior court appearances during which the Superior Court judge urged PNC to correct the problem. Yin Wong has tried over and over to work with PNC, but PNC has refused to work with her.

“I paid every month,” said Yin Wong, ACCE Foreclosure Fighter, “PNC never called or talked to me until they foreclosed on my home. PNC is trying to steal my home.”

PNC Bank did the exact same thing with the Cruz family in Minneapolis… thousands of people protested their eviction, organizing to re-occupy their home with dozens of arrests.

Organizations and Campaign

ACCE is the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and is a network of dozens of community based organizations across California working in 14 different counties to raise the voice of low income, immigrant and working families across the state for better jobs, schools, healthcare and housing. In San Francisco, ACCE chapters work in the city’s lowest income communities to bring accountable and transparent investment back to their communities to achieve these goals. For more information visit www.calorganize.org.

Occupy Bernal is a neighborhood-based Occupy currently focusing on preventing the banks from throwing our neighbors out of their homes. Web: www.occupybernal.org

Occupy the Auctions/Evictions is a campaign to halt for-profit and predatory evictions, foreclosures, and foreclosure auctions in San Francisco and beyond. Web: www.occupytheauctions.org and www.occupyevictions.org

Updates and Photos

For updates, photos, and for this release on the web: http://occupytheauctions.org/wordpress/?p=4096

ACCE and Occupy Protest Foreclosures at Noe Valley Bank Branches

Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters and supporters from the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Occupy Noe, Occupy Direct Action Workgroup, and Occupy Bernal protested against foreclosures of neighbors homes at three bank branches on the afternoon of Saturday, August 11, 2012.

The protestors presented a list of demands to bank managers at the local Noe Valley bank branches for Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and JP Morgan Chase. The managers at Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase faxed the demands as requested by the protestors, but the branch manager at the Bank of America branch refused to do so, so the protestors closed down the bank.

Coverage:

Steve Rhodes at Bank of America

Steve Rhodes at JP Morgan Chase

Party to Celebrate Ross Rhodes Victory With Wells Fargo

On Saturday, August 11, Occupy Bernal, ACCE, and a bunch of Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters and supporters celebrated Ross Rhodes victory in getting a fair deal loan modification from Wells Fargo after years of struggle. After the party, most of the attendees headed over to protest at three bank branches in San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood.

Thanks to Peter Menchini for the first thirteen photos below.

Occupy Bernal Participates in National Home Defenders League

At our Saturday, July 28, 2012 joint general assembly, Occupy Bernal/SF ACCE/Occupy Noe agreed to generate support for Wells Fargo Bank (WFB) foreclosure fighter Steve Boudreaux of Atlanta, GA.

He is in foreclosure, and fighting, with the support of his community, to keep his home.

Two of us are attending the first convening of the new National Home Defenders League in Minneapolis, MN on August 7-8, 2012. Our fellow organizations from around the country are all fighting foreclosures. Let’s show them that our organizations believe in solidarity. Hopefully, after that national meeting, we will have a nationwide organization capable or fighting the banks county-wide.

Here’s where to sign the petition, and Steve’s story, Steve’s story continued and more info on Steve’s campaign.