More protections for tenants living in foreclosed properties
The Oakland City Council unanimously passed a measure last night expanding the Foreclosed Property Registration and Maintenance Ordinance to now include tenants.
The additional add-on’s will require lenders to:
•Keep utilities on for tenants living in foreclosed properties,
•Require banks to maintain foreclosed properties that tenants live in,
•Conduct monthly inspections of NOD (Notice of Default) and foreclosed properties,
•Banks will be required to register homes in a city blight database the moment they send homeowners a Notice of Default.
•Banks will to do monthly inspections of NOD and foreclosed properties and gauge whether the home is occupied. If not occupied, the bank would now have to pay a $568 annual registration fee and maintain the vacant property.
•If it is occupied the bank would have to use a local certified property management firm. It also will set-aside fees from penalty funds for foreclosure prevention activities.
This is in addition to the existing FPRM ordinance which makes big banks clean up vacant and blighted properties and fines them $1,000 per day for not doing so. This has so far brought in $1.6 million in fees and penalties.
While 99% of the people who lined up to speak urged council members to approve the expanded measure, Paul Junge, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce official told council members that 80%of the homes in Oakland are only “serviced” by the banks but held by other agencies “such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”
Councilmember Jane Brunner, who sponsored the ordinance said, “If you don’t want to be in the servicing business — get out of it.”
The expanded ordiinance goes back before the council for final passage in June.
Over 1,000 to Converge on Bank of America Shareholder Meeting
City announces harsh lockdown ahead of UNITY’s “Showdown in Charlotte” on May 9
On May 9, 2012, over 1,000 grassroots leaders from the UNITY alliance and allies will converge on Bank of America’s shareholder meeting to demand racial and economic justice from a predatory bank that has looted communities, increased the racial wealth gap, and robbed Americans of generations of financial security.
Causa Justa :: Just Cause is sending some of our staff and members to Charlotte, North Carolina to the Bank of America shareholder’s meeting as part of Unity, a group of national grassroots networks. One of Just Cause’s members, Margarita Ramirez, who is fighting to get her Oakland home back after being foreclosed on, is part of the team. Check out this video: ;feature=share
Here is Margarita’s story:
Margarita Ramirez bought her home 14 years ago. Exactly one year ago today, on May 5th, 2011, and two weeks early, Bank of America sold the home of Margarita and Manuel Ramirez to an investment company, EB Fund I, LLC. For 18 months she tried to negotiate a loan modification with the bank. She sent documents they asked for. They did not tell her s. she waited 18 months with no answers. The family could not make the monthly payment. They did not understand that the bank was going to sell their home, the documents were in English and the Ramirez’ speak primarily Spanish. Bank of America admits that they should have allowed for 30 days before selling the house and are willing to help the family because of this mistake but Fannie Mae is not acknowledging the mistake and refuses to reconsider the case.
We want BofA to do more to help struggling borrowers and keep them in their homes. Bank of Americaʼs predatory practices have directly targeted and robbed communities of color. You can learn more about it here http://theunityalliance.org/about/
Ahead of the event, the City of Charlotte invoked a draconian anti-free speech law for the day of the march in an attempt to intimidate the marchers. The law makes the possession of a permanent marker an arrestable offense.
The “Showdown in Charlotte” is part of a series of direct nonviolent actions taking place at corporate shareholder meetings this spring under the banner of the 99% Power coalition.
UNITY is a national grassroots movement for racial and economic justice that represents hundreds of thousands of poor and working-class people and communities of color.
UNITY is demanding an end to Bank of America’s fraudulent foreclosures, predatory lending, renewed redlining, violations of workers’ rights, dirty coal and mountaintop removal, and investment in prisons and immigrant detention centers.
99% Power protests are targeting corporations including Bank of America, Wells Fargo, GE, Verizon, Sallie Mae, Wal-Mart, and Verizon—directly challenging the 1% board members and executives whose actions have expanded inequality, threatened democracy, destroyed the environment, and driven countless Americans from their homes.
WHAT: UNITY/99% Power “Showdown in Charlotte” at BoA shareholder meeting
WHO: More than 1,000 grassroots leader from UNITY and 99% Power
WHEN: May 9, 2012, marches start 8:30am; “Bank vs. America” boxing match at 9:30am
WHERE: Housing Justice Now march: Bank of America, N. Tryon & 9th St.
Anti Coal Investment march: The Green, Tryon & Levine Ave of the Arts
Worker’s Rights march: Old City Hall, Davidson & 4th St
“Bank vs. America” boxing match at 930am: Trade & Tryon
WHY: To demand action for racial and economic justice from Bank of America
In Oakland waves of people marched as part of International Workers' Day May 1 in a March for Immigrant Rights starting in Fruitvale and winding all the way to downtown Oakland.
We brought our Black and Brown unity into the streets, and our commitment to the rights of immigrants as a key battle that advances racial justice and worker rights. Here are some of our photos of the day. To see more photos click here and here. Below is CJJCs Princess Beverly Johnson, featured on the new poster by Melanie Cervantes.
Causa Justa :: Just Cause staff and members
Former Pacific Steel Workers take their place at May Day as they march with dignity.
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