Trial to stave off activist's eviction gets pushed back for more talks
GMAC Mortgage wants "further conversations" with Rosemary Williams and attorneys. Some had vowed disobedience in protest.
By RANDY FURST, Star Tribune
Last update: April 28, 2009 - 9:00 PM
A trial to evict a Minneapolis woman from her foreclosed house has been rescheduled for May 26 after the mortgage company that now owns the house said it wanted to have "further conversations" with the woman and her attorneys.
The trial had been scheduled to begin Tuesday. But at a news conference, Rosemary Williams, who lost her house on the 3100 block of Clinton Avenue to foreclosure in September, said lawyers from GMAC Mortgage, the new owner, had called her attorney to ask for the postponement and raised the possibility of negotiating with her.
Jeannine Bruin, executive director of mortgage communications for GMAC Financial Services, declined to comment on what was being discussed.
After Williams failed to leave the house by March 30, GMAC went to court to have her evicted by sheriff's deputies. At a hearing last week, Williams' attorneys asked for a trial on the issues.
Several groups that support a foreclosure moratorium have vowed to use civil disobedience to prevent her eviction.
Williams said she had been unable to make escalating payments on a second mortgage.
In court papers, her attorney Jordan Kushner said GMAC "should not be permitted to harm the community for purposes of property speculation, particularly where it is receiving billions of dollars in federal taxpayer funds for the ostensible purpose of helping homeowners avoid foreclosure."
While declining to discuss Williams' case, Bruin said "in general," once GMAC buys a foreclosure house, its typical options are to market it individually or combine it with other properties it owns and sell it to investors.
"It can be marketed as vacant or may be marketed as tenant-occupied," she said. "We do have a program called 'cash for keys' that provides funding to the borrower for relocation assistance, and we can also work with the borrower on a reasonable timeline to vacate the property."
From Glass Bead Collective: Rosemary Williams and four other Minnesota women have decided to resist the foreclosure and eviction monster that's destroying our communities. People from the Twin Cities are helping these women defy eviction, the Hennepin County Sheriff, and the big banks that want to steal their homes. Produced by Twin Cities Indymedia http://tc.indymedia.org and the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign http://economichumanrights.org
GMAC Mortgage went to extraordinary lengths to help keep Rosemary Williams, who was evicted on Friday after a foreclosure, in her home, according to the company. Among the steps taken: offering to lease the house back to Williams for $850 per month, multiple loan-modification offers that would have reduced her monthly payment by up to 30 percent and an offer to sell the house back to her for less than half of what was owed on the mortgage.
When none of those offers were accepted, GMAC took steps to have Williams removed from the property. The company gave her a check for $5,000 to help with relocation costs.
“GMAC Mortgage sincerely sympathizes with Rosemary Williams and the financial difficulties she is facing,” said Jeannine Bruin, executive director of GMAC Mortgage Communications, in a statement. “Friday’s actions were very difficult, and a regrettable end to 18 months of seeking a solution with Ms. Williams, with local non-profits and with the mortgage investor to keep her in the home on Clinton Avenue. Unfortunately, Ms. Williams was chronically unable to meet her payment commitments under the adjustable rate mortgage she originated with BNC Mortgage, Inc.
Here’s the entire statement from Bruin:
GMAC Mortgage sincerely sympathizes with Rosemary Williams and the financial difficulties she is facing. Friday’s actions were very difficult, and a regrettable end to 18 months of seeking a solution with Ms. Williams, with local non-profits and with the mortgage investor to keep her in the home on Clinton Avenue.
Unfortunately, Ms. Williams was chronically unable to meet her payment commitments under the adjustable rate mortgage she originated with BNC Mortgage, Inc.
Since December 2007, we have repeatedly extended options to Ms. Williams to reach an affordable, reasonable payment solution, while balancing our contractual obligations to the mortgage servicer and mortgage investor, Aurora Services and Lehman Brothers Holdings, respectively.
Our efforts included:
o Multiple loan modification offers to reduce her monthly payment by 30% and fix her interest rate. o Two offers to purchase the property for as low as 48% of her unpaid mortgage balance. o Two offers to lease the property for $850 per month, a 60% reduction in her monthly payment. One offer included a purchase option at 48% of her unpaid mortgage balance. o Three offers of cash relocation assistance of $5,000, including a check payable to Rosemary Williams that was given to her Friday. o Two rounds of negotiations with local non-profits to reach a purchase and lease agreement on Ms. Williams’ behalf.
As custodian of the property at 3138 Clinton Avenue, we were concerned about the breach of security and its potential impact on public safety and the integrity of the property. At our request, local authorities are enforcing the writ of eviction served on August 7 and removing all trespassers from the property, both now and in the future.
We stand by our actions knowing that we have consistently acted in good faith to find a solution for Ms. Williams, and have repeatedly tried to ensure that she has funding sufficient to secure temporary housing.
Thirty-five days into the popular occupation of 3138 Clinton, Rosemary Williams (one of five Minnesota women publicly resisting eviction - TCIMC/PPEHRC video) was inside her home when it was raided by the Minneapolis Police Department around 2:45pm Friday afternoon. Three supporters were inside. Police claimed they would give ample time to move out remaining belongings, and those inside did so, aided by several dozen who rallied to the scene.
But later in the afternoon, the MPD's plan for a quiet, obedient eviction was foiled. After rallying the crowd, a handful of activists crossed the yellow tape roping off Clinton Avenue on either side of the house and were promptly assaulted by the police with kicks and pepper spray. Other supporters crossed the now-removed yellow tape from the opposite direction to ensure the activists' safety. Officers responded aggressively; one shoved someone to the ground with a two-handed shove to the chest. A TC Indymedia volunteer was sprayed directly in the face while on the "public" side of the police tape.
Four or five people sat down in front of the house in an act of civil disobedience. An officer pointed to another man standing motionless with the crowd outside the police cordon, grabbed him and arrested him. Eventually, seven were taken waiting vans in the alley and arrested. An MPD spokesman said they were charged with obstruction of legal process, though they have not actually been formally charged as of tonight. This video (1:50) shows the police conduct during the civil disobedience.
Related video: Before the arrests
Upcoming: Saturday 10am Leaflet at 7th/Hennepin outside Obama event | Sunday 2pm Press conference outside Rosemary's house
Have videos, photos, or updates? Post them as a comment or publish to the newswire.
At the time of the raid, occupants of the house were preparing for a two-year-old's birthday party. The party was moved to a nearby home. MPD spokesman Jesse Garcia later lied in front of reporters by denying that the child's party had been disrupted.
Garcia was later heard saying into his cell phone what sounded like, "we look like the bad guy." Certainly, any prospect of the MPD appearing benevolent disappeared as afternoon turned into evening. Although one or two officers were reportedly helpful - as helpful as one can be while evicting a 55-year block resident - during the process, most were unsurprisingly rude with neighbors and supporters as well as disrespectful to Rosemary's belongings.
A man and woman from the MPD crime lab were inside the police lines, taking video and photo of activists. For a significant time they refused to identify themselves, but eventually gave their badge numbers after extended jeers from the crowd.
As police milled about, outraged activists and many immediate neighbors joined in chanting, "Who's house? Rosemary's house," "Housing is a human right! Eviction is a crime" and "Let Rosemary stay!"
The building was boarded - or, more accurately, the windows were sealed shut by unfamiliar sheets of durable metal - by workers from Vacant Property Security of Chicago, Illinois (where the Cook County Sheriff has boldly declared a moratorium on foreclosure evictions). The special materials are supposedly designed to make breaking in more difficult. They were also used on the second story windows; the city of Minneapolis typically only boards the first-floor windows of vacant buildings.
According to City Council member Elizabeth Glidden, who has offered tepid support for Rosemary throughout her struggle, private security has been hired by mortgage company GMAC to patrol the property, and the MPD will not pay it special attention. A man wearing a private security uniform arrived on the scene as police and protestors prepared to leave, and spoke with an officer. He refused to identify himself or his company, or say whether his company was the one hired to patrol.
