ALERT: 5:00 News TONIGHT CBS Channel 2 Features Our 93-yr-old Widow Facing Eviction from Fraudulent Foreclosure

TONIGHT on the 5:00 News!

CBS Channel 2 will feature the story of our lovely Hilda Vinals, a 93-yr-old widow who's facing eviction from fraudulent foreclosure, on their 5:00 News program. Please watch or set your DVRs.

UPDATE: Story will air at 5:30.

 

Sign petition for Blanca!

Thanks to Albert, Karen, Martha and several others, we have a petition up on SignOn.org to support Blanca Cardenas. Please sign it right now!

The petition needs 100 signatures to be distributed at the national level. It calls on President Obama to assist to ensure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) grants Blanca a Deferred Action that allows her to remain in the US.

Blanca was arrested while defending her home from a fraudulent foreclosure and subsequently deported in what seems like an intimidation tactic. Blanca is the wife of a US citizen and mother of two US-born children. Her youngest child is less than two-years old. Thanks to the great efforts of so many -- including OFF, OLA, Buen Hogar Foundation, Hermandad Mexicana, and her immigration attorney -- Blanca is back in the US temporarily until September 21. We call for her to be free to stay with her US-citizen family permanently.

You can sign the petition to help this brave mom and family here.

MEDIA RELEASE: OFF CALLS FOR MORATORIUM AS GOV. BROWN SIGNS HOMEOWNERS BILL OF RIGHTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA RELEASE:

WHO: Occupy Fights Foreclosures
WHAT: As Gov. Brown Signs Homeowners Bill of Rights, Occupy Homeowner Activists Call for a Foreclosure Moratorium Until Bill Goes Into Effect
WHEN: July 11, 2012

OCCUPY FIGHTS FORECLOSURES CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE FORECLOSURE MORATORIUM
AS GOV. BROWN SIGNS HOMEOWNERS BILL OF RIGHTS

Immediate Moratorium Needed to Protect Families from Foreclosure Until Bill Goes Into Effect

LOS ANGELES — Governor Jerry Brown today signs into law key provisions of the California Homeowners Bill of Rights (SB 900 and AB 278). This bill gives important protections and legal recourse to homeowners who are struggling to get loan modifications or trying to stop fraudulent foreclosures. The bill, however, does not take effect until the beginning of the year and servicers aren't obligated to consider applications for loan modifications or appeals submitted before Jan 1, 2013. Occupy Fights Foreclosures, a subcommittee of Occupy LA, calls for an immediate moratorium on foreclosures to protect the thousands of families facing foreclosures right now.

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BREAKING NEWS: Gov. Brown to sign Homeowners Bill of Rights tomorrow - Wednedsay, July 11 - in Los Angeles

Governor Jerry Brown is set to sign the Homeowners Bill of Rights tomorrow, Wednesday July 11, downtown at the Ronald Reagan State Building, 300 South Spring St. This bill puts in place many important protections for homeowners battling fraudulent foreclosures and gives legal recourse for families who have been defrauded. It is an important step forward. Yet the bill does not go into effect until the beginning of the year. Occupy Fights Foreclosures calls for an immediate foreclosure moratorium to protect the thousands of families facing foreclosures right now. More info on this to follow.

The following release was posted on Gov. Brown's website:

LOS ANGELES – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will be joined by Attorney General Kamala D. Harris tomorrow to sign the California Homeowner Bill of Rights (AB 278 and SB 900) in Los Angeles, which will be followed by a press conference in San Francisco to mark the enactment of these critical reforms to help millions of Californians recover from the housing crisis.

Los Angeles
When: Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Ronald Reagan State Building, Auditorium, 300 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013

San Francisco
When: Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: State Building, 14th Floor Conference Room, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102

**NOTE: These events are open to credentialed media.

Occupy Fights Foreclosures To Co-Host Fundraising Concert for Skid Row Art and Activism on Woody Guthrie's 100th Birthday

HIP-HOP ACTIVIST OLMECA HEADLINES
WOODY GUTHRIE-AT-100 EVENT
TO FUNDRAISE FOR WOODY'S FORMER RESIDENCE,
SKID ROW

Issues that Woody Sang About Still Real and Relevant Today

ECHO PARK, LOS ANGELES — On Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday, July 14th, East LA hip-hop activist / artivist Olmeca headlines fundraising event for a cause Woody himself championed: Skid Row.

Woody Guthrie passed many a night on Skid Row when he arrived in Los Angeles in 1937.  Seventy-five years later, life on Skid Row hasn’t gotten much easier. But a recent street cleaning campaign that swept up homeless people’s essential belongings has caused some residents to fight back to demand a semblance of dignity for life on the streets. The fundraising concert for Skid Row art and activism will be held in Echo Park (another Woody haunt) July 14 from 6 – 9 pm at The Echo, 1822 W. Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park. Suggested price: $10. The event is co-hosted by The Trailer Trash Project and Occupy Fights Foreclosures.* Click here for more details.

Event: “A Better World’s A-Coming”
Fundraiser for Skid Row Art and Activism
A Tribute To Woody Guthrie on His 100th Birthday

With Olmeca and Special Guests, Suggested Price: $10

Saturday, July 14, 6 – 9 pm The Echo
1822 W. Sunset Ave. Echo Park, L.A. 90026

Hosted by The Trailer Trash Project and Occupy Fights Foreclosures.*

Download flyer here.

 

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REMINDER: Our next Occupy Fights Foreclosures meeting is on THURSDAY July 5th

at Big Bang Coffee Shop from 7- 9 pm (530 Ramirez St, Los Angeles)

This meeting will focus mostly on how to write a QWR letter. If you're a homeowner, this is very useful information. 

Here's what we'll cover in this mini workshop:

QWR stands for "Qualified Written Request." A homeowner can write a QWR letter to request specific information from your bank or mortgage servicer. This letter has potent legal consequences. By law, the bank is required to acknowledge receiving this letter within 20 business days and to take action on it within 60 days. If they don't, you can take them to court and have them fined. 

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BREAKING NEWS: Homeowners Bill of Rights passes state legislature, heads to Gov Brown's desk

The California legislature just approved key provisions of the Homeowners Bill of Rights designed to empower homeowners who are battling the loan modification process and fighting foreclosures. Two key bills — SB 900 and AB 278 — were passed by both Senate and Assembly.

The Joint Legislative Conference Committee on Foreclosure Issues passed the bills last Wednesday following strong public attention successfully generated by Occupy Fights Foreclosures and allied homeowner activist groups.

It's the first of its kind in the nation.

Two thirds of the Assembly voted for it -- including two Republicans.

More to come ... congratulations all who worked toward this!

BREAKING NEWS: Homeowners Bill of Rights passed out of committee

The Homeowners Bill of Rights just passed out of the Joint Committee a few minutes ago!

As it stood Monday, the bill was good with many strong protections for homeowners facing down banks fraudulently foreclosing on their homes.

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HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND: Sunday OFF meeting CANCELLED due to Memorial Day weekend

This weekend's Sunday meeting has been cancelled so that everyone can relax with family and friends and enjoy Memorial Day weekend. We had a great success this week with Dirma's home being put back in her name -- thanks to immense amounts of hard work by so many Occupiers -- so please take some time to enjoy the sweet feeling of this success. Enjoy the lovely weekend, go see some music, go to a festival ... whatever brings you joy.

Next OFF meeting is Wednesday, May 30, 5 - 7 PM at Big Bang

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