ALERT: Save Our Neighbors’ Homes This Wednesday and Thursday (J20 and J21)

Update: Wells Fargo managed to sell of the home of the Davilas, but they postponed the auction of Sheila Walsh’s home until July 23, 2012.


This coming week, Wells Fargo Bank is again attacking the San Francisco Foreclosure and Evictions Fighters we know and love and trying to auction off their homes. For the first time, we’ve exhausted the legal remedies for postponing the bank sales.

IMPORTANT: We ask you to choose one or both days to Occupy the Auctions to save our neighbors’ homes.

Wednesday, June 20 Maria and Washington Davila (more info below)
Thursday, June 21 Sheila Walsh is 87 years old and has lived in her current home for 28 years. She has a mortgage with Wells Fargo and it seems like she has been a victim of financial fraud: she took out a home equity line of credit and through an apparently fraudulent transaction was charged $217,000 to her home equity loan. Her mortgage payment ballooned after the fraudulent charge and is now much more than she can afford. Wells Fargo plans to auction off her home on Thursday, June 21. She needs time and help to investigate the fraudulent charge, so she can resolve the matter with Wells Fargo and remain in her home.

We gather at 1:30pm at City Hall, 400 Van Ness Ave., to prepare for the auctions that start promptly at 2:00pm. Please bring a whistle or other noisemaker and earplugs if you have them (we have some to share).

Note: In the event a bank succeeds in selling one of our Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters homes, we will take additional action just following the Occupy the Auctions action. In the event of postponements or cancellations, we plan to go ahead and protest the other auctions taking place that day and also have follow-on actions planned.

Action Alert for Maria and Washington Davila

Wells Fargo plans to auction off the home of Bernal neighbor Felisa Yambao THIS WEDNESDAY (JUNE 20). Their tenants of seven years, Maria and Washington Davila, have been members of Occupy Bernal and have been fighting to save the home since they learned of the foreclosure several months ago. The homeowner, Felisa Yambao, is ill and lives in Las Vegas, but now has joined Occupy Bernal in fighting the foreclosure. Occupy Bernal and allies have mobilized to postpone the auction of the home several times, and now we need your help again.

Please take action with three steps to save their home:

1) Send the following email right now to Wells Fargo’s CEO, Board Members, and other staff–

To: john.g.stumpf@wellsfargo.com, alfredo.pedroza@wellsfargo.com, ruben.pulido@wellsfargo.com, boardcommunications@wellsfargo.com, jason.ohara@wellsfargo.com, richard.m.sintchak@wellsfargo.com, eric.tang@wellsfargo.com
Cc: action@occupybernal.org
Subject: Postpone Auction of Felisa Yambao’s Home at 4255 Folsom St., San Francisco (loan #0044522993)

Dear Wells Fargo staff,

Please take IMMEDIATE action to postpone the auction of Felisa Yambao’s home at 4255 Folsom St, San Francisco (loan #0044522993).

Ms. Yambao, who suffers from cancer, has been making efforts to negotiate a fair solution, yet Wells has scheduled her home for auction at 2:00pm, June 20, 2012, against the wishes of Yambao’s long-time tenants, Maria and Washington Davila.

Once Wells Fargo has postponed the auction of Felisa Yambao’s home, offer her a fair deal for a loan modification on terms that are sustainable, and which will allow her to continue to provide affordable housing for the Davilas.

This is an URGENT request, so please respond right away to postpone the auction.

Sincerely,

your name here
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2) Starting at 8:00am on June 18, call the following Wells Fargo representatives with the message below.

Contact:
Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf at 866-878-5865
Wells Fargo Director of California Local Government Relations Alfredo Pedroza at 415-396-0829
Wells Fargo Communications Staff Ruben Pulido at 415-852-1279
Wells Fargo Branch Manager Eric Tang at 415-977-9357
Wells Fargo Branch Manager Jason O’Hara at 415-554-8820

Tell them (or leave a message):

“Please take IMMEDIATE action to postpone the auction of Felisa Yambao’s home at 4255 Folsom St, San Francisco (loan #0044522993). Ms. Yambao, who suffers from cancer, has been making efforts to negotiate a fair solution, yet Wells has scheduled her home for auction at 2:00pm, June 20, 2012, against the wishes of Yambao’s long-time tenants, Maria and Washington Davila. Once Wells Fargo has postponed the auction of Felisa Yambao’s home, offer her a fair deal for a loan modification on terms that are sustainable, and which will allow her to continue to provide affordable housing for the Davilas. This is an URGENT request, so please respond right away to postpone the auction.”
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3) Show up at 1:45pm (auction starts promptly at 2:00pm and the auctioneers can sell off a house in less than a minute) on the sidewalk in front of City Hall, 400 Van Ness Ave, in San Francisco, to protest Wells Fargo auctioning off Felisa Yambao’s, and Washington and Maria Davila’s home.

Bring a loud voice, a whistle, earplugs, and signs to let Wells Fargo know we won’t stand for it anymore… stop illegally selling off our neighbors homes!

Background:

Washington and Maria Davila have been living in a house they have been renting in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood for the past seven years. But now, because their landlord Felisa Yambao, who lives in Las Vegas and is suffering from cancer, is in foreclosure, Wells Fargo is planning to sell the house at an auction this Friday. According to the Ellis Act, a new owner-occupant of the house eventually could evict the Davilas, and the Davilas would like to continue renting from Ms. Yambao.

Last January 20, Wells Fargo canceled an auction date after Occupy Bernal planned a protest. Last month, we mobilized again to save the home with a call-in day and protest on behalf of the Davila’s and the Yambao’s. But the bank hasn’t learned its lesson. On Wednesday, Occupy Bernal is determined to disrupt the housing auction to stop the foreclosure and eviction of our neighbors. We also will be leafleting potential home buyers, calling on them not to buy the Davila’s home.

Now Wells Fargo plans to auction Ms. Yambao and the Davilas’ home on June 20 despite:

  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ unanimous vote for a moratorium on foreclosures until the state legislature passes a Homeowner Bill of Rights
  • The Mayor’s request for a “pause” until the state legislature passes a Homeowner Bill of Rights
    California State Attorney General Kamala Harris’ request for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to suspend foreclosure activity
  • The report from San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting that shows that 84% of a sample of San Francisco foreclosures contain at least one legal violation

These actions brought to you by Occupy Bernal, ACCE, and other supportive organizations coordinated within the Occupy the Auctions and Evictions campaign.

Link: Upcoming Bank Auctions of Foreclosure/Eviction Fighter Homes    Foreclosure/Eviction Fighter Profiles

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