Occupy Peter Briger – Fortress Investment Group Co-Chair – To Stop the Evictions and Foreclosures of the Nationstar 8

On September 9, 2012, Foreclosure and Evictions Fighters from the Nationstar 8 and their supporters from the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Occupy Bernal, Occupy Noe, and other organizations traveled to the Atherton home of billionaire Fortress Investment Group Board Co-Chair Peter Briger. After leafleting his neighbors about Briger’s activities with the corporate strategy of “garbage collection”, including foreclosing on people’s homes and evicting them, the protestors actually got to meet with Briger on his driveway. The Fortress Investment Group owns 77% of Nationstar, which acquired Aurora mortgage loans. Briger assured the group he would have Nationstar management look into the eight cases, including the upcoming evictions of Kim Mitchell and Denise Collins. Nationstar postponed those evictions and has been negotiating with the Nationstar 8 regarding potential buyouts or loan modifications.

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:

ACCE and Occupy Take on Fortress Investment Group and PNC Bank

About 40 strong, ACCE and Occupy Bernal Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters and supporters demonstrated on August 27, 2012, at the San Francisco offices of PNC Bank and Fortress Investment Group, which owns 77 percent of Nationstar.

Links: Videos    Photos    Media Coverage    Press Release

Videos

Thanks to Peter Menchini for the first video.

Photos

Media Coverage

KQED Article

San Francisco Business Times Article

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

PNC Protest–

WHEN:Ā Ā  Monday, August 27 at 10:00am
WHERE:Ā  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:Ā Ā  Monday, August 27 at 12:00pm (noon)
WHERE:Ā  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 stateĀ  for better jobs, schools, healthcare and housing.Ā  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.Ā  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

Upcoming Bank Auctions/Evictions of Foreclosure/Eviction Fighters

The banks are planning to auction off the homes or evict the following Foreclosure and Eviction Fighter families on the dates listed below. To help defend their homes, please show up at the Occupy the Auction action at 1:45pm on the date listed with a whistle (or other noisemaker) and earplugs. San Francisco Occupy the Auctions actions take place at 1:45pm every weekday (not holidays) on the sidewalk in front of City Hall at 400 Van Ness Ave., unless another time and location is specified or if there are no residential foreclosure auctions scheduled that day. San Francisco evictions usually take place on Wednesdays, starting as early as 6:00am.

Link: Upcoming Auctions/Evictions in San Francisco Ā Ā  Upcoming Bay Area Auctions/Evictions Outside San Francisco Ā Ā  Sold or Cancelled Auctions/Evictions

Upcoming Auctions/Evictions in San Francisco

 

Photo Date Name Status / Alert
photo71.rotated February 2, 2013 Jemal and Jamila Mohamed Getu Eviction Postponed, Negotiating Home Purchase, Profile
? February 13, 2013 ? Yin Wong Eviction Postponed, Negotiating With Bank
? February 13, 2013 ? Maria Elena Rosales and Carolina Castillo Eviction Pending
? February 13, 2013 ? Betty Davis Alert, Eviction Pending, Bank Negotiations
? February 13, 2013 ? Alfred Richardson Alert, Eviction Pending, Bank Negotiations
? February 13, 2013 ? Alice Smith Eviction Postponed, Bank Negotiations
February 19, 2013 Delmy and Jenny Ramos Auction, Bankruptcy
February 26, 2012 Benjamin and Irma Reed Auction
February 28, 2013 Emilia Hughetti Auction
acce.foreclosure.romeo-baful March 1, 2012 Romeo Baful Auction, Alert
acce.foreclosure.bernetta-adolph March 3, 2013 Bernetta Adolph Eviction, Profile

Upcoming Auctions in Bay Area Outside San Francisco

 

Photo Date Name Status / Alert
February 28, 2013 Kathrina and Donald Baird Redwood City

Sold, Evicted, or Auction/Eviction Cancelled

Photo Date Name Status / Alert
9am February 27, 2013 Ian Haddow Auction Cancelled, Needs Fair Loan Modification Alert
February 5, 2013 Peter Fairfield Auction Cancelled, Was Dual Tracking
February 4, 2013 Alberto del Rio Alert, Negotiation Sale Rescission of Sale, Sold at Auction, Was Dual Tracking
January 30, 2012 Roxie Harris Auction Cancelled
January 22, 2013 Segundina San Juan Auction Cancelled
December 18, 2012 Thida Chan Auction Cancelled, Trial Loan Modification, Was Dual Tracking
December 18, 2012 Amparo Hidalgo Auction Cancelled
December 13, 2012 Larry Faulks Evicted, Seeking Recission and Loan Modification, Alert, Was Dual Tracked
December 26, 2012 Daniel Pociernicki Auction Cancelled, Trial Loan Modification
December 18, 2012 Jesus Juarez Auction Cancelled, Trial Loan Modification (still wants affordable loan)
December 13, 2012 Mike Doyle Auction Cancelled, Trial Loan Modification
November 13, 2012 Tommie German Auction Cancelled, Loan Modification Signed, Was Dual Tracking, Alert
November 13, 2012 Enrique and Aracely Rodriguez Auction Apparently Postponed or Cancelled, Bank Negotiations
November 7, 2012 Maureen McClendon Accepted Eviction, Obtained Courtesy Delay
October 15, 2012 Reyna Aguilar Sold at Auction
October 15, 2012 Merrie Jo and Edzel Musni Auction Cancelled, Trial Loan Modification, Bank Was Dual Tracking
October 10, 2012 Gigi Ellis Eviction Postponed Indefinitely, Bank Negotiations
October 10, 2012 Ross Rhodes Auction Cancelled, Loan Modification Signed, Bank Was Dual Tracking
October 9, 2012 Ernesto Viscarra Auction Cancelled, Obtained Loan Modification, Bank Was Dual Tracking
June 20, 2012 Maria and Washington Davila Sold to Bank
Alert
June 29, 2012 Eric and John Auction Cancelled, Trial Modification, Modification Denied, Was Bank Dual Tracking
July 3, 2012 Emma Castro Cancelled
? September 5, 2012 Veronica Carranza Auction, Litigation to Return Home to Constance Bridgewater
July 23, 2012 Sheila Walsh Alert, Cancelled
September 5, 2012 Sheila McInnis Eviction Postponed, Pursuing Short Sale, HOA
September 5 or 12?, 2012 Denise Collins Eviction Postponed, Negotiating With Bank
September 20, 2012 Ana and Nelson Ramos Auction Cancelled, Negotiating With Bank
September 24, 2012 Archbishop Franzo King Auction Cancelled, Negotiating With Bank
August 22, 2012 Kim Mitchell Eviction Cancelled, Short Sale From Bank, Rent-to-Buy in SUN Initiative

