Michele Swan Arrested by Henry County SWAT Team After Fighting Wrongful Eviction

Michele Swan has been locked in a struggle to gain ownership of her home ever since a contentious divorce from her husband, Triveni Omar Singh, in 2012. Despite being granted ownership of the home in her divorce, Ms. Swan was ignored by Chase bank when trying to transfer ownership, and ultimately the home was foreclosed on; sold on the Henry County Courthouse steps to an investment firm.

American Residential, the group that bought the property, has continually refused to negotiate with Michele despite her efforts to buy back the home. Instead they opted to break into the home and remove all of the items of value; furniture, electronics, clothes, and personal momentous. Michele reported the theft to the local police department and detectives asked for entry to the home to discuss the burglary. Per Henry County detectives Michele’s personal items and everything of value was removed and placed off site by American Residential.

Since the foreclosure Michele has been subject to one difficultly after another in her attempt to regain legal control of her home. After being evicted by WRI Group, a property management firm affiliated with American Residential, Michele reclaimed her home in an attempt to rectify the unjust sale to American Residential.

After occupying the home publicly with support from community members for weeks, and receiving no response from American Residential, Michele and her allies where removed from the home by Henry County Police by over twenty officers. After Michele and supporters complied with an order to leave the property, Michele was arrested for criminal trespass and remains in custody at Henry County Jail, supporters are working towards her release.

Update: Michele has been denied bond and has been charged with criminal trespass, theft by taking, and burglary. This is a sad precedent to set for nonviolent housing justice protesters. Tonight there will be a vigil at the Henry County Jail.

There was a time in this country that women were not recognized as land owners, and claims to property by women were not considered legitimate; that dark chapter in American history is supposed to be closed. It is a cruel irony Michele had a rightful claim to her families home, and has been begging the financial institute that profited from Michele's clear injustice to sell her the home at a more than fair price(FYI Michele's loan has been pre-approved for months); yet tonight she sits in a jail cell with fairly serious charges.

It was just years ago that Wall street and the big banks crashed our economy and over 11 million Americans lost their homes and even more lost all of their wealth and NONE or the architects of the worst fraud in human history face jail time...but there's Michele Swan surrounded by a SWAT team for standing up to a system that continues to stack the deck against regular everyday people.

We have an obligation to support Michele Swan, please make a contribution to the bail fund.

We also encourage everyone to sign and share Michele's online petition and follow the hashtag #Justice4Michele on twitter and instagram. 

Michele Swan's Bold Fight for Her Family's Home

A quick rundown and update on the #Justice4Michele campaign:

In 2012, Michele Swan of 1012 Grace Marie Ln, in Ellenwood, GA, signed an uncontested divorce agreement, approved by a judge in Henry County; this agreement, which is still valid, and in-hand, specifically stipulated that Ms. Swan, not her now ex-husband, would be given the rights to the family home at the aforementioned address. She thereby inherited the remaining note on the property, which at the time amounted to $140K. Over the 2 years since the divorce, Michele repeatedly & unsuccessfully attempted to speak with Chase Bank, the mortgage holder, in order to have the note transferred into her name. She was fully equipped & capable of making the payments, the family having hitherto made all payments punctually, often in excess of the monthly amounts owed. Chase ignored Ms. Swan completely, stating that they would only speak with her ex-husband, who was equally unresponsive. The situation culminated in Chase moving ahead with foreclosure, in spite of Ms. Swan’s ability to pay, persistence in attempting to do so, and legal right to the note, on Nov. 4, 2014. It was sold at courthouse auction to American Residential Properties (ARP), an investment group based in Scottsdale AZ, at a price of $121K.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Ms. Swan and her 3 children were forcibly evicted from the home in mid-December. After she spoke with WRI, a property management group affiliated with ARP, she was assured that for the interim, she could send them a check in the amount of $2K, in order to effectively rent her own home from them. She sent a cashier’s check (from Chase, no less), and retook residence. It was returned 2 days later; WRI did not acknowledge it, or respond to Ms. Swan thereafter. At that point, Occupy Our Homes Atlanta (OOHA) & friends stepped in; we held a press conference on her behalf on Jan. 5, 2015, which was attended by GA State Senator Fort (D), who made a statement on Ms. Swan’s behalf. From that moment, we made a number of efforts to identify and contact those responsible for the eviction, not to accuse, but to foster an engagement between Ms. Swan and the investment group, so that she might purchase her family home of 11 years from them after the illegal foreclosure occurred. WRI initially acknowledged association with the property, & directed us to speak with ARP in Scottsdale. A paralegal with ARP assured us we would receive further info that day. This did not occur. As a result, a group of activists, headed by Jackie Rodriguez of OOHA, together with Ms. Swan, went to the Buckhead office of WRI, armed with a petition of over 2,600 signatures demanding a negotiation. WRI feigned complete ignorance, and claimed to have no further association with the property. They suggested we contact the “owners,” & again, we spoke with a Senior Paralegal with ARP in Scottsdale, who stated that they had “legal, valid title to the property,” which they intended to enforce. She suggested Ms. Swan use her attorney (something many private citizens do not have) to speak with her ex-husband, & indicated that they had no interest in negotiation with Ms. Swan, because they were not selling; they were “in the business of leasing homes.” This struck us as odd, because this very home is now listed as active on MLS at a price of $190K.