Glidden said the police action "makes no sense," and was saddened by the scene Friday. She says she "scoured what she could do" and "tried to be a personal advocate for Rosemary," though some supporters have questioned her commitment to seeing Rosemary keep her home no matter the method. She refused to condemn the MPD, saying they were "caught in the middle." Notably absent from the scene of the raid, however, were any other seated politicians, including mayor RT Rybak.
A FOX 9 TV cameraman arrived, though other TV stations were notably absent. The day's corporate news was instead dominated by the 9/11 anniversary, a pending Barack Obama visit to Minneapolis, and the funeral of a North St. Paul police officer killed on Monday while responding to a domestic violence incident (the suspect was himself shot and killed by a fellow officer). Print, radio and independent media flocked to the scene, however, including a German reporter on assignment from the Washington Post who had been in Minneapolis to cover the occupation
Just before 5pm, Rosemary emerged for the first time from inside her house, holding a bouquet of flowers in the air to applause from the crowd, which began to chant, "It's not over yet!"
Soon thereafter the civil disobedience and arrests began. As the arrested activists - some going limp - were dragged to the alley away from the crowd and most media, many began call-and-response chants with the gathered suporters. Those who had been pepper sprayed directly had their eyes washed out with water. People berated the police for their rough treatment of the arrestees.
Ironically, the MPD dragged at least one arrestee through Rosemary's house, out of view, to the backyard to be loaded into the booking van.
Shortly after the action subsided, one officer's arm was being bandaged with what looked like a small blood stain soaking through.
Rosemary Williams was not one of those arrested.
Later, others were allowed to continue moving out some belongings. After a long wait, around 8pm, the workers finished boarding and drove away, followed by most police officers. When it was all done, a crowd of about three dozen still remained.
A Small Sampling of Overheard Professional Remarks from the Minneapolis Police Department:
Officer I. Raichert, pointing to a legal observers' cap (NLG legal observers have traditionally worn the green caps for years): "So, is that leftover from the RNC?"
Unknown officer leaning from second story window, to a supporter in a neighbor's yard: "If you don't get out of the yard, we'll put a 45mm in your face."
Unknown officer when asked about his badge while leaving: "I'll take it off and we can figure this out aruond back, if you want." He refused to give his badge number.
A south Minneapolis woman who had refused to leave her foreclosed home after being evicted last month has been removed from the house again.
More than 40 supporters of Rosemary Williams on Friday afternoon lined the yellow tape that police used to cordon off the property, chanting and yelling as workers boarded up the house with metal sheeting and friends helped Williams carry out boxes of personal items.
"It's not over yet," Williams told the crowd when she emerged from the house, smiling through tears as she held high a bouquet of flowers.
The largely peaceful rally briefly turned physical when several protesters crossed the tape, leading to a short scuffle during which police pepper-sprayed several people and arrested half a dozen.
Williams, 60, has fought a months-long battle against foreclosure, drawing wide attention to the house on the 3100 block of Clinton Avenue.
Friends and housing-rights activists have staged a round-the-clock sit-in with her at the house since Aug. 7, when Hennepin County sheriff's deputies ordered her to leave and changed the locks. Soon after they left, a group of Williams' supporters broke in and reopened the house.
On Friday, Williams and several others were in the house at about 2:30 p.m., eating lunch and getting ready for her 2-year-old grandson's birthday party, when they heard a knock on the door.
Outside stood Minneapolis Chief Deputy Rob Allen and more than a dozen police officers. "It's a sad situation," but the courts have ruled that GMAC Mortgage owns the house, Allen said. "The bottom line is that the property owners have a right to ask us to remove trespassers who don't belong on the property."
A case of bad timing
Police brought along a Salvation Army worker to help Williams find housing, but she declined assistance, Allen said.
Williams said Friday that she planned to go to a friend's house for the night and hold the interrupted party.
"The timing was bad. We didn't know she was planning a birthday party," said Allen, who said the police action had been scheduled in coordination with GMAC at a time when officers were available. "We feel bad about that."
Police arrested seven people at the house Friday; they were booked for misdemeanor offenses such as obstructing the legal process, he said.
Friday's crowd included Linda Norenberg, who said she is one of several metro-area women fighting foreclosure, just as Williams has. Norenberg said she was supposed to be out of her Robbinsdale home at the end of July. "I could be next. I don't know," she said.
Williams' troubles began after she took out an adjustable-rate mortgage. Her monthly payments rose from $1,200 to $2,200 when the rate increased. She lost her job and stopped making payments. As a result, the house, which she built with her mother 26 years ago, went into foreclosure and was sold at auction last fall.
Ordered to leave by March 30, she refused. The new owner, GMAC, went to court to have her evicted.
A GMAC spokeswoman, who could not be reached for comment late Friday, said earlier this summer that the company "tried to pursue every reasonable alternative" to keep Williams in her home.
GMAC has made several offers in the past few weeks that Williams has not accepted, according to Linden Gawboy, a volunteer with the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout who had been staying at the house. At one point, the mortgage company offered her $5,000 to walk away. Later, they said she could rent the house for a year, Gawboy said.
Williams said a GMAC representative who came to the house with police on Friday gave her a check for $5,000 -- "blood money," Gawboy said.
"It would benefit them, it would benefit her, if they would just renegotiate a sensible mortgage," she said.
Williams said she handed the check to a coalition volunteer. "Why wouldn't they put that $5,000 on the mortgage?" she asked.
Minneapolis police officers removed Rosemary Williams from the home that she owned for nearly three decades on Friday afternoon. The 60-year-old grandmother had vowed to stay in the residence on the 3100 block of Clinton Avenue even after the home went into foreclosure and sheriff’s deputies evicted her from the premises last month. Williams almost immediately re-entered the property and continued to live there.
Her plight has become a rallying point for activists seeking a moratorium on foreclosures and more assistance for struggling homeowners. As Williams’ belongings were removed from the residence by supporters, at least 50 people gathered on the surrounding sidewalks. They chanted “Housing is a human right, eviction is a crime,” and “Not one more empty home, not one more homeless family.”
Photo: Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent
Shortly before 5 p.m. Williams peacefully departed the house carrying a few belongings. She ducked under the yellow crime tape that surrounded the street in front of her former home.
Photo: Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent
She was embraced by supporters who have kept a near constant vigil at her home in recent months.
Photo: Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent
Protesters then attempted to occupy the property and skirmished with police officers. Pepper spray was deployed to disperse the crowd.
Photo: Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent
About a half dozen protesters succeeded in planting themselves on the grass in front of Williams’ former home.
Photo: Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent
They were restrained with plastic handcuffs and arrested by the cops. At least one woman had to literally be carried away by the cops.
Photo: Paul Demko, Minnesota Independent
This woman continuously shouted “Who’s house? Rosemary’s house,” while she was being arrested.
By 6 p.m., seven protesters had been arrested, according to a release by the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, which has supported Williams throughout the process.
A fifth day has passed without arrests of supporters who are occupying the home of Rosemary Williams.
A very moving candlelight vigil was held on her front lawn Monday evening with participation by people of many faiths.
The next day Tuesday, August 11, 2009, plans were scrapped to hold a demonstration at the mayor's office due to the following letter received by Rosemary Williams' lawyer, sent from the law firm of Faagre & Benson LLP that represents GMAC:
"GMAC offered $5000 to Ms. Williams to assist in her relocation costs and to allow her to move out of the home peacefully and avoid further complications.
Please discuss this with your colleague Emily Chow (766-8012) before noon. If we do not hear from you by that time, GMAC will proceed with contacting the Mpls. Police to secure the property.
As officers of the Court, we have an obligation to abide by the law and the Court's ruling in this case. We presented and argued our cases before the Court and the court has ruled. You have elected not to appeal that ruling, so the Order is final. I hope that you consider your obligation seriously as you advise your client about her options. GMAC has done everything possible to help Ms. Williams, except giving her the property for free. It has negotiated with potential buyers, extended the deadline for eviction and significantly discounted the sale price of the home. There is nothing left to do.
