ESOP 20TH ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON ON OCTOBER 16, 2013

                .

          

For 20 years Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People (“ESOP”) has worked tirelessly to empower people to improve their lives and communities. ESOP’s work over the last two decades to end predatory lending and abusive mortgage servicing and to prevent foreclosures has helped thousands of families across Ohio to stay in their homes and to stabilize neighborhoods.

     We invite you to join us Wednesday, October 16^th for our 20^th Anniversary Luncheon. The theme is “Building Partnerships for Economic Empowerment.” We hope you can join us for this important conversation about how the non-profit, public and private sectors can join forces to help disenfranchised communities move forward from the foreclosure crisis.

Keynote Speaker
Senator Sherrod Brown

     Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information on sponsorships, table and advertising purchases please contact Deonna Kirkpatrick

at 216-361-0718 or dkirkpatrick@esop-cleveland.org.

HIJACKING THE NEWS IN MAPLE HEIGHTS

-

Let's get this straight.

Channel 3 does a news report about a former Maple Heights police officer being accused of excessive force [who, by the way, was allowed to remain on the force until this year, and then allowed to resign (?)]; and then Channel 3 turns around and allows a sitting mayor to counter the bad press by doing a news clip about what a great job Maple Heights is doing hiring (what?) 7 Maple Heights landscapers (during the summer) to mow the grass on the hundreds of vacant properties in Maple Heights (where people have either walked away from or lost their homes)

What the hell!!

What a fickle press and what a great slick public relations job.

Black people in Maple Heights are complaining that there are more cases of excessive force and acts of police intimidation, and that gets brushed aside by what looks like, a predominately white government (in a predominately African American city) that appears more concerned with shutting people up and whitewashing and hijacking the news.  PRICELESS!!

 

PRESS RELEASE: ESOP - HOUSING ADVOCATES QUESTION FAIRNESS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL MORTGAGE SETTLEMENT

For Immediate Release                                                         
May 29, 2013                                                                   

Contact:
Deonna Kirkpatrick
(216) 361-0718 
dkirkpatrick@esop-cleveland.org
 

Housing advocates question fairness in implementation of National Mortgage Settlement

Groups appeal to federal judge for fair lending data on homeowner relief

 

CLEVELAND, OH – Housing and consumer advocates have long questioned whether homeowner relief given under requirements of the National Mortgage Settlement is being given fairly to borrowers in communities hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis.  This week groups voiced their concerns to the federal judge assigned to the case.

  
      In a letter to U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer 17 groups including Americans for Financial Reform, Consumer Federation of America, Woodstock Institute, ESOP and others requested fair housing data on the implementation of the settlement.

  
      "We are writing because we work with and are concerned about the communities and families who should be seeing improved processes, fairer mortgage servicing outcomes and compensation for illegally completed foreclosures as a result of the federal / state mortgage servicing settlement.   We are deeply worried that the goals of the settlement are not being met fairly, and we urge you to require full public disclosure of the distribution of principal reduction and other loan modification benefits under the settlement so that you, the signatory parties, and the public can evaluate the outcomes adequately."

  
      Advocates are particularly concerned that servicer-defendants may not be complying with state and federal fair housing laws.
 

      This is not the first time groups have voiced their concerns.  In previous letters to NMS Monitor Joseph Smith housing advocates have made three basic requests:

1. Use the Monitor’s access to loan-level servicer data to show which neighborhoods are receiving homeowner relief under the settlement;
2. Aggressively, immediately, and regularly monitor fair lending concerns, and make that process transparent to the public; and
3. Fully audit fair lending compliance before relieving any of the servicers from their obligations under the settlement.

 

 

    But so far neither the monitor nor the lenders have provided the information.
 

      "We want to make sure the communities that were devastated by the crisis get their fair share of the relief mandated under the settlement," said Paul Bellamy, Director of Research and Development for Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People. 

                                                                             ###        
(Read full letter below)

Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People (ESOP) is a HUD-approved foreclosure prevention counseling agency. We have nine offices across Ohio to help urban, suburban and rural homeowners. ESOP has been on the frontlines of the predatory lending and foreclosure epidemic since 1999, combining community organizing, foreclosure prevention and advocacy.  



May 23, 2013

Judge Rosemary M. Collyer
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
333 Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington D.C. 20001

Re:         United States of America, et al., vs. Bank of America, et al.       
Case No. 12-cv-00361, et seq.