Ms. Swan came home today to find all the locks changed, and the garage jammed. She was able to gain access nonetheless, and she will remain, with the support of OOHA, indefinitely. Spread the word. Bring ARP (@amresprop on twitter) to the table, let them have their money back, and let Michele and her family have their home back. That is all anyone is asking for. #Justice4Michele


Jim Chambers
Guest Writer/Activist
Owner of Henry & June Atlanta

Courage in the Face of Eviction Nightmare

Today long time Ellenwood resident, Michele Swan, with the support of her neighbors and Occupy Our Homes Atlanta, publically reclaimed her home today. Evicted over the holidays by WRI Group, a subsidiary of American Residential Leasing Co., Michele has been locked in a battle with WRI Group to claim the house that has rightfully belonged to her since 2003. Michele won her home in a divorce settlement years ago and WRI has refused to recognize her as the owner since her name isn’t on the original loan. As a result WRI has refused to communicate with her or accept any payment for the house.

Michele, and her support network, has reclaimed her home and will remain there until WRI, and American Residential Leasing Co., is willing to come to the table and negotiate a reasonable solution to this situation. Michele is ready, willing, and able to hold a mortgage and make payments on her home. Her only request is that she, and her children, be able to remain in the home they have been investing in for years. Senator Vincent Fort (D) joined Michele to voice his concern over the situation, and the manner in which Michele and her family was being treated. Speaking "We are calling on WRI to do the right thing; sit down at the table and reason together....We want to send a message to WRI, this is a new year and new day. We are not going to let this family be put out, we are going to stand with [them] for as long as it takes."

Michele and Occupy Our Homes Atlanta have continued efforts to enter into dialogue with WRI and ARL to no avail and have no choice but to bring our fight to WRI. American Friends Service Committee will join Michele and Occupy Our Homes Atlanta tomorrow at WRI’s office to send a clear message that Michele will no longer be ignored, and the community is standing beside her.  Tomorrow at 1pm Michele, Occupy Our Homes Atlanta, and her support network will rally in front of WRI, demanding they make this situation right. Michele will no longer be ignored or bullied, and she is ready to take action to get her home back!

Please sign and share Michele's online petition.

SunTrust Bank Evicting Small Business

Brunetta Nelson and her family have worked to make D’BABS Construction a staple in Atlanta’s construction industry for the past 26 years. When their point of contact at SunTrust left abruptly Brunetta and her family struggled to find a new place to make payments. When her realtor called to tell her about the foreclosure Brunetta was completely caught off guard.

SunTrust stole their tenants and now they’re trying to steal the land right out from under the sisters of D’BABS. This small, black women-owned Construction Company is facing immediate eviction at the hands SunTrust Bank.

“It is so painful for my sisters and I to walk into our office and see that everyone has been run away and how much we have suffered over this mishandling of a small family business that was built brick-by-brick for 25 long years. I can’t count the toll of the sleepless nights of crying, the loss of my hair, and the choices made as a result of this disaster”, stated Brunetta.

On Wednesday Brunetta and other D’BABS workers joined OccupyOur Homes Atlanta and American Friends Service Committee to deliver a petitionsigned by over 2k community members to SunTrust Bank's national headquarters in Atlanta. After SunTrust PR executives accepted the petition Brunetta and supporters held a press conference outside SunTrust Bank. Senator Vincent Fort, who represents the East Point community where D’BABS presides stated, “The community will not allow SunTrust Bank to destroy this vital family owned business; they will have to go through us first.”

SunTrust representatives claimed they would look into the matter but today in court it was made clear that they intend to evict in the next seven days. A community coalition plans to return to SunTrust with greater number next week if the bank doesn’t make right on their commitment to work with D’BABS.

Sign the petition to save D’BABS here.

Heavy Police Force Breaks Up Candlelight Vigil For Homeless Veteran

For the past  15 weeks, supporters of Veteran MarkHarris, who was evicted at gunpoint by Fannie Mae, have been holding a candlelight vigil in front of Fannie Mae VP, Candy Lasher's home. Tonight, over 15 DeKalb county police officers, many in tactical gear, were sent to break up the peaceful vigil, threatening everyone with citations and arrest. American Friends Service Committee has been involved in Mark's campaign for the last year and has had a presence at every candlelight vigil. It was a truly horrifying scene to experience first hand, there was a feeling that anything could happen to us in what seemed like a militarized zone.

