Mom of fallen Marine and NATO protestors rally at local Wells Fargo for new mortgage

JOLIET 5/14 – On the day after Mother’s Day, Lolita Barrow-Leggett and her supporters, including those who will be protesting next week’s North American Treaty Organization Summit, will rally outside of the local Wells Fargo Home Mortgage office to bolster her demand for a new home mortgage. Over the past six years, Ms. Barrow-Leggett lost both her oldest son and husband, cutting deeply into her household’s income. Yet, now when she finally earns enough to make up for the loss of income, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is refusing to accept any payments and has instead scheduled to auction off her home at the beginning of June.

In August 2006, a fellow Marine shot and murdered 19 year-old Lance Corporal Jordan Barrow in his own home near Camp Lejune in North Carolina. In the wake of their son’s murder, Ms. Barrow-Leggett and her late husband purchased their suburban Joliet residence as a way to both fulfill their son’s dream of providing them with a home and make good on a desire to be closer to his gravesite at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. Unfortunately, the home they originally purchased for $222,900 now has a current estimated value of $125, 683.

After her husband died in a tragic car accident and Ms. Barrow Leggett struggled to find full time work, she contacted Wells Fargo in an attempt to ease the burden of the $1,099.10 monthly mortgage payments. Despite her efforts to promptly send in the documents requested of her, her requests were repeatedly denied by Wells Fargo. In February 2010, the bank foreclosed on her mortgage. Even though Ms. Barrow Leggett has secured full-time employment, Wells Fargo has refused to explore any option that might make it possible for her to stay in her home.

“After going through so much, I just want to find a way to keep my family in our home,” explained Loleta Barrow-Leggett. “So many people in my neighborhood have just left, but I can’t give up like that.”

In addition to members of her family, neighbors, activists with Warehouse Workers for Justice, members of the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign, and NATO protestors will join Ms. Barrow-Leggett outside her mortgage company’s office. In addition to this particular case, they will be highlighting the fact although Wells Fargo received a $36 billion taxpayer funded bailout, the home mortgage company continues to foreclosure on and evict thousands of family’s in Will County, including several on Ms. Barrow Leggett’s block whose homes now sit empty.

What: Rally and Press Conference
Where: Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, 24029 W Lockport St, Plainfield, IL 60544
When: May 14, 2012 at 11:30 a.m.

Chicago Anti Eviction Campaign Rent Party and Karaoke 


Tonight is the Night! 1401 east 75th street(75th and Dorchester) 


Enjoy food,music,drinks,networking and Karaoke! 


Please support us funds raised will support efforts to Enforce the Human Rights to Housing!

7p.m. Until!


Special Performance by Frank Mu a.k.a. Bushrod Mu a.k.a. 2Face


Performing the Movement Hit It's O.K. and Comrades

"An Eviction Story" - one family's brave last-stand to save their home

Dena Killacky, her husband & four children were evicted April 4, 2012 from the Will County (western suburbs of Chicago) home built by her father over 30 years ago. This video tells the story of that eviction and the brave stand taken by the Killacky family.

The Killacky family is still fighting to get their home back and Occupy Our Homes is doing everything it can to support. Their story gives yet another example of why we need an immediate nationwide moratorium on foreclosures & economically-motivated evictions.

The western & southern suburbs of Chicago have thousands of homeowners fighting individual battles against banks trying to snatch their land- we must organize to unite them.

Or call (773) 750-6909

Read Chicago media stories about the eviction:

http://triblocal.com/homer-glen/2012/04/04/lawyers-rep-says-eviction-of-18-year-old-homer-glen-resident-was-illegal/

http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/news/11720325-418/homer-glen-family-fights-eviction.html

Media: Occupy Chicago Protestors March Through Downtown

CHICAGO (CBS) – Now that spring is here, the Occupy Chicago protesters are back.

Several hundred people participated in a Saturday march through downtown streets that ended in Grant Park, adjacent to Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway.

The Occupy movement in Chicago never really went away over the winter. It helped to facilitate numerous protests, news conferences and rallies. Now, they hope to put some of the protesters’ energy to work.

Loren Taylor, of the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign, said Occupy-related housing groups are seeking assistance from NATO protesters.