Even all the protesters and so-called supporters who are claiming to help her can't come up with the money to buy the property at the reduced rate. This is an opportunity for your client to vacate the property peacefully so she can move on with her life and GMAC can start the process of preparing the home for resale. I sincerely hope you and your client will choose the peaceful option."
So how did Rosemary respond to GMAC's offer? "NO WAY!" --which immediately spurred us on to step up our demand for an END TO EVICTIONS AND A MORATORIUM ON FORECLOSURES!
Last night, Monday, Aug. 10, at 8pm we at CHAM Deliverance Ministry In San Jose, California prayed for the family of Rosemary Williams. We prayed In solidarity with the vigil held at her home at 3138 Clinton Street In Minneapolis. We stand In solidarity with Rosemary Williams's struggle to keep her home and against foreclosures and evictions around the country.
We are united In opposition to foreclosures and evictions that have been ravaging our communities and destroying families. We call on GMAC to come to the table and use the millions of dollars provided by the government to help families renegotiate their loans. We call on all the banks to come to the table to save Rosemary's home and end foreclosures and evictions around the country.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ― Sixty-year-old Rosemary Williams lived in the home at 3138 Clinton Avenue South in Minneapolis for the past 23 years. It's the only neighborhood she's ever known, having lived on the same block for the past 55 years.
A simple blue sided, two-story home on the Minneapolis' south side has become emblematic of the nation's foreclosure crisis.
"People are willing to go to jail to get justice for Rosemary Williams," said Mick Kelly.
He's one of several dozen activists camped at the house in defiance of a sheriff's eviction order.
Sixty-year-old Rosemary Williams lived in the home at 3138 Clinton Avenue South in Minneapolis for the past 23 years. It's the only neighborhood she's ever known, having lived on the same block for the past 55 years.
Her troubles began last December when Williams lost her job and then received the terrifying news from her mortgage company. The interest rate on her GMAC adjustable rate mortgage shot up to 10 percent. You can imagine what that did to her monthly payment.
"It jumped from $1200 to $2200 in one year," said Williams.
Unemployed and looking for work, Williams was unable to make her payments and fell further and further behind. This summer, GMAC initiated foreclosure and in early July the company executed a formal eviction.
"You've got millions of people already been foreclosed on, millions more are coming. The economy cannot turn around and stop until we have a moratorium on foreclosures," Williams pointed out.
Ever since the eviction order was served by the Hennepin County Sheriff, a growing number of activists have been gathering in front of William's home. They've posted dozens of signs and banners, pointing to what they claim is an injustice being orchestrated by lenders.
Meantime, some of Williams' valuables are being moved out. At the same time, sympathetic protesters have moved in. They vow to resist any request to leave the property, assuring a mass arrest for trespassing.
Beyond the fight over bank foreclosures, activists are also critical of the government's attempt at a loan modification system. It's a system they say is also failing distressed homeowners despite the billions of dollars being pumped into the banking system.
Cheri Hankala has worked with troubled homeowners through the Minnesota Poor People's Economic Human Rights Coalition
She said the loan modification system didn't help Williams and is failing others in the same dire situation.
"We can't find one person out there that has benefited or been a part of any loan modification program in order to save their home," said Hankala.
Attempts to reach GMAC Home Mortgage to discuss this particular case were not successful. They did not return WCCO's phone calls.
So, with posters and prayer, the sit-in continues. A waiting game that will eventually conclude with a forced eviction and one woman's painful foreclosure on the front page.
This morning GMAC contacted Rosemary Williams's attorney. GMAC offered her $5000 to be quiet, stop activity to save her house, and go away. Ms. Williams said no. She would not take their "30 pieces of silver" when justice was on the line.
Today, we had plans to go to Mayor Rybak's office to tell him to order the city attorney to call off the cops. We would hope that our elected officials would act to save the people. It is clear that banks and corporations take precedence over people's lives.
We will be at the Williams home all day. (3138 Clinton Ave S, Minneapolis) GMAC says it is sending out the police to arrest.
This fight will continue for families in foreclosure. Rosemary Williams stated: "I'm more committed now than ever to help families in America to save thier homes. GMAC made me more committed than ever."
Contacts:
MN Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign:Cheri Honkala 267-439-8419 Ann Patterson 612-940-1040
MN Coalition for a People's Bailout, Mick Kelly:612-715-3280, Linden Gawboy:612-296-5649
Rosemary Williams Occupation at Williams' House Goes Into Second Night Submitted by haloka on Sat, 08/08/2009 - 20:10 in
* Local * foreclosures * Housing * Minneapolis * Organizing * people's bailout * PPEHRC * Rosemary Williams * Feature
TAKE ACTION: Tuesday morning at 9:30am meet at Rosemary's house--3138 Clinton-- then go together to the mayor's office at 10am to demand a just resolution to Rosemary's situation.
Related: MPR Update says police waiting for opinion of city attorney | Fighting foreclosures in North MPLS from TCDP
Monday evening: Ninety to a hundred people attended a candlelight vigil at Rosemary Williams's house. Religious folks and other community activists spoke. "God opened the door," said one speaker, describing the occupation.
Monday: 4th day of occupation; approx. 15 people stayed at the house last night; many more there this morning. | Article & Video from Fight Back News
Sunday Update: Press conference at Rosemary's house, 8am Monday.
The occupation at Rosemary Williams' home at 3138 Clinton in Minneapolis enters its second night tonight. On Friday night, about 20 people, including Rosemary Williams herself, spent the night at the home after a no trespassing order was given earlier in the day. At a 4pm press conference this rainy and humid Saturday, the usual crowd of activists from MN PPEHRC and the Coalition for a People's Bailout (twitter feed), bolstered by growing support and donations of food and supplies from neighbors, rallied to the defense of Williams' home. Some pushed for GMAC to finally negotiate; others concluded that the only option left is to defend the house with their bodies.
The question now is what the Minneapolis Police will do next. A police spokesman has said they'll respond if a trespassing complaint is received - but what that means is anyone's guess. For now, says Rosemary, "We can't give up, that's the bottom line. We have to band together to make this happen." People will continue to occupy the house around the clock.
Since Hennepin County sheriff's deputies evicted Williams from her house at 32nd and Clinton four days ago, friends and supporters have been rotating shifts and protesting on the property, with a very large protest planned for Monday.
Rosemary Williams has lived in her home at 3138 Clinton Ave. S. for 26 years, and has become the poster child for the foreclosure crisis in Minneapolis.
Deal to save her home recently fell through and on Friday she was evicted and the locks were changed. But soon, friends and supporters with the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign were able to get inside the house and remove all her belongings.
In three years, Rosemary Williams had lost her job and her mortgage went from $900 to $2,600 per month. But in July, a judge ruled against her defense that she was a victim fo predatory lending and ruled she needed $49,000 to appeal the case.
Protesters are still fighting for Williams. A Press conference started at 8 a.m. Monday and the group has said it plans to stay at 32nd and Clinton until they are forcibly removed by police
Aug 10, 2009 12:06 pm US/Central MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ― Dozens of protesters are waging a sit-in at a foreclosed home in south Minneapolis. in south Minneapolis.
On Friday, officers evicted Rosemary Williams from her home on the 3100 block of Clinton Avenue South, after she missed some mortgage payments to GMAC. Williams is a long-time resident of the area.
Williams said she's a victim of predatory lending. Last month, a judge who heard her case ruled against her and said she would have to either come up with the money she owes, or leave.
Williams and her supporters want GMAC to restart the negotiations to modify her mortgage.
Since the foreclosure Friday, protesters have taken over the home, coming and going in shifts. On Monday, some said they're willing to stay as long as needed: weeks, months, even a year.