They cited an obscure ordinance aimed at stifling union organizing, claiming that the solemn, silent candlelight vigil was actually a picket that potentially blocked An entrance, threatened people, or encouraged a boycott of some sort. The simple fact is that in all of our research we have found no law which prohibits candlelight vigils on public property. Below is an open letter to DeKalb County Police chief Cedric Alexander by Mother and Homemaker Kathy Akcer who was present and traumatized by last night’s police action. Kathy is pictured in this photo, she's wearing the green dress and the blue jacket:

Dear CEO Mays and Police Chief Alexander,

In 1984 we moved to DeKalb County and bought our first home. My baby was born in this house; he attended public school from kindergarten through high school;  and he is now married and a mathematics teacher.

My DeKalb County police officers have always been there for me;  from protecting the children at school to patrolling my house when I was out of town to going door-to-door to check on our safety the night a  neighbor was violently assaulted in her home. They even counseled us after the young hiker was murdered by a horrible serial killer who frequented our neighborhood park.

As moms, we always told our children that if they were ever in trouble they should run to the Policeman.

Tonight I attended a candlelight vigil for Army Veteran Mark Harris. I met
Mark after Fannie Mae evicted him from his home of eighteen years.
After meeting Mark, how could I not attend the vigil for this brave Veteran
and father?

Imagine how I felt when standing in a cul de sac, out of the mist of
headlights fifteen "action figures" - fully armed and dressed in black skull
caps and bullet-proof vests - converged on us. It was like a scene from
"Zero Dark Thirty" when the black helicopters dropped the SEALS and
under cover of darkness they closed in on Osama Bin Laden. Only
the homemaker and mother in the autumn-yellow tights and a dress
was no Osama Bin Laden.

The very idea that in economic hard times for working folks - and with
DeKalb County strapped for police officers - tax-payer dollars would be
spent to send fifteen officers, five squad cars, and a prisoner transport
vehicle to intimidate seven citizens (three of them seniors) is an outrage.
As stated above, there are real criminals in the county - murderers and
sexual assailants - for the police to stop.

Tonight I feel so disappointed by the police officers I have always trusted.
I feel scared of the officers I thought would protect me.
I am still shaking.

CEO Mays and Chief Alexander, why does Fannie Mae - one of the chief
culprits in the Great Recession - deserve more protection from you than a
regular person like me or an honorable Veteran like Mark?

Sincerely,
Mrs. K. Acker
Mother and Homemaker
DeKalb County, GA

South Eastern Housing Justice Academy In Atlanta!

American Friends Service Committee and Occupy Our Homes would like to invite you to attend our first ever Housing Justice Academy in Atlanta October 26-28.

The housing crisis has hit the Southeast especially hard. Thousands of families have already lost their homes, neighborhoods have been destroyed, and despite the media’s attempt to claim a recovery, foreclosures still continue at three times their pre-2007 levels.

Over the last two years, Occupy Our Homes groups around the country have helped hundreds of families fight to stay in their homes- and win with! In Atlanta the American Friends Service Committee has played a key role in providing resources and organizing experience to the movement. We’ve had dozens of victories, winning homes, farms, and even churches back from the bank. We know that the only way to hold Wall Street accountable is to come together and organize–to create a world where people, not banks, have control over their communities.

 For three days this month, we’ll bring together people together to learn tactics and strategies to defend our homes, participate in non-violent direct action, and work on building a housing justice movement in the Southeast.

Click here to register!

The academy is open to anyone who would like to attend.  The registration fee for the general public is $50, which will cover the cost of the trainings, materials, space, and meals each day as well as help provide scholarships to those needing assistance traveling to Atlanta.  For students, senior citizens, or residents facing foreclosure or eviction, the cost is $20. We would like to encourage those who can pay this fee to do so to help support others who cannot. However, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Childcare will be provided, and we will strive to provide lodging in Atlanta for those who need it as well. Please indicate on the registration page if you need assistance with lodging or transportation and someone will follow up with you soon to arrange it.

ccupy Our Homes Atlanta and the American Friends Service Committee would like to invite you to attend our first ever Housing Justice Academy in Atlanta October 26-28.

The housing crisis has hit the Southeast especially hard. Thousands of families have already lost their homes, neighborhoods have been destroyed, and despite the media’s attempt to claim a recovery, foreclosures still continue at three times their pre-2007 levels.
Over the last two years, Occupy Our Homes groups around the country have helped hundreds of families fight to stay in their homes- and win! In Atlanta we’ve had dozens of victories, winning homes, farms, and even churches back from the bank. We know that the only way to hold Wall Street accountable is to come together and organize–to create a world where people, not banks, have control over their communities.

