September 17 OccuAnniversary Events

The Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters of Occupy Bernal, Occupy Noe, and ACCE-SF consensed on the following three OccuAnniversary events at the regular Saturday 10am meeting on September 1, 2012:

EVENT#1) Occupy Senior and Veterans Foreclosures and Evictions

What: Press Conference and Protest

Time/Date: 12:00pm (noon) – 1:00pm on Monday, September 17

Venue: San Francisco War Memorial Building

Address: 401 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102

Description: Please join the Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters and supporters of Occupy Bernal, Occupy Noe, and the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) for a press conference on and protest of bank’s foreclosures and evictions of seniors, veterans, and disabled folks. The press conference and rally will take place at 12:00pm (noon) on Monday, September 17. This action is in cooperation with the OccuAnniversary events and the Occupy Action Council of San Francisco.

Contact: Occupy Bernal, info@occupybernal.org


EVENT#2) Occupy Fortress Investment Group

What: Protest

Time/Date: 3:00pm – 4:30pm on Monday, September 17

Venue: Fortress Investment Group Offices

Address: One Market Plaza, Spear Tower, San Francisco, CA 94105

Description: Fortress Investment Group (FIG) is a multi-billion-dollar corporation run by vulture capitalists like Peter Briger, FIG Board Co-Chair, who developed the corporation’s “Financial Services Garbage Collection” strategy. Who’s the garbage according to Briger? That’s homeowners in foreclosure, students who can’t pay their loans, etc. FIG owns 77 percent of Nationstar Mortgage, which has been purchasing distressed home mortgage debt and foreclosing on homeowners at an accelerating pace. Seven San Francisco homeowners, dubbed the “Nationstar 7” face evictions and foreclosures by Nationstar at the moment, and FIG has a long history of poor treatment of tenants and alleged violations of tenants rights laws at Park Merced and elsewhere. Please join us to protest the billionaire “garbage” collectors like Peter Briger who are throwing our neighbors out of their homes. Bring a large garbage bag if you can! Brought to you by the Foreclosure and Evictions Fighters of Occupy Bernal, Occupy Noe, and the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) San Francisco, in cooperation with the San Francisco Tenant’s Union, the Occupy SF Housing Coalition, and the Occupy Action Council of San Francisco.

EVENT#3) Occupy Anniversary Mass Convergence

What: Protest

Time/Date: 5:00pm – 7:00pm on Monday, September 17

Venue: Bank of America and Goldman Sachs Offices

Address: 555 California Street @ Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA 94104

Description: OCCUPY WALLS ST (WEST): 1 YEAR! MON SEPT 17, 5pm
Monday, September 17, 2012
555 California st @ Kearny st, San Francisco

Join us on Facebook!

Commit in the coming year to keep building a movement of the 99% to end the rule by the 1%

OCCUPY THE BANKS
All Day: Occupy, move your money, take creative nonviolent action to confront the banks’ theft and destruction of our communities, homes, environment, education, health care and democracy. Plan an action with your neighbors, group, friends, family, co-workers, congregation, or classmates. Let us
know when/where/what and we will include in our list of actions.

HELL NO, WE WON’T PAY! STRIKE DEBT

5PM MASS CONVERGENCE
Debt Burning (Bring Copies of Your Debt Papers to Burn Symbolically), March, Casserole (Bring Your Pots, Pans and Spoons in the tradition of Argentina, Iceland and Quebec rebellions against 1% austerity), Celebration, Music, Guerilla Movies…

“Debt affects us all. Student debt, mortgage debt, health care debt, credit-card debt, and more: debt is the tie that binds the 99%, and it is a primary engine of Wall Street profits. Are the promises we believed in order to take this debt — of prosperity, of stability, of enfranchisement — even worth the paper our statements are printed on? Debt is ruining the lives of individuals, families, and communities while banks get bailed out. We say enough! Join us as we begin to build a people’s movement to strike debt, break the chains of debt, and to create new bonds of solidarity.”
­from StrikeDebt.org in New York City

All occupy groups, allies and supporters are invited to join and mobilize.

Planning Meetings: The SF Occupy Action Council has agreed to be its organizing/planning hub. The SF Occupy Action Council meets every Sunday, 2-4pm at HERE/UNITE Local 2, 209 Golden Gate Avenue (between Leavenworth/Hyde).

Sponsored by (to date): Foreclosure Fighters of Occupy Bernal, ACCE and Occupy Noe, Occupy SF Direct Action Work Group, Occupy Education­ Northern California, Occupy Action Council SF, Occupride/Community Not Commodity, Occupy Monterey, Occupy Bay Area United, Occupy SF Environmental Justice Work Group

Occupy Anniversary: Mass Converge with Me 17 Sept 2012 #S17 from Peter Menchini on Vimeo.

Occupy and ACCE Visit Fortress Billionaire at Home to Demand Halt to Our Neighbors’ Evictions

Update as of September 12: Nationstar postponed two San Francisco evictions of ACCE and Occupy Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters scheduled for today.


Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters from the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Occupy Bernal, Occupy Noe, and supporters visited the home of billionaire Fortress Investment Group Board Co-Chair Peter Briger on September 9, 2012. They demanded that Briger, who developed Fortress’ “garbage collection” strategy, abandon that strategy that includes foreclosing on and evicting customers with Nationstar loans (formerly Aurora). Briger agreed to look into the eviction and foreclosure cases. The group included some of the Nationstar 7, two of whom face eviction this Wednesday, September 12. Fortress Investment Group owns 77 percent of Nationstar.