Judge Collyer:

We are writing because we work with and are concerned about the communities and families who should be seeing improved processes, fairer mortgage servicing outcomes and compensation for illegally completed foreclosures as a result of the federal / state mortgage servicing settlement.   We are deeply worried that the goals of the settlement are not being met fairly, and we urge you to require full public disclosure of the distribution of principal reduction and other loan modification benefits under the settlement so that you, the signatory parties, and the public can evaluate the outcomes adequately.

  
  New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has already brought public attention to the defendant banks’ systematic failure to implement the agreed-upon servicing reforms.  In addition, we fear that defendants’ discretionary distribution of consumer relief under the settlement has systematically left minority homeowners and neighborhoods behind. It would be a disastrous result if the settlement compounded the disparate impact of the foreclosure crisis on communities of color by denying these communities a fair share of relief.

  
  We are concerned that the servicer-defendants may not be complying with state and federal fair housing laws; and paragraph 17 of the consent order makes it clear that they must do so: Nothing in this Consent Judgment shall relieve Defendant of its obligation to comply with applicable state and federal law. We therefore ask that the defendants be required to report data that would make it possible to evaluate this aspect of their performance, including the census tract (along with the type and amount of relief) for each mortgage adjustment that they are claiming towards their obligations under the Mortgage Settlement.

  
  For more detail, please see the attached letter to Joseph Smith, the settlement Monitor, which lays out why we believe this is a matter of central importance to achieving the goals of the National Mortgage Settlement. 

  
  The letter to Mr. Smith makes three basic requests:
 

• Use the Monitor’s access to loan-level servicer data to show which neighborhoods are receiving homeowner relief under the settlement;
• Aggressively, immediately, and regularly monitor fair lending concerns, and make that process transparent to the public; and
• Fully audit fair lending compliance before relieving any of the servicers from their obligations under the settlement.

   

 

  Unfortunately, while we have raised these concerns repeatedly with Mr. Smith, and proposed a variety of ways to address them, no actions to make the data public or to measure fair lending compliance have been taken.  The servicers who are subject to the settlement also appear to be strongly resisting any requests for this data.
   

  As a practical matter the only way for us, the Monitor, the Court, and the American people to be assured that the fair housing laws are being followed is to have data on who has received what kind of assistance through the settlement.
 

  We understand that tracking protected class status by borrower is sometimes problematic for reasons of privacy. With careful protection of personally identifiable information (PII), census tract information can provide a simple, albeit imperfect, proxy for measuring race and ethnicity. Given the large number of transactions involved, census tract level data would provide meaningful information about fair lending compliance under the remediation terms of the settlement.
 

  A number of features of the housing market and the structure of the settlement make us particularly concerned that absent data collection , analysis, and corrective action if necessary  there is grave danger that relief will go to wealthier and whiter communities, while lower income homeowners and homeowners of color will be left behind. These include the fact that it is simpler - and therefore cheaper - for servicers to get the same amount of credit under the settlement for adjusting one large mortgage than for adjusting multiple smaller loans.
 

  
  We urge action to collect the relevant data soon, as the banks party to the settlement are moving quickly to complete their obligations to fulfill the agreement.  It would be tragic to learn that fair housing violations occurred after the fact, when it is too late to remedy them.
 

  Respectfully,

Americans for Financial Reform
Campaign for a Fair Settlement
Coalition on Homelessness & Housing in Ohio (COHHIO)
Community Legal Services Philadelphia, PA.
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
Empowering & Strengthening Ohio’s People
Homes on the Hill
Leadership Center for the Common Good
Miami Valley Fair Housing
National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations
National People’s Action
New Jersey Citizen Action
Ohio CDC Association
Toledo Fair Housing
Woodstock Institute
Working in Neighborhoods

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THIS IS YOUR REALITY MAPLE HEIGHTS. WAKE THE HELL UP!

Sunday I read an article by Dave Davis and Rich Exner that was most revealing, but didn't really surprise me.

Foreclosure crisis left a legacy of blight. / online the title is: More than 17,000 Northeast Ohio homes aren't receiving water and appear to be vacant

They described Maple Heights, Euclid, Garfield Heights and Warrensville Heights as those communities hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis.  These cities (with the exception of maybe Garfield Hts) are also largely populated by African Americans.

While local politicians go about the business of outsourcing everything they can get their hands on (and then some), the cities they represent are dying and nobody wants to talk about it.  Are politicians afraid they won't get re-elected, or you'll cut their salary and benefits,  if the "cat is out of the bag"?