NEIGHBORS AND SUPPORTERS OF ROSEMARY WILLIAMS DEMAND MEETING WITH MAYOR
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 10:00 a.m., neighbors, friends, supporters of Rosemary Williams along with the faith community will go to Mayor Rybak's office. We will demand to meet with Mayor Rybak and insist that he stop police from evicting Rosemary from her home, and that the mayor take action to keep Rosemary in her home.
On Friday, Aug. 7th, Rosemary Williams and her family endured a snap eviction from the house Rosemary has been fighting to save for over a year. Neighbors, supporters and community members rushed to the house at 3138 Clinton to defend the home. Dozens of supporters have slept on the floors and have held an overnight watch at the front and back doors. During the days, hundreds of people have pitched in for rallies, massive moves of Ms. Williams's belongings, and organizing meals and community gatherings.
Mayor Rybak needs to see that forcing Ms. Williams and her supporters from the home is the wrong thing to do. It is time for Mayor Rybak to address the foreclosure crisis in our city and to keep Rosemary Williams in her home.
Rosemary Williams, her neighbors, friends, and supporters will continue this struggle as long as it take to get justice.
MN Coalition for a People's Bailout, Mick Kelly 612-715-3280, Linden Gawboy 612-296-5649
MN Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign: Cheri Honkala 267-439-8419, Ann Patterson 612-940-1040
Here's the suggested text to send to the elected officials (below):
"I am very alarmed about the epidemic of imminent and unjust foreclosures in the Green Central neighborhood of south Minneapolis, involving several long-time residents. Rosemary Williams' loss of her home and her neighbors' resistance to it are about to get nationwide attention, as scores of their supporters block the sheriff's effort to remove her. This is a human rights emergency for this homeowner, her neighbors, and tens of thousands of Americans who are threatened with foreclosure. Join us today by personally intervening and speaking out to keep Rosemary Williams in her home and stop this now."
Direct your communications to the following elected officials:
Elizabeth Glidden 350 S 5th Street City Hall, Room 307 Minneapolis, MN 55415 Phone: (612) 673-2208 Fax: (612) 673-3940 Email: Elizabeth.Glidden@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Congressman Keith Ellison (he should be in district on House recess) Minneapolis Office 2100 Plymouth Avenue N Minneapolis, MN 55411 Phone: (612) 522-1212 Fax: 612-522-9915 Email contact: https://forms.house.gov/ellison/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm
Senator Al Franken (in DC until Aug. 8 recess) 320 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 DC Phone: 202-224-5641 MN Phone: 651-221-1016 E-mail: info@franken.senate.gov
CALL FOR SUPPORT - Resistance Continues - 24 hour Presence of Supporters Needed Yesterday around 2pm the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department officially evicted Rosemary Williams, removing all occupants and locking many of Rosemary's possessions into her home. Thankfully, last night Rosemary was able to sleep peacefully in her home. The community mobilized quickly, first re-opening the home then rallying outside and carrying out possessions to temporary storage in volunteers' vans. Throughout the afternoon and evening over 100 members of the community came to rally and show support.
Members of MN PPEHRC, the Coalition for a People's Bailout, and community members will continue to fight and occupy the property until Rosemary's home is secure. The more people who are present at the home at any given time, the less the chances are of forced removal at the hands of the police department. We are maintaining a constant presence at the home, 24 hours a day.
Come by and show your support whenever you can. Stay for as long as you can and spread the word. We plan on keeping this home as long as possible to pressure the city and the banks to accept a deal that will allow Rosemary to keep her home.
Come anytime to 3138 Clinton Ave S. Bring friends, family, musical instruments and entertainment.
AND...HERE'S ANOTHER UPDATE RE. BARBARA BYRD'S STAND Barbara Byrd, African American working woman fighting to stay in her duplex in Brooklyn Park, will NOT appear in court on August 10th as scheduled. Her date in district court to present her case against EMC has been rescheduled for Wednesday, September 16th at 1pm. Room number to be verified. No Evictions, No Foreclosures! Housing is a Human Right!
As weekend ends, danger of police raid looms Monday morning.
Media conference
Monday, August 10, 8:00 a.m.
3138 Clinton Ave S, Minneapolis
On Friday, Aug. 7th, Rosemary Williams and her family endured a snap eviction from the home Rosemary has been fighting to save for over a year. Ms. Williams was given less than 90 minutes to decide which of her 60+ years of history to empty into her vehicle. That is how long it took the sheriff's people to change the locks.
Immediately, neighbors, supporters and community members rushed to the house at 3138 Clinton. Almost as immediately, plans were made to make sure Ms. Williams was able to retreive her belongings and reclaim access to her home. Part of those plans included supporters taking a stand inside and outside the house, determined to defend the home.
For two nights, up to 20 supporters have slept on the floors and have held an overnight watch at the front and back doors. During the days, upwards of 75 people at a time have pitched in for rallies, massisve moves of Ms. Williams belongings, and organizing simple family barbeques and birthday parties.
But tomorrow, we will be prepared for the situation to escalate. A nationwide call has been put out for members of the public to call GMAC, insisting that they start negotgiating in good faith with Ms. Williams so she and her family can keep her home. GMAC's stalling and outright fabrications have stymied efforts for Ms. Williams to explore all the avenues available to her. We have been exposing the rotteness of GMAC's tactics to the public, and people around the country are taking inpiration from Rosemary Williams's fight.
Monday, GMAC has to make a choice. Agree to negotiate in good faith, or continue to be exposed for its role in destroying homes, neighborhoods, and our communities...all the while grubbing at the trough of billions in federal bailout money.
Contacts: MN Coalition for a People's Bailout, Mick Kelly:612-715-3280, Linden Gawboy:612-296-5649
MN Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign:Cheri Honkala 267-439-8419 Ann Patterson 612-940-1040
Press Conference: Deal to save Rosemary Williams’s home falls through.
Deal to save Rosemary Williams's home falls through.
Coming together AGAIN to stop Rosemary's eviction: News conference: Monday, August 3, 11:00 a.m. 3138 Clinton Ave S, Minneapolis
On Friday, July 31, at about 3:00 p.m., Rosemary Williams got word that the deal with Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation (GMHC) to buy her home fell through. This, after the drama of July 24, when shortly after a 24-hour eviction notice was served, she got word that GMHC was to purchase her home and arrange to lease it back to her. A week of relief and celebration and hope was capped off by Friday's devastating news.
Rosemary is not giving up on trying to save her home, and the community is not giving up either. We are mobilizing community members, organizations and all those who want to fight the housing crisis to stand guard at Rosemary's house and do whatever we can to stop the eviction.
At Monday's news conference, we will give an update on our plans to save Rosemary's home, as well as any additional information about the current situation.
Rosemary Williams is a 55-year resident of the Central Neighborhood in south Minneapolis. She has been fighting to save her home for almost a year now. After months of non-communication from the mortgage holders, an eviction was ordered this spring. Ms. Williams, along with dozens of community supporters, tried to use the courts to stop the eviction, only to find out that pursuing "justice" would cost us $49,000. Meanwhile Rosemary has also been desperately trying to get financing to save her home, a process that takes time, especially in this economic and bank climate. Through it all, Ms. Williams makes it clear that she is standing up to inspire everyone to fight against these unjust foreclosures and evictions.
MN Coalition for a People's Bailout, mn-peoples-bailout.org, 612-296-5649, Linden Gawboy MN Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, 651-497-4644, Lynette Malles
Rosemary Williams, third woman from right (partly obscured by man), learned hours after getting an eviction notice that she doesn’t have to leave. Supporters had been prepared to fight through civil disobedience.
A Minneapolis nonprofit developer has agreed to buy the home of Rosemary Williams and strike a deal so she can stay there.
By ALLIE SHAH, Star Tribune
Last update: July 25, 2009 - 8:18 AM
Rosemary Williams, whose fight to stay in her foreclosed home in Minneapolis has attracted national attention, has won a last-minute reprieve -- and possibly more.
Hours after getting an eviction notice Friday, Williams, standing barefoot on the wooden porch outside the house where she's lived for 23 years, said she learned that she can stay for now and, perhaps, for good.
