Get Sick, Lose Your Home?

This past Tuesday American Friends Service Committee joinedOccupy Our Homes Atlanta at IBM's Atlanta office for struggling home defender Zannie Jackson. IBM owns Seterus Inc., a mortgage servicing company that is refusing to make a deal Zannie can afford to stay in his home. While all this is going on, Zannie is fighting for his life as his kidneys have failed. Zannie is kept alive through dialysis machine he has to hook himslef up to 4-5 times a week.

We spent time passing out flyers outside the building to folks driving by.

Zannie's story is unfortunately nothing new. When everyday people get sick they often times lose their home. In Zannie's case the lender could easily make a deal that would not only be profitable for them, it would keep Zannie in his home.

It's been a tough week for Zannie. Seterus let him know that they were unwilling to offer a deal he could afford, and he found out the his prospects for a new kidney weren't looking good as he wouldn't be able to afford the medication that he would need to take after the surgery.

Please sign and share Zannie's online petition

IBM and a Life or Death Situation

Zannie Jackson is in a life or death situation. Having lost use of both kidneys, he must undergo dialysis treatment four times a week. As he waits for a matching kidney that may never come, Zannie must also deal with his home being in foreclosure. Strengthened by his love for his 12-year-old son, he refuses to give up on his dual fight against his potentially fatal illness and an impending foreclosure.

Today, Zannie and over a dozen supporters delivered a petition signed by over 900 people to IBM --- the company owns Seterus, who is the loan servicer trying to foreclose on Zannie's home. It was a surprise to discover that IBM was getting into the mortgage business, less of a surprise that they are choosing to do it by branding a no name corporation to do their bidding. After IBM received the petition we held a demonstration outside IBM to make it clear that this would not go away. CBS cover the story on their 5 and 6pm newscasts.

 

‘Tis the season for giving and it is our hope that Seterus will negotiate a deal with Zannie that works with his disability income. Bank of America has already released him from his second mortgage; now it’s IBM’s turn to do the right thing.

The reality here is that if IBM owned Seterus modified Zannie's loan based on the real calue of the home it could be a victory for Zannie and IBM's Seterus. Zannie would be able to afford his payments, and Seterus would pull a profit and put an end to a public pressure campaign that's sure to escalate. American Friends Service Committee is excited to support Zannies campaign, which is being led by Occupy Our Homes Atlanta.

Please sign and share Zannie's online petition by clicking here.