I said it before, and I'll say it again.  "We all know, or should know, that when money circulates within a community/city, that community or city thrives."

I also said, "If your city (community) leaders are not laser focused on making sure you (and all the residents) personally make money, keep that money, and grow that money, then the leadership needs to go.

 


If your leaders are not laser focused on making residents owners, and talking ownership constantly, then the leadership needs to go."


"What does ownership mean? It means you own your home. It means you own your own business. It means you’re part owner in a co-op and credit union.  It means you have a significant voice in the decisions that are made about the community (city) you live in, and the policies and legislation that are enacted in the city you live in, which also includes total transparency in public information about your city."

and I said " If your mayor and members of council are not laser focused on making sure you have ownership, that you keep ownership, that they will do everything within their power to help you maintain ownership, and that they will help protect what you own, then they need to go."

 

I ended by saying:

"Beware:
Any city or community that is deep in debt, and  where the majority of the public employees live outside the city, is devastating to that community. It means that a large chunk of your money is leaving your city when it should be circulating within your city so your community/your city thrives, and you thrive."  and I gave examples of how a city thrives.  [This also holds true when talking about outsourcing contractors.]

And yet, the vast majority of residents in Maple Heights, and a majority in many other cities (esp. cities where African Americans are in the majority), keep silent and watch their city slowly dry up.  Hell, most of the residents black and white need to wake the hell up and take control of your city (and I'm not talking about rioting and breaking the law).  In my opinion, your city is being sucked dry.

And you local politicians (and all politicians), you are not helping the people you are supposed to represent (the people who pay your salary and benefits), when you won't let them know what's really going on.

 Related:

FORECLOSURES / PRE-FORECLOSURES / BANKRUPTCIES 

IN MAPLE HEIGHTS

 

Other Maple Heights Statistics

MAPLE HEIGHTS LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO GO

  

 

INDEPENDENT FORECLOSURE REVIEW

Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People
3631 Perkins Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114-4705
877-731-3767, 216.361.0718, Fax: 216.361.0920

Do you believe foreclosure errors cost you money?

If your home was in the foreclosure process in 2009-2010 and you believe foreclosure errors cost you money, you can request a free review of your mortgage file by a neutral party. If an error is found, you could receive a payment or other compensation such as: · Refunded fees, · Stopping of a foreclosure, or · Payments up to $125,000 plus equity.* Visit IndependentForeclosureReview.com or call 1-877-731-ESOP to find out if you are eligible. You must submit a Request for Review no later than December 31, 2012. Federal bank regulators – the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury – are directing and monitoring the review process. Assistance is also available in over 200 languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Creole, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Hmong and Russian.

* Any payments made to you if errors in your foreclosure are found may be reported to the IRS and may have tax implications. Consult a tax advisor to discuss those implications. If you are currently represented by an attorney at law with respect to a foreclosure or bankruptcy case regarding your mortgage, please refer this email to your attorney.

 

FORECLOSED BORROWERS TO GET SETTLEMENT CASH

By Chelsey Levingston
              

"More than 64,000 Ohioans will receive letters this fall stating they may be eligible for payments of at least $840 from the National Mortgage Settlement.

 

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the National Mortgage Settlement Administrator are mailing the letters through Friday to those who lost their homes to foreclosure between 2008 to 2011 through actions by five of the nation’s biggest banks — Ally, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.

 

The settlement stems from the so-called robo-signing scandal that erupted in 2010, where these five banks were accused of shoddy mortgage paperwork. The money comes from the $25 billion joint state-federal settlement reached this year with the banks.

 

Ohio’s share of the settlement is $335 million, which includes money to help “underwater” and delinquent homeowners, people who were victims of bad foreclosure practices, and for foreclosure prevention. More than $200 million of that is to go out directly to people “who either lost their home or to people who have been hurt by this or are upside down in their mortgage,” said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

 

The payments will not make anyone rich or help them get back their house, DeWine said.

 

“This is a little compensation. It’s certainly better than not getting it,” he said. “We encourage people to apply, but it’s not going to make them whole.”

 

Eligible foreclosed borrowers will receive a minimum $840. They could receive more depending on how many people submit claims, said Dan Tierney, spokesman for the attorney general’s office."