Foreclosure/Eviction Fighter Profiles

Here are some profiles of active Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters in San Francisco.

Links: Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters in San Francisco Ā Ā  Bay Area Fighters Outside San Francisco Ā Ā  Sign up as a Foreclosure/Eviction Fighter or a Home Defender

Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters in San Francisco

#  a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  i  j  k  l  m  n  o  p  q  r  s  t  u  v  w  x  y  z 

Pic Name Lender Loan # Profile Home Defenders  
Bernetta Adolph Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
Julie Anderson (and Hanson Lee)  Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
Constance Bridgewater Chase / Diversified Mortgage Consultants Profile ACCE
acce.foreclosure.romeo-baful Romeo Bufal Chase / Washington Mutual  1835186059 Profile, Alert ACCE
Nora Carrasco Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
Dexter Cato American Home Mortgage / Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
Thida Chan Bank of America Profile ACCE
Denise Collins Nationstar (Fortress/Aurora) Alert ACCE
Dorothy Crawford Wells Fargo (World Savings Pick-a-Payment)  Profile ACCE
Maria and Washington Davila Wells Fargo 0044522993 (owner’s name is Felisa Yambao) Profile Occupy Bernal
Betty Davis Fannie Mae, previously Bank of America / Countrywide Profile, Alert ACCE
Alberto del Rio Wells Fargo 47339080 (owner’s name is Gloria Lomeli) Alert    Profile Occupy Bernal
acce.foreclosure.gladys-dewitt Gladys Dewitt Wells Fargo (World Savings Pick-a-Payment) 0041103565 Profile ACCE
Pei Jun Ding and Michael Dow Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
   Mike Doyle Nationstar (Fortress/Aurora) Profile ACCE
Peter Fairfield Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
Larry Faulks Wells Fargo Profile Alert ACCE
  Sherrell Fennell-Murphy Nationstar (Fortress/Aurora) Profile ACCE
Kathryn Galves Wells Fargo 0044722973 Evicted March 28, 2012
Mary Gebrian JP Morgan Chase Profile ACCE
Tommie German Wells Fargo 44751501 Profile Occupy Bernal
photo71.rotated-cropped Jemal and Jamila Mohamed Getu Vericrest 9800937154 Profile, Alert ACCE
Victor Granados  Wells Fargo 5000039031 Profile Occupy Bernal
Ian Haddow JP Morgan Chase / Washington Mutual Alert ACCE
Roxie Harris Bank of America / Countrywide Profile ACCE
Amparo Hildago Bank of America Profile ACCE
  Emilia Hughetti Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
Henry Johnson Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
  Jesus Juarez Chase / Washington Mutual Profile ACCE
Monica Kenney Wells Fargo / Fannie Mae Profile ACCE
  Archbishop Franzo King Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
Hanson Lee (and Julie Anderson) Citibank Profile ACCE
David Lewis Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
Eric Wells Fargo Occupy Bernal
DeDe Martinez Wells Fargo 0046809208 Profile Occupy Bernal
Sheila McInnis Wells Fargo Alert ACCE
Joseph Melton Bank of America / NY Mellon Profile ACCE
Kim Mitchell Nationstar (Fortress/Aurora) Alert ACCE
Robert Moses Homeward (American Home Mortgage) Alert ACCE
    Merrie Jo and Edzel Musni Bank of America Profile ACCE
Daniel Pociernicki Nationstar (Fortress/Aurora) Profile ACCE
Ana and Nelson Ramos Chase / Washington Mutual Profile ACCE
Delmy and Jenny Ramos Citibank Profile ACCE
Benjamin and Irma Reed Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
Ross Rhodes Wells Fargo Profile Occupy Bernal
Alfred Richardson Bank of America Profile ACCE
  Vivian Richardson Nationstar (Fortress/Aurora) Profile ACCE
Myrna Sebastian Wells Fargo Profile ACCE
Mary Ann Serrano Wells Fargo Alert ACCE
Alice Smith Citigroup / PennyMac Alert Profile ACCE
  Dawn Swidorski OneWest (Indy Mac) Profile ACCE
Pascal Thiam Sterling Bank (of Spokane, WA) Profile ACCE
   Josephine Tolbert Bank of America Profile ACCE
  Ernesto Viscarra Wells Fargo 46110532 Profile Occupy Bernal
Sheila Walsh Wells Fargo 0999083991 Profile ACCE
    Yin Wong PNC Profile ACCE

Bay Area Fighters Outside San Francisco

 

Pic Name Lender Loan # Profile Home Defenders
Don and Tina Baird Chase (Washington Mutual) ACCE