The Greater Metropolitan Housing Corp., a local nonprofit developer, said it has agreed to buy the home from GMAC Mortgage and allow Williams to live there through a rental or other arrangement.
"It's all taken care of. We expect to close within a week," the organization's president, Carolyn Olson, said Friday evening. Olson said that she had signed the paperwork to buy the home for $90,000 and sent it to GMAC. GMAC officials could not immediately be reached.
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office had served the eviction notice on Williams, 60, early Friday, which would have required her to leave within the next few days.
She and her supporters had planned to block authorities from removing her by using non-violent civil disobedience and scheduled a news conference Friday to detail their plans.
Instead, Minneapolis City Council Member Elizabeth Glidden announced the negotiations between a potential buyer and GMAC that would allow Williams to stay.
"We know that the Sheriff's Office is holding off," Glidden told the crowd, who cheered loudly.
Lisa Kiava, a spokeswoman for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, said Williams had been served paperwork, adding, "we're not taking any action on the writ of execution until we have more information."
Williams is a divorced mother of three who took out an adjustable-rate mortgage to get $12,000 to pay some bills. Her payment jumped from $1,200 to $2,200 a month. At the same time, she lost her job and stopped making payments. The house went into foreclosure and was sold at an auction last fall.
She was ordered to leave the house by March 30, but she refused. The new owner, GMAC Mortgage, went to court to have her evicted.
Williams' family has lived on Clinton Avenue for more than 50 years, and she and her mother built the house where she now lives.
There are seven foreclosed homes on her block, including a boarded-up one across the street that was tagged recently with this sardonic message: "What housing crisis?"
Williams' case has attracted the interest of filmmaker Michael Moore, she said, as well as several local organizations. They include the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign.
"She has become a symbol of what so many people are going through," Glidden said.
Sitting on her porch Friday after the crowd left, Williams said: "I had a sign in my bathroom that said, 'I believe in miracles.' This morning I looked at that sign and said, 'Yes.'"
Today, July 24, at 9:15 a.m., the Hennepin County Sheriff's office knocked on the door of Rosemary Williams, 3138 Clinton Ave S, Minneapolis. They handed her an eviction notice, stating that she and her family (including two grandbabies) had to be out of the house by Monday. Ms. Williams, along with the MN Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign and the MN Coalition for People's Bailout were already prepared with a press conference to announce plans to resist the eviction.
Twenty minutes before the press conference, Rosemary Williams got a phone call from Minneapolis Councilmember Elizabeth Glidden. Word came through that a buyer had been found for the house, and that Ms. Williams could get a chance to lease her home with an option to buy it outright. In any case, the sheriffs were called off. And Rosemary stays in her home.
"This victory shows that when you fight back, you can win," said Linden Gawboy, of the MN Coalition for a People's Bailout. "Rosemary has lit the path for millions of others in this country. Stay, stay, stay. Never give up. Our communities depend on us staying."
Cheri Honkala, of the MN Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign stated, "Rosemary's victory proves the strength of people's power. Through a unified struggle made up of directly affected people and allies, mega-corporations like GMAC have run scared. Rosemary has won."
Rosemary Williams has lived on the same block in South Minneapolis for 55 years. Since she began her fight against foreclosures, she has been speaking not just for herself, but for all others in the same situation. She has testified at the legislature, before the city council and attempted a ground-breaking court case to save her home. She is a heroic example to everyone that taking a stand can have results.
"This is what happens when organizations and community come together and work collectively," said Rosemary Williams. "I just want to encourage everyone to not just leave in the night like they want you to. Fight for what is yours."
Today, Thursday July 23, at about 11:00 a.m., Judge Zimmerman issued a "Writ of Recovery" on behalf of GMAC. This means GMAC can seize Rosemary Williams's home as soon as Friday (TOMORROW). The sheriff could post the eviction notice as soon as TODAY. Then the sheriff wants the house vacated in 24 hours.
Here is the plan: --Right after the sheriff posts the notice of eviction, we will put out a call to have EVERYONE stand guard at Rosemary's house - 3138 Clinton Ave, Mpls. Make plans now as to what your role will be as we stop this eviction. Again, it is likely that we will have to be there tomorrow.
--Press conference: Friday, July 24, 1:00 p.m. Rosemary's house: 3138 Clinton Ave S, Minneapolis
SOME CALLS TO MAKE: Call GMAC: Call GMAC in the Twin Cities and the national headquarters. Twin Cities: 952-806-9705 GMAC Headquarters: 215-734-8899 Tell them to retract the writ of recovery and let Rosemary try to save her home. She has been desperately trying to get financing to save her home, a process that takes time.
Call Fraegre and Benson: GMAC is represented by the law firm of Fraegre and Benson. Rosemary asks that you call them at 612-766-7000 and tell them to "undo the Writ of Recovery" on Rosemary's home.
Call these elected officials Mayor RT Rybak: 612-673-2100 U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison: 202-225-4755 U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar: 202-224-3244 U.S. Sen. Al Franken: 202-224-5641 Demand that they call GMAC and order GMAC to retract the writ of recovery. Banks got billions of dollars in bailout money. Now is their chance to help the people who the banks screwed over.
Rosemary Williams is a 55-year resident of the Central Neighborhood in south Minneapolis. Rosemary has been a fighter against the foreclosure crisis for nearly a year, giving inspiration to others to fight back. Now is the time for all the community to show support. Clear your calendars and take a stand!
We will put our more info later.
MN Coalition for a People's Bailout, www.mn-peoples-bailout.org, 612-822-8020, 612-296-5649 MN Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, 612-940-1040
People's Party At Rosemary's Home! Support our friend and neighbor, Rosemary Williams, as we continue to defend our community.
Rosemary Williams' Home 3138 Clinton Ave S, Minneapolis Friday July 10, 6pm-Midnight
We're putting the fun in fundraiser!
The cups are being given out in exchange for a suggested donation of $5 (and we'll even accept more). The beer and wine will be flowing freely. We'll be grilling dollar dogs (both meaty and vegan). Slices of watermelon are also on the menu. Of course, rockin' tunes will also be heard (dancing is encouraged).
We won't let the tyrants in their ivory bank towers destroy the spirit of our community, so come on by and give that spirit some exercise!
Update on Rosemary's Case Rosemary did not receive an eviction notice this week. GMAC has temporarily backed off from the eviction and offered to significantly lower the price to $90,000. for which they will sell Rosemary her home (GMAC bought her home at a sheriff's sale). However they will not finance the mortgage. They have given her until July 10 to produce documentation showing she has secured financing. If she is not able to do so by the 10th, they have said they will give her additional time to vacate her home. We're glad that Rosemary has more time in her home and a chance to keep it - but plans for non-violent civil disobedience and protest of her still-possible eviction have not changed.
There is still an ongoing estate sale happening in her house and in back. Come on over and send others!
People's Party Friday, July 10, come to the "People's Party" at Rosemary's house at 3138 Clinton Avenue South from 6pm until midnight. Spread the word. There will be $5 bottomless cups of beer, dollar dogs (meaty and vegan), watermelon and jammin' tunes. Plain ol' donations are also encouraged. Enjoy the evening with your fellow people of conscience. Let's put the fun in fundraiser! Bring friends and family.
Fundraising Dinner for Ona Kingbird
6:30pm Tuesday, July 7 at the Indian Center at Bloomington and Franklin Ave. in Minneapolis. $10. for all the spaghetti and meatballs that you can eat. Ona is a Twin Cities Ojibwa elder who has taught for 36 years in Minnesota public schools and prisons. As a Red Lake tribal member and bearer of the pipe given by her father, a medicine man, she preserved the culture of her students at Heart of the Earth school in South Minneapolis. She is facing homelessness due to foreclosure on her home.
