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Banks are bleeding money, so you’d think they’d want tenants in foreclosed properties to continue paying rent. But frequently that’s not the case. As the foreclosure crisis spreads, tens of thousands of renters have been evicted through no fault of their own, and there’s not much positive news in the near future. On this edition, we continue our series “How We Survive” and hear from renters and renters’ advocates about the invisible victims of the mortgage meltdown.
New York Rent Strike, 1919 Credit: Public Domain photo by the New York Times.
Featuring:
Dean Preston, Tenants Together Executive Director; Adam Gold, Just Cause Oakland Administrative Director; Dr. Francis Fox Piven, CUNY Graduate Center New York City sociology and political science professor; Studs Turkel, renowned oral historian and author; Judge Samuel Heller, Chicago judge during The Great Depression; Willie Jefferies, Workers Alliance member during The Great Depression; Kate Hyndman, union organizer profiled in 1976 documentary “Union Maids”.
For More Information:
Blogs, Articles, Links:
The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act
Music:
Explosions In The Sky – Your Hand in Mine
The Bourgeois Blues-Leadbelly
Boards of Canada – Chromakey Dreamcoat
Courtesy:
Some of the audio you heard in this show was gathered during the Consumers Union “Faces of Foreclosure” video project:
www.defendyourdollars.org
www.defendyourdollars.org/video.html
Subj: PENDING FORECLOSURE AT 4510 Fairview Ave. Downers Grove, IL
REFERENCE: Case# 11CH-507- Circuit Court of the 18th Judicial Dupage County Wheaton, IL
My name is Robert Evans, the home my wife and three children rent in Downers Grove, IL is now caught up in the foreclosure mess. When I retired from the Military in 2008, I managed to get a position working at Edward Hines Jr., VA Hospital in Maywood, IL working with Homeless Veterans, how ironic I am facing a similar crisis in my life.
I rented a home in Downers Grove, IL from James and Annemarie Pecenka they seemed like very nice people but in fact they were scam artists. Shortly after signing the year lease they refinanced their mortgage and then stop paying the mortgage, insurance and taxes, but continued to collect rent from me. I found this out when the County Sheriff thinking the Pecenka’s still lived in house came to serve them an foreclosure notice but they had moved to California. I knew they were scamming me because they told me if I stop paying rent they would give me a five day notice and evict me from the house and ruin my credit, and would also give me an unfavorable reference on any other place I tried to move into. Meaning I had to keep paying them rent knowing they were not paying the mortgage or else I would never get another place to live, it was a classic catch 22. I’m one of the victims in this mess, but the Credit Union and the Lawyer representing the Credit Union in the foreclosure process treat us like were squatters in the house. I only want a voice that may be heard; maybe an advocacy organization calling the Lawyer and the credit union and explaining to them there are people living in the house not just names on the foreclosure file. I’ve served my country for 20 years in the U.S. Navy and now here I am on the verge of being thrown onto the street like trash, and the owners walk away with the bank’s money and my money and now I have to uproot my children from school and scrape to find the expenses to move and find another place to live. I feel most sorry for the anguish this is causing my children, my youngest thinks men are going to come in the middle of the night and throw our stuff on the street.
I’m not asking for anything special, barring a miracle I know I have to move, just for someone to contact the credit union and lawyer and ask them to treat us with a little dignity and give us more time at least 180 days for us to find a place to live and save up the moving expense and storage space money needed to get out of the house. The court date for Foreclosure sale is September 9th. I pray you can help me and thank you for your help in advance.
Robert Evans
4510 Fairview Ave.
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Tel# 847-651-7335/ 630-541-5587
______________________________
Plaintiff: HealthCare Associates Credit Union
1151 E. Warrenville Rd.
P.O. Box 3053
Naperville, IL 60566-7053
POC: Todd #630-276-5736
1800-942-0158
630-276-5555
Lawyer for Plaintiff: Brian E. Lewis, ESQ
Walinski & Associates P.C.
221 N. LaSalle Street
Suite No. 1000
Chicago, IL 60601
312-704-0771
#89138