 

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE

PLAIN DEALER, OCTOBER 10, 2012

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, OCTOBER 11, 2012

PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR A PAYMENT AND HAVEN'T RECEIVED A CLAIM FORM, CALL:  866.430.8358

 

 

see related:

"Matt Taibbi & William Black on Bailout Secrets & How New Foreclosure Deal Spares Banks from Justice" .. Democracy Now, January 11, 2013

HOW TO DEAL WITH FORECLOSURES IN YOUR COMMUNITY

No One At Home: How To Deal With Foreclosures In Your Community

 

To prevent homes from going into foreclosure, try to help neighbors in need.

 

September 28, 2012 | Madame Noire / By Ann Brown

 

 

 

Minority neighborhoods in America have been devastated by foreclosures, with banks taking over the homes that remain vacant indefinitely. Several banks, including most recently Bank of America , have been called to task by The National Fair Housing Alliance, which has filed official complaints to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development about the poor maintenance of these vacant homes.

Read the rest of this great article HERE
 

RELATED:
National Vacant Properties Campaign and Neighborhood Works America .
National Housing Institute

NEED FREE LEGAL ADVICE?

"Get help  with foreclosure and other housing problems, suspended driver's licenses, contracts, divorce, child support, public assistance, special education, employment and immigration problems.

Get free legal advice between 1 and 3 p.m. Friday at The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland, 12201 Euclid Ave.; 9:45 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the Spanish American Committee, 4407 Lorain Ave.; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Maple Heights Senior Center, 15901 Libby Road."

 

[They do not handle criminal matters.]

 

Free legal advice for low-income Greater Cleveland residents  by Donna Miller, July 11, 2012

ADDRESSING WRONGFUL FORECLOSURES IN OHIO

FROM SHERROD BROWN'S NEWSLETTER: 7/31/2012

"If you’re one of the thousands of Ohio families who has experienced the pain of losing your home to a wrongful foreclosure, help could finally be on the way. But you must act quickly.

Before the reports of widespread foreclosure fraud two years ago, Ohio had 14 consecutive years of increased foreclosures.

Then, we discovered that many of the biggest banks in the country simply didn’t follow the law and give people the chance they deserved to keep their homes. We found that servicers used poorly maintained, lost, or even forged documentation to evict homeowners.

Big banks tell us that these mistakes are isolated and harmless. But these problems are not new. 

Senator Sherrod Brown with Housing Secretary Donovan in Cleveland:

Too many Ohioans were unjustifiably foreclosed on in recent years. That’s why it is important that the more than 140,000 Ohioans whose homes were foreclosed on in 2009 and 2010 know about the free Independent Foreclosure Review (IFR) process.

The IFR process – enforced by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve – awards financial assistance to borrowers who were foreclosed on because of inaccuracies and oversights.

According to the Independent Foreclosure Review website, borrowers are eligible for independent foreclosure review if:  (1) the property securing the loan was the borrower’s primary residence; (2) the mortgage was in the foreclosure process at any time between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010; and (3) the mortgage was serviced by one of 27 IFR approved servicers. These servicers include: America’s Servicing Co.; Aurora Loan Services; BAC Home Loans Servicing; Bank of America; Beneficial; Chase; Citibank; CitiFinancial; CitiMortgage; Countrywide; EMC; EverBank/EverHome Mortgage Company; Financial Freedom; GMAC Mortgage;  HFC;  HSBC;  IndyMac Mortgage Services; MetLife Bank; National City Mortgage;  PNC Mortgage; Sovereign Bank; SunTrust Mortgage; U.S. Bank; Wachovia Mortgage; Washington Mutual (WaMu); Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.; and Wilshire Credit Corporation.

And while it’s estimated that 147,000 Ohioans are eligible, as of now, only 6,000 have requested IFR reviews.

The good news is that it’s not too late. With the application deadline extended to September 30, 2012, it is important to spread the word to Ohio homeowners that they may be eligible to receive compensation or other support.

For the families who were foreclosed on – even when they were abiding by the terms of their mortgage or their modification agreement, even after they requested assistance and submitted all the required documentation on time, or even though they were protected by bankruptcy – IFR can help.

The Independent Foreclosure Review process may provide compensation in the form of a lump sum payment, a loan modification, a suspended foreclosure, or even a corrected credit report. 

While IFR is a good option for many homeowners, it’s not a perfect process and I’m working to fix some serious flaws in it. That’s why I sent a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency requesting that homeowners have access to an appeal process that ensures Ohioans can receive the assistance they deserve.