Come to the July 16-19 National Conference to Abolish Poverty: "Building the Unsettling Force"
The Social Welfare Action Alliance (SWAA - formerly Bertha Capen Reynolds Society) and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC) invite your participation in our joint 2009 national conference. A number of us from here plan to attend as people from around the country are interested to hear the experiences of their "allies in Minneapolis." The conference will be held at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. Contact the MN PPEHRC office at 612-821-2364.
A Minneapolis woman who has battled eviction could be forced out of her house as early as next week unless she can post a $50,000 bond.
Although negotiations between Rosemary Williams and GMAC Mortgage still are underway, Hennepin County District Judge Lloyd Zimmerman ruled Thursday that Williams must post a bond of $49,940 by Monday.
Public plea for donations
If Williams does not come up with the money, GMAC could obtain an eviction notice as soon as Tuesday. Williams and her supporters made a public plea for donations. Meanwhile, they vow to try to physically block the eviction and face arrest.
"We are absolutely outraged and think this is a violation of all her rights as a citizen," said Cheri Honkala, an activist for the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign and a friend of Williams. "This $49,000 determines whether she has a right to due process."
Honkala said "hundreds" would show up at the home to protest and try to prevent an eviction. Williams' home in the 3100 block of Clinton Avenue S. was sold in September as part of a foreclosure begun after she fell behind on payments on a second, adjustable-rate mortgage.
'Nuisance property' suit
After Williams, 60, failed to leave the house by March 30, GMAC went to court to have her evicted. Williams' attorneys fought the eviction, but on June 18 Judge Zimmerman granted GMAC summary judgment.
Separately, last month, the Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO) and 17 of Williams' neighbors filed a lawsuit contending that if Williams is forced out, her home will become another nuisance property in the neighborhood.
Zimmerman dismissed the suit, saying that because Williams lives at the property, all allegations of nuisances are hypothetical and that the plaintiffs failed to prove any "wrongful conduct" by GMAC.
In a statement, GMAC spokeswoman Jeannine Bruin said because Williams intends to appeal, she cannot discuss the ongoing court matter.
"GMAC Mortgage continues to be open to reaching an agreeable settlement with Ms. Williams in this matter," she wrote.
Williams' attorney, Jordan Kushner, said he expected the judge to require a bond but didn't expect it to be so high.
"GMAC Mortgage continues to be open to reaching an agreeable settlement with Ms. Williams in this matter," she wrote.
Williams' attorney, Jordan Kushner, said he expected the judge to require a bond but didn't expect it to be so high.
Today, in Minneapolis, Judge Zimmerman ruled for that Rosemary Williams would need to post a bond of $49,000 in order to appeal the foreclosure of her home. She can be evicted anytime beginning on Monday. PPEHRC members will speak about their response and plans at 2PM today at Rosemary Williams' home at 3138 Clinton Avenue South.
FOR MORE INFO: Call Cheri Honkala at 267-439-8419 or Ann Patterson at 612-940-1040
by Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio June 18, 2009
Rosemary Williams at a May 26 protest outside the Hennepin County Government Center. Williams and supporters gathered to protest her pending eviction from her foreclosed home. (MPR Photo / Madeleine Baran)
St. Paul, Minn. — A Minneapolis woman who has resisted eviction from her foreclosed home for months needs to vacate it within seven days, a Hennepin County judge ruled Wednesday.
Rosemary Williams has attracted widespread attention in recent months, as she partnered with local activists to fight eviction from the south Minneapolis home where she has lived for 26 years.
"This case is not just about me ... This is about our whole country." - Rosemary Williams Negotiations with lender GMAC Mortgage will continue, but if a settlement is not reached, Williams, 60, will likely have no further legal recourse.
A separate lawsuit filed by her neighbors against her mortgage company was dismissed on Wednesday. The suit alleged that allowing foreclosed homes to sit vacant creates a public nuisance.
When Williams' mother died six years ago, Williams refinanced twice into an adjustable rate mortgage. The monthly payments shot up from $1,200 to $2,200. Her home was sold at a sheriff's auction in September.
Since April, activists have packed Williams' court hearings and held several rallies to call attention to the effect of foreclosures on low-income homeowners.
"This case is not just about me," Williams said before an April hearing. "This is about our whole country. We're here today to say the evictions have to stop."
Williams could not be reached for comment today.
In a statement released yesterday, GMAC spokesperson Jeannine Bruin stressed that efforts to negotiate with Williams will continue. "Even with the favorable judgment, our legal counsel met with the judge and Ms. Williams today to try to reach agreeable arrangements in this matter, as we did with Ms. Williams prior to the foreclosure and which we continue to do throughout these court proceedings," Bruin said.
Williams' supporters vow to engage in non-violent civil disobedience to prevent her eviction if a settlement is not reached. Activists say they are also prepared to conduct an emergency fundraising effort to help Williams pay any settlement costs.
"Right now, we're just crossing our fingers and praying," Cheri Honkala, an activist for the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, said.
Rosemary Williams, left, at her south Minneapolis house on March 30. Her friend, Cheri Honkala, was helping her put signs on her front fence. Williams lost her home at a foreclosure sale in September.
Original Article: http://www.startribune.com/local/48295597.html?page=1&c=y The mortgage company followed foreclosure rules and a south Minneapolis woman must move out, judge ruled. But GMAC and the homeowner are still negotiating.
By ABBY SIMONS, Star Tribune
Last update: June 17, 2009 - 11:46 PM A woman who has battled eviction from her south Minneapolis house has seven days to vacate it, a Hennepin County judge ruled Wednesday, while a lawsuit filed by her neighbors and activists against her mortgage company to prevent her ouster has been dismissed.
However, Judge Lloyd Zimmerman's order does not mean the end of Rosemary Williams' legal battle against GMAC Mortgage, after the two sides met behind closed doors to discuss a potential settlement. No agreement was reached Wednesday evening, but talks will continue, said Jordan Kushner, one of Williams' attorneys.
Williams, 60, lost her home in the 3100 block of Clinton Avenue S. at a foreclosure sale in September after she fell behind on payments on a second, adjustable rate mortgage.
After Williams failed to leave the house by March 30, GMAC went to court to have her evicted by sheriff's deputies. Williams' attorneys asked for a trial on the issues. Separately, last month, the Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO) and 17 of Williams' neighbors filed a civil lawsuit contending that if Williams was forced to leave, her home would become another nuisance property in the neighborhood.
Williams was scheduled for trial next week in the housing court action, but Zimmerman granted GMAC's request for summary judgment, writing that GMAC acted within the law. He dismissed the lawsuit, saying that because Williams lives at the property, all allegations of nuisances are hypothetical, and that the plaintiffs failed to prove any "wrongful conduct" by GMAC.
"Were the court to create a new legal principle based upon the argument of Ms. Williams and her supporters, no bank or mortgage company would ever lend to people living in economically distressed neighborhoods because financial institutions could not rely on courts to honor contracts freely entered into between consenting adults," Zimmerman wrote.
A call to Williams was not returned. A GMAC representative also could not be reached.
Cheri Honkala, an activist for the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign and a friend of Williams', said neighbors are hoping for a resolution that will allow Williams to remain in her home. If not, they will plan civil disobedience to remain in the home, she said.
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 The good news is that Judge Lloyd Zimmerman ORDERED a GMAC representative (one who is authorized to make a binding decision on Rosemary's case) to fly in to Mpls. for a 3:30 p.m. closed meeting tomorrow in the judge's chambers, together with Rosemary's lawyers, GMAC's lawyers and Rosemary. We assume the judge's goal is for GMAC to make a deal allowing her to stay in her home at an affordable rate. She has been paying on her home for 18 years.
The bad news is that the judge ruled out a jury trial on June 22nd. He also ruled against all of our legal arguments (see the end of this email for details on those legal arguments).
BUT the fact that he ordered GMAC to come to a mandatory mediation is extraordinary. It is clear that Rosemary and all parties involved have a morally compelling case. Now the main thing is to hope for real justice on Wednesday, June 17.