Links: Menlo Park Patch Article    San Jose Mercury News Article    SF Weekly Article

Thanks to Peter Menchini for this excellent video and the photos below:

Freddie Mac to Evict Disabled Veteran, Wife, and Mentally Challenged Child in Saint Louis

Update as of September 12: Good news! After the television coverage and news coverage of Sally’s case, the judge delayed the eviction of the Scott family with the help of Sally’s attorney. Sally, her husband Bob, and supporters from MORE attended the proceedings. That gives us time to pressure Freddie Mac to rescind the eviction and allow negotiations for a fair deal loan modification so the Scott family can remain in their home.


**Press Advisory for Tuesday, September 11, 2012**

For Immediate Release

Contact:

* Sally Scott, Foreclosure and Eviction Fighter, +1 314-218-5733, ROSCOTT3@aol.com

* Stardust, Occupy the Auctions and Evictions Campaign, +1 415-425-3936, press@occupytheauctions.org

* Zach Chasnoff, Organize Missouri, +1 314-780-3734, zach@organizemo.org

Freddie Mac to Evict Disabled Veteran, Wife, and Mentally Challenged Child in Saint Louis

Bank Bailouts Don’t Benefit Homeowners Who Want to Pay, But Need Loan Modifications

St Louis, Missouri – Pleas to stop the eviction of Sally Scott, her disabled veteran husband Bob, and their mentally challenged daughter Susie, have fallen on deaf ears at Freddie Mac.

“After my 84-year-old husband suffered a stroke, I was ashamed to admit that we missed some mortgage payments while closing down my husband’s business and covering skyrocketing medical costs,” said Sally Scott. “Now I know that the right course of action is to fight for my family and our home by demanding that Freddie Mac work with Select Portfolio Servicing to stop our eviction and offer us a fair deal loan modification.”

The Scotts originally obtained their loan from Southwest Bank, then it was transferred twice over the last 11 years, ending up serviced by Select Portfolio Servicing and owned by Freddie Mac.

The following Freddie Mac staff and attorneys have refused to negotiate on the case when approached by Sally Scott and her supporters:

* Donald H. Layton, CEO, +1 703-903-2000 (say “Donald Layton” to transfer call), Donald_Layton@freddiemac.com

* Brad German, Public Relations, +1 703-903-2437, Brad_German@freddiemac.com

* Patti Boerger, Media Relations, +1 703-903-2445, Patricia_Boerger@freddiemac.com

* Chad Wandler, Media Relations, +1 703-903-2446 or +1 571-236-2533 (cell), Chad_Wandler@FreddieMac.com

* Aaron Elking, Attorney at Martin, Leigh, Laws, & Fritzlen, in Kansas City, 314-862-5200 or 636-534-7600, ame@mllfpc.com

After their staff refused a loan modification approved by a HUD-certified counselor, Freddie Mac auctioned back to themselves the home of 65-year-old Sally Scott and her family in west St. Louis, Missouri.

Her 84-year-old husband Bob is a WWII and Korean War veteran who was disabled by a stroke five years ago. Sally, her disabled husband Bob, and her 26-year-old mentally handicapped “special child” Susie live in a constant state of fear, not knowing when the county sheriff will show up to evict them and throw all their belongings out onto the sidewalk. The next court hearing on their eviction is at 9:00am on September 12 at the St. Louis County Courthouse.

Hundreds of supporters have responded to the following action alert, calling and emailing Freddie Mac in support: http://occupytheauctions.org/wordpress/?p=3983

Organizations and Campaign

Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE) believes that Missouri is positioned at a unique intersection of social, economic and environmental injustice. We believe that as corporate power continues unabated expansion and the gap between the rich and the poor widens, there has never been a better time for our low-income communities to come together and fight back. MORE seeks to be a powerful organization of low- and moderate-income people, building strength in our communities. We work in relationship with other organizations pushing our allies to engage in creative direct action with us to foster good policy changes. MORE seeks to be part of a movement that cuts across, class, age and race lines that is envisioning and building the world in which we would like to live. Web: http://www.organizemo.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: http://www.occupytheauctions.org and http://www.occupyevictions.org

Updates and Photos

For updates, photos, and for this release on the web: http://occupytheauctions.org/wordpress/?p=4466

Fortress Investment Group Shares Tumble As San Francisco Protests “Garbage Collection” Strategy

Fortress Investment Group stock tumbled today as community organizers in San Francisco protested the firm’s “Garbage Collection” strategy to profit off the misery of those in debt, especially homeowners facing foreclosure and eviction by Nationstar, in which Fortress owns a 77% stake.

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 Education Forum

Two Cows & Foreclosures

A popular, comedic explanation of world
economic systems reveals the truth behind foreclosure debt
Join Occupy Bernal for a short film, a live performance
reenactment of the foreclosure version of the
Running of the Bulls in Pamplona,
and a serious discussion of real estate debt
 
Nate Goscko, Real Estate agent and pot-stirrer,
will guide us through a post screening/performance discussion
of the nature of real estate debt, addressing the issue of
malicious speculation
This program is part of Occupy Bernal strategy to build a profound understanding of the foreclosure debacle, leading to City and State-wide policy change.
Tuesday, August 7    7 – 8:15 pm
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center
515 Cortland Avenue
Your neighbors, our neighborhood!
Contact: David   415-948-4265    OccupyBernal.org
Labor donated

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.