“What we are asking is that for every day you come here protesting the NATO summit, you spend one day with us engaging in the community doing work for the community,” he said.

High on the list is fixing up foreclosed homes that have been abandoned by the banks that now own them. The Anti-Eviction Campaign, along with the Occupy offshoot Occupy Our Homes, hopes to fix up 100 abandoned homes and turn them over to homeless families.

Occupy Our Homes is urging families who would like to seek shelter as part of that program to visit the contact page of its Web site or call.

Protesters hoisted signs that read, “We’re back,” “Chicago Spring,” “Our economy has one foot in the grave,” and “Bunk of America.”

Veteran activist Ronald Schupp was among those who took pat, and said he believes that in its seven months of existence, the Occupy movement and its offshoots have helped to create awareness and positive change.

“We’re keeping this issues alive, such as homelessness, hunger, lack of education, lack of jobs,” he said. “It’s all bringing it out in the open. It keeps up the pressure on the system to make legitimate social change. That’s what we’re about.”

Media: Local Ex-cop alleges foreclosure fraud, challenges eviction

Watch ABC7's coverage of Pat Hill's case

March 30, 2012 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A Chicago woman fighting to keep her home says she is the victim of foreclosure fraud.

Patricia Hill, a retired Chicago Police officer, says she paid her mortgage on time but was still found delinquent.

Hill, her tenants and supporters appeared in court Friday to legally challenge an eviction order. The case was continued to a later date.

"All indications are that proper notice was not given so that they did not have an opportunity to have their proper day in court," said Edward Boci, Hill's attorney.

In 1995, Hill purchased her family's home in the Bronzeville neighborhood with a fixed rate mortgage.

"I received a mortgage notice three years ago that my mortgage would go up $500 more per month," Hill told ABC7. "Upon inquiring, I was told it was for insurance, and I refused to pay it. And I continued to try to negotiate and I sent in a regular mortgage. And on the the third attempt, they say that you're delinquent and they sent my money back and said, don't send me any more money."

Hill says after a year of trying to resolve the dispute, she found that she had been foreclosed on and that her house had been sold at a sheriff's sale for nearly half of what she owed on it. It was purchased by the Bank of New York Mellon.

On March 9, that bank attempted to evict Hill and her tenants from their home, but they were able to stop the eviction with some help.

"We are exploring all options with the hope that the bank will come to the table and negotiate with us," said Willie Fleming, one of Hill's tenants.

"The banks sold the house to itself for half of the value of what she owed to the banks while she was in negotiation," said Loren Taylor of Occupy Our Homes.

"We have made efforts to negotiate with Mellon bank," said Boci. "When I first got involved, the first thing I did was pick up the phone, talk to their lawyer and say, give me someone at Mellon negotiate with. I have heard nothing."

"This is a bank heist," said Clair Tobin, Illinois Citizens for Public Banking. "The homeowners, their homes are being taken away and given back to the banks without due process."

ABC7 called the Bank of New York Mellon but did not get a response.

The Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign has been coordinating a 24-hour eviction vigil to protect the Hill family and their tenants. One of the tenants is a Marine veteran who served in Desert Storm.

Media: Chicago Activists Stop Foreclosure

Coverage of the March 9th Eviction Blockade and the third week of the ongoing Eviction Vigil at Pat Hill's Bronzeville home by Jaisal Noor of The Real News.

Upcoming Court Solidarity with the Hill Family's Tenants

Join us at a scheduled hearing where a Cook County Circuit Court Judge will hear a motion by the Hill family's attorney to reverse the eviction order against two of her tenants:

Friday, March 23, 9:30 a.m.
Daley Center, 118 N. Clark Street (Clark & Randolph Streets)
Room 1406
Courtroom of Associate Judge Leonard Murray

Call the following institutions & demand that they'll be no further eviction attempts and that BoNYM & its agents resume good-faith negotiations based on the actual current value of the Hill family home:

     Bank of New York Mellon
     Headquarters New York - 800-254-2826
     Chicago  - (773) 763-5631

     Cook County Chief Circuit Court Judge Timothy C. Evans - (312) 603-6000

     Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart - (312) 603-6444