What's Next? Watch for posts tonight, Wednesday, June 17th, as to whether a resolution is reached in the afternoon. If YES, a block celebration party will be held soon on Rosemary's block.
If a GMAC wins a writ of eviction, stay tuned for a coalition of groups to follow up with Civil Disobedience training Tuesday evening June 23rd at 6pm in the gym at Sabathani Community Center. The very earliest that eviction could take place would be Wednesday June 24th. We'll issue a call for as many people as possible to sit in at Rosemary's house in resistance.
************* Here are some of the legal decisions Judge Zimmerman came to, along with some commentary:
* GMAC did not discriminate against Rosemary Williams on the basis of race, which would have violated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but in any case would not be binding under domestic law. GMAC is entitled to regain possession of the property based on a refinancing contract that Rosemary signed for an Adjustable Rate Mortgage loan at a value of $174,300. on August 31st, 2005. The judge upheld a summary judgment for GMAC to regain possession of their property. * The case for the human "right to housing" as defined in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be thrown out because the United States has not ratified the international treaty.
* The plaintiff's motion to intervene by neighbors and CANDO (Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization) to renegotiate Rosemary's loan so that she can remain in her home and care for it based on the likelihood that if she is evicted, it will remain vacant, thereby creating a nuisance in a neighborhood already blighted by vacated homes that have been vandalized, inviting crime. This motion was rejected based on GMAC's argument that because Rosemary is currently IN her home, she does not create a nuisance under Minnesota's nuisance statute. GMAC contended that if she were evicted, they would market the property, and it is only supposition that it would remain vacant.
In issuing his verbal ruling, Judge Zimmerman's comments were contradictory. On the one hand, he lamented the "dying of cities" and the "dying of neighborhoods," quoting at length from CANDO's allegations of their rapidly deteriorating neighborhood due to foreclosures. On the other hand, he stated that Rosemary "freely" entered into a contract with the lender and was not "swindled." He neglected to mention that the lender in no way tried to explain to Rosemary that her payments could and probably would skyrocket. Further, the judge pondered the question, "Why would a lender knowingly promote a loan that the mortgagor might not be able to repay? Hummm. Go figure! Once again, PROPERTY for PROFIT rules. When will the "law" catch up with people's reality by means of a moratorium on evictions?
We must collect $600 by 4pm Friday, June 5th! If Mr. Blair's water is shut off on the 8th, he will be evicted BEFORE he has a chance to resist foreclosure. If he's evicted, the SIXTY petitions signed by neighbors to intervene on his behalf will go to waste...and he will be unable to renegotiate his loan with Wells Fargo. We cannot let this happen! His lawyer is on stand-by until Mr. Blair receives an order to appear in court so the fight can begin.
PLEASE HELP! If you can write a check or money order in ANY amount, please: 1. Reply to this email, stating amount. THANK YOU! 2. Make it out to: City of Minneapolis Finance Department 3. In the memo, write: Re. James Blair's utility billing for 3221 Bloomington Ave. S. 4. Bring it (or cash with your name) to the home of Ann Patterson at 3756 10th ave. So. corner 38th Street. Someone is always home (best enter via deck). 5. Call the office if you have questions 612-821-2364
OR if you need somebody to pick it up from you, just mention that in your reply with the where, when, etc. and a volunteer will be right over! There ARE enough of us. Timing is critical-we CANDO this!
Hope to see you at Lake and 4th Ave. this Friday at 4 (for our weekly "Rosemary" picket) and celebrate pulling this off!
In Peace, Lynette PPEHRC ________________________________ Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. See how.
Supporters say “Come to court, Support Rosemary Williams, stop foreclosures” Foreclosure and eviction trial for Rosemary Williams set to start Tuesday, May 26
Tuesday, May 26: 8:00 AM: News Conference & Speak-Out: Support Rosemary – Stop the Foreclosures 5th Street Plaza, Hennepin County Government Center Downtown Minneapolis
9:00 AM: Foreclosure trial set to start in Hennepin County District Court, judge & room number TBA.
Rosemary Williams, a long-time resident of Minneapolis' Central neighborhood, has won wide community support in her struggle to prevent her mortgage company from foreclosing on her home and evicting her.
On Tuesday, May 26, Ms. Williams will go to court seeking an end to the foreclosure process. This is one of the first legal battles against a foreclosure in Minnesota.
Ms. Williams is contesting the foreclosure and eviction on several grounds. Hundreds of neighbors, friends and community members have signed legal requests to intervene in her case. Her supporters argue that her eviction, which will lead to another vacant home, would create a public nuisance for the entire neighborhood.
Stef Yorek, of the MN Coalition for a People's Bailout, said, “Low-income neighborhoods with high concentrations of people of color have been the hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis. Foreclosures and evictions destabilize communities, we need to keep people in their homes, not create more empty houses and more homelessness.”
Cheri Honkala, Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign said, “We are urging people to come to court on Tuesday morning to show solidarity with Rosemary Williams and her fight against foreclosure and eviction.”
Honkala went on to say, “This case must send a message to the banks and mortgage companies, as well as the politicians: Stop the foreclosures, working people and low-income people need a bailout, not the banks!”
Several organizations and coalitions have been acting to build support for the court case and to speak out for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures.
For more information: --MN Coalition for a People's Bailout Linden Gawboy: 612-296-5649 or Stef Yorek: 612-823-4841 --Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign Cheri Honkala: 267-439-8419 or 612-821-2364
Neighbors of a woman facing imminent eviction from her south Minneapolis house filed suit Tuesday, claiming that if she is forced to leave, her home will fall into disrepair like others on the block and become another nuisance property.
Lawyers filed the suit in Hennepin County District Court on behalf of a neighborhood organization and neighbors of Rosemary Williams.
She faces trial next Tuesday in district court over an attempt by GMAC Mortgage LLC to evict her. She lost her home on the 3100 block of Clinton Avenue S. at a foreclosure sale in September.
Jordan Kushner, one of Williams' attorneys, said he will ask a judge Tuesday to postpone the eviction trial and consolidate that case with the lawsuit.
Williams' attorneys had intended at the eviction trial to argue that removing Williams will create a nuisance vacant property, further damaging the neighborhood. The lawyers said it was a
novel legal approach, but one they were not sure they'd be allowed to make in that forum. So they filed the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs in the suit are the Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization [CANDO], and 17 of Williams' neighbors.
A Minneapolis attorney representing GMAC referred questions to a spokesperson in Pennsylvania, who could not be reached late Tuesday afternoon for comment.
Neighbors, friends and community organizations File Lawsuit Against GMAC on Rosemary Williams Foreclosure Case.
Wednesday, May 20, 9:00 a.m. Location: GMAC Mortgage, 380 Jackson Street, Suite 700, St. Paul, MN
The Central Area Neighborhood Association, and neighbors of Rosemary Williams, a resident of south Minneapolis facing eviction as a result of a foreclosure on her house, have filed a lawsuit in Hennepin County District Court to try and prevent her eviction by GMAC Mortgage LLC. The lawsuit alleges that GMAC will be creating a private nuisance, harmful to neighbors and the community, by creating another vacant house on a block already hard hit by the foreclosure crisis.
Williams, called a "pillar of the community" by her neighbors, has lived on the same block in south Minneapolis for over 55 years. The lawsuit alleges that vacant houses on the block have been magnets for crime and are poorly maintained by the financial companies that take possession when owners are evicted. Several houses on the block where Williams lives have already been stripped of copper and other valuable items, driving down property values. Neighbors seek to have Williams be allowed to stay in her home as part of an effort to stabilize the neighborhood and prevent additional harm to residents.
Steff Yorek, from the MN Coalition for a Peoples Bailout said, "Low income neighborhoods with high concentrations of people of color have been the hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis. I live six blocks from Rosemary Williams, I see first hand how this hurricane of foreclosures is devastating my neighborhood."
Cheri Honkala is a neighbor of Rosemary Williams, of the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign. The PPEHRC office is located in the Central neighborhood, states "Rosemary Williams is on the front lines of the fight against foreclosures. We are organizing in our neighborhood and our neighbors are behind her. We will do everything in our power to prevent her eviction."