And though not everyone will receive compensation, going through the IFR process is free of charge and won’t prevent Ohioans from pursuing other options related to foreclosure assistance.

If homeowners don’t take advantage of this opportunity and participate in this program, then the banks will avoid making payments for their wrongdoing. Our economy will never fully recover until we stabilize the housing market – and that means restoring trust for both homeowners and investors.

But it’s up to all of us to take action. By raising awareness of the services the Independent Foreclosure Review process provides, we can help Ohio homeowners receive the compensation they deserve.

To find out more about the Independent Foreclosure Review process, Ohioans can call 1-888-9105 or visit the website https://independentforeclosurereview.com/ "

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown U.S. Senator"

Senator Sherrod Brown's Website




UPDATE - RELATED:

"Matt Taibbi & William Black on Bailout Secrets & How New Foreclosure Deal Spares Banks from Justice" .. Democracy Now, January 11, 2013

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN MAPLE HEIGHTS CALL FOR PUBLIC MEETING

Many among the African American community in Maple Heights, want to discuss the city's finances.  In light of,  the superintendent of Maple Heights school's call to renew a levy,  this administration's call to renew a levy in November,  *very high home foreclosures (and see Plain Dealer article listing Maple Heights as worst regarding property values in Cuyahoga County / 2009), continued high unemployment, troubling signs in this economy,  and the perception that the current administration is hiding something from residents,   ... a  public meeting is definitely warranted.

Several African American homeowners want to know what the police are doing to help raise revenue for themselves. Are they enforcing the noise ordinance, which carries hefty fines? Are they enforcing other ordinances that help generate revenue for this city?

Years ago, the city of Maple Heights worked out an agreement (1) to make sure African Americans had more representation in the police and fire departments, schools, etc.  Well, the plan is not working well (even though the schools have seen much improvement), and with some city departments, the plan is not working at all.  


Minorities are still significantly under represented even though African Americans are almost 70% (or more)  of the population in Maple Heights.  What are the city's plans to address this?  This also needs to be discussed in a public meeting, because if African Americans and other minorities are not significantly represented in Maple Heights government (especially in full-time and high salaried and leadership positions), and there are no plans to address this, and money keeps flowing from African American tax payers who help pay city worker's salaries and benefits, to  [what looks to be  predominantly Caucasian]  city workers and contractors (many) who  live outside the city, then getting a levy passed,  may be fought vigorously by African Americans in this city to vote against the levy.

African Americans in Maple Heights also want a concerned citizen's group, an independent civilian review board and an independent citizen's advisory board (where the mayor has no authority to appoint board members, and city council members have limited input), because they feel their needs and wants are not being met, and their voices disregarded by Maple Heights government employees (that includes all elected officials).  Some residents feel that community policing is also necessary.  Generally speaking, people who live in Maple Heights have a vested interest in making sure Maple Heights is a vibrant, safe, and economically sound city.

Note:

African Americans who have voiced concern about, or are fighting for, more diversity in Maple Heights government, and wish to discuss a range of other pertinent topics (like holding a public meeting), have reported break-ins and acts of vandalism, some even called racist, etc.  Not sure  what the connection is yet (if any).



[*Just learned from ESOP that Maple Heights is still either the worst or one of the highest in foreclosures in the county. That means the city is still losing thousands of dollars in property taxes.  Why didn't the city do more to help homeowners hold onto their properties?  What are they doing presently to help homeowners prevent foreclosure? And I don't want the mayor or other members of council to take credit for what councilman Richard Trojanski is doing to address home foreclosures all by himself.

Property values are still in decline, yet real estate companies are still listing property in the $90,000 range even with foreclosed homes all around. Why is HUD selling foreclosed homes to real estate investors for $15,000 to $20, 000, who then list the property for $80,000 to 94,000?  There needs to be an investigation.  Also why are we seeing a company called Corelogic (**CORELOGIC, 2500 WESTFIELD DR, ELGIN, IL 60124)  listed for the tax mailing address of many of these properties?]

[To be further edited]

To request public documents:    Ohio Sunshine law manual

Related:

Black America's Mobility Crisis by Jamelle Bouie, July 18, 2012

Cuyahoga County cities brace for property tax losses  by Laura Johnston, July 9, 2012

Update:
Please read the July 25, 2012 Neighborhood News (section that talks about Maple Heights - reduction in mayor and council salary) and also responses to this post in the comment section.


Update on Corelogic:
The Illogic of CoreLogic, August 26, 2012