This lawsuit is being filed ahead of Ms. Williams' trial on the foreclosure related eviction proceedings, which is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 9am at the Hennepin County Government Center.
For more information contact:
Steff Yorek / Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout @ 612-865-8234
Cheri Honkala / Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign @ 267-439-8419
A lot of exciting of things going on in the Twin Cities:
1) After threatening to set up a tent city and sitting for 4 hours with children at the Wells Fargo office, the Senior Vice President from Loan Servicing met with MN PPEHRC and agreed to meet with both Ann Patterson and James Blair to talk about their mortages at 9am tomorrow. View the pictures.
2) Upcoming Actions - Bring a friend, a neighbor,your church, your union!
Join us for a rally for Rosemary Williams at the Hennepin County Government Center at 8am on May 26th before she goes to court to save her home and our neighborhood!
On May 29th at 9AM, we will hold another Sheriff's Sale demonstration as they try to sell Leslie Parks and her mother's home. We must stop them from selling their homes!
3) Photos from our Mother's Day Press Conference available here!
4) MN PPEHRC needs your help with door knocking for signatures and money for legal help. We also need trucks & people willing to help move peoples' belongings if necessary. Join the underground railroad by contacting Deeq Abdi at abdippehrc@gmail.com
The Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign Demands To Meet with Banks -To Save Homes & Neighborhoods! TODAY!
Neighbors & members of the PPEHRC have decided to join together to try and take on the big banks in order to save each others homes. Inspired by Rosemary Williams who is battling GMAC in order to keep her home after living on her block for 55 years, other families step forward to join in the fight.
"I have gone everywhere looking for the Obama money so that me and my children don't lose our home and I can't find it anywhere! Where's my families' bailout? If I wait any longer, my family will lose our home like many of my neighbors who are gone now." said Ann Patterson of MN PPEHRC.
Beginning with Wells Fargo, we intend to meet with each of these banks. If they refuse to meet and negotiate than we will set up a Tent City today at 1pm at the Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Headquarter son 28th and 4th in Mpls. (Old Honeywell Building).
Mr. Blair is also intent on meeting will Wells Fargo in order to save his home. Mr Blair is past the 6 month redemption period, worked as a social worker for Mpls. for years with homeless families. Now disabled, he faces losing his home any day now
On Mothers day May 10th at 2:00 pm a press conference will be held to announce that several south side residents are pledging to fight to keep their homes, and resist evictions brought on by the current foreclosure crisis.
With the support of Minnesota Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign
These families are committed to the prevention of their children becoming homeless. Together they are demanding the opportunity to re-negotiate the terms of their mortgages, with their mortgage companies.
Where: 3221 Bloomington Ave S.
Those fighting for their homes include:
Marsha Myhre
Leslie Parks
Essie Jenkins
Ann Patterson
James Blair
Sheila Nelson
Donna Fletcher
Rosemary Williams
Others…
"What's happening in our neighborhood and in our city is just morally wrong, we need to keep our families off the streets."
A trial to evict a Minneapolis woman from her foreclosed house has been rescheduled for May 26 after the mortgage company that now owns the house said it wanted to have "further conversations" with the woman and her attorneys.
The trial had been scheduled to begin Tuesday. But at a news conference, Rosemary Williams, who lost her house on the 3100 block of Clinton Avenue to foreclosure in September, said lawyers from GMAC Mortgage, the new owner, had called her attorney to ask for the postponement and raised the possibility of negotiating with her.
Jeannine Bruin, executive director of mortgage communications for GMAC Financial Services, declined to comment on what was being discussed.
After Williams failed to leave the house by March 30, GMAC went to court to have her evicted by sheriff's deputies. At a hearing last week, Williams' attorneys asked for a trial on the issues.
Several groups that support a foreclosure moratorium have vowed to use civil disobedience to prevent her eviction.
Williams said she had been unable to make escalating payments on a second mortgage.
In court papers, her attorney Jordan Kushner said GMAC "should not be permitted to harm the community for purposes of property speculation, particularly where it is receiving billions of dollars in federal taxpayer funds for the ostensible purpose of helping homeowners avoid foreclosure."
While declining to discuss Williams' case, Bruin said "in general," once GMAC buys a foreclosure house, its typical options are to market it individually or combine it with other properties it owns and sell it to investors.
"It can be marketed as vacant or may be marketed as tenant-occupied," she said. "We do have a program called 'cash for keys' that provides funding to the borrower for relocation assistance, and we can also work with the borrower on a reasonable timeline to vacate the property."
Friends rally to help Minneapolis woman, 60, fighting eviction: Mortgage company lawyer said he empathizes with activist who is losing her Minneapolis home, but that his hands are tied.
Rosemary Williams, center, who is fighting eviction from her home after she was foreclosed on, held a news conference with a group of supporters before she went into Minneapolis housing court on Wednesday to seek a trial on the legality of losing her home via sheriff's auction. Photo by Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune
Flanked by two prominent activist attorneys and backed by a throng of supporters, Minneapolis resident Rosemary Williams spent her 60th birthday in court Wednesday, resisting a lender's attempt to evict her from her foreclosed house.
She and supporters vowed that if she loses in court, they will use non-violent civil disobedience to try to block authorities from removing her from the south Minneapolis house where she's lived for 23 years.
"My mother was an activist before she died," said Williams. "My grandfather was one when he came out of Decatur, Alabama. It's in my blood."
Williams, a civil rights activist in the 1960s, has lately become a local poster child for protest groups and community organizations concerned about the foreclosure crisis.
They say an epidemic of foreclosures has turned good Minneapolis neighborhoods into crime-ridden wastelands, though some city officials contend that the city has weathered the problems better than many others around the country.
Foreclosures soared to 3,007 in Minneapolis in 2008, a 91 percent increase over 2006. However, the city saw a 31 percent drop in foreclosures in the first three months of 2009 compared with the same period last year, according to city statistics.
Williams, a divorced mother of three, has lived in the same block of Clinton Avenue S. for 55 years and moved into her newly built home 23 years ago.
She took out an adjustable-rate mortgage a few years ago to get $12,000 to pay some bills. Eventually, her monthly payment jumped from $1,200 to $2,200. Meanwhile, she lost her job with an African American women's advocacy group.
She stopped making house payments, and the house went into foreclosure. It was sold at a sheriff's auction Sept. 30.
However, she declined to leave the property by March 30 as ordered. The new owner, GMAC Mortgage, filed a motion in Hennepin County housing court to have her evicted. That prompted Wednesday's hearing.
At the hearing, her attorneys asked for a trial, which a court referee scheduled for next Tuesday.
Outside the courthouse at a protest rally, Williams and her allies said they want a two-year moratorium on foreclosures and a bailout for homeowners instead of for the banks and corporations they blame for her plight.
Decrying "predatory mortgage lenders," her attorney Jordan Kushner told the crowd, "This has to stop."
In court papers, Kushner argued that evicting her would create a nuisance property and harm neighborhood property values. He also said depriving her of housing would be an international human rights violation.
In another document, the Central Neighborhood Development Organization, joined by some of Williams' neighbors and other groups, asked to intervene in the case on her behalf. They contend that a vacant home would hurt the neighborhood.
Court referee Mark Labine sounded doubtful that Kushner and co-counsel Bruce Nestor will be allowed to make such claims in court.
Eric Cook, an attorney with Wilford & Geske, the firm representing GMAC Mortgage, said Congress is the place to address such issues.
"We do really empathize with Ms. Williams because she, like a number of people in our community, are going through some tough times," Cook said.
He added that while he understood the complaints of "potential interveners ... about the circumstances in their neighborhood ... we don't believe the defenses they are raising have merit in this action and go far beyond the scope of issues that are relevant in this eviction action."
Williams' supporters include the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout and the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, whose activist, Cheri Honkala, said:
"We love her, and we want her to stay in her home."
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