 For three days this month, we’ll bring together people together to learn tactics and strategies to defend our homes, participate in non-violent direct action, and work on building a housing justice movement in the Southeast.

Click on the green button to register!

The academy is open to anyone who would like to attend.  The registration fee for the general public is $50, which will cover the cost of the trainings, materials, space, and meals each day as well as help provide scholarships to those needing assistance traveling to Atlanta.  For students, senior citizens, or residents facing foreclosure or eviction, the cost is $20. We would like to encourage those who can pay this fee to do so to help support others who cannot. However, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Childcare will be provided, and we will strive to provide lodging in Atlanta for those who need it as well. Please indicate on the registration page if you need assistance with lodging or transportation  and someone will follow up with you soon to arrange it.
- See more at: http://occupyourhomesatl.org/housing-justice-academy/#sthash.T7c4PTQu.dpuf

ccupy Our Homes Atlanta and the American Friends Service Committee would like to invite you to attend our first ever Housing Justice Academy in Atlanta October 26-28.

The housing crisis has hit the Southeast especially hard. Thousands of families have already lost their homes, neighborhoods have been destroyed, and despite the media’s attempt to claim a recovery, foreclosures still continue at three times their pre-2007 levels.
Over the last two years, Occupy Our Homes groups around the country have helped hundreds of families fight to stay in their homes- and win! In Atlanta we’ve had dozens of victories, winning homes, farms, and even churches back from the bank. We know that the only way to hold Wall Street accountable is to come together and organize–to create a world where people, not banks, have control over their communities.

 For three days this month, we’ll bring together people together to learn tactics and strategies to defend our homes, participate in non-violent direct action, and work on building a housing justice movement in the Southeast.

Click on the green button to register!

The academy is open to anyone who would like to attend.  The registration fee for the general public is $50, which will cover the cost of the trainings, materials, space, and meals each day as well as help provide scholarships to those needing assistance traveling to Atlanta.  For students, senior citizens, or residents facing foreclosure or eviction, the cost is $20. We would like to encourage those who can pay this fee to do so to help support others who cannot. However, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Childcare will be provided, and we will strive to provide lodging in Atlanta for those who need it as well. Please indicate on the registration page if you need assistance with lodging or transportation  and someone will follow up with you soon to arrange it.
- See more at: http://occupyourhomesatl.org/housing-justice-academy/#sthash.T7c4PTQu.dpuf

Bold Action Brings Historic Victory!

On March 18, Mildred Obi-Garrison, joined by Occupy Our Homes Atlanta, American Friends Service Committee, as well as dozens of supporters and community members, moved back into her home in an act of civil disobedience. Mildred had been evicted from her home in Stone Mountain, Georgia by Bank of America last November, despite years of fighting in the courts.

After securing her property back from the bank, supporters set up a 24-hour eviction defense at the home to fend off any possible eviction attempts by the police, and mounted a public pressure campaign against Bank of America, the servicer who had carried out the foreclosure and eviction. After holding a sit-in at a local branch, and gathering thousands of petition signatures online, Bank of America promptly reached out to Mildred and began negotiations.

Today, Mildred can claim victory as those negotiations have finally resulted in a deal that will keep her in her home permanently. Her fight for housing justice has just begun however, as she pledged today to continue the fight alongside the millions of others who are facing housing crisis. Today's win marks a historic victory for the movement, proving that solutions can be worked out, even after eviction.

The tactic of moving homeowners back in post-eviction harkens back to the days of the Great Depression, when communities would band together to move their neighbors' possessions back in after eviction, eventually leading to a moratorium being enacted in 27 states around the country. Bold actions like the ones taken by Ms. Obi and her community are necessary to fight the current crisis, which has left millions of Americans displaced since 2007.

Next month, Mildred will face a judge in Washington DC, for charges of unlawful entry for blocking the revolving doors of Covington and Burling, the white-collar law firm with clients such as Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase. The firm, once home to Attorney General Eric Holder, has maintained a consistent revolving door policy with the Department of Justice, who five years after the start of the crisis, has yet to prosecute a single top level Wall Street executive for the financial crisis. Instead, on October 7, the US Attorney will try Mildred along with two other grandmothers who were arrested alongside her. During Mildred's trip to DC her story was covered in the Rolling Stone!

Along with Occupy Our Homes Atlanta and AFSC, today's victory would not have been possible without the help of the National Action Network, and the Rainbow Push Coalition.

From Atlanta to Minneapolis

Today we delivered almost 10,000 petition signatures to a local Chase Bank Branch demanding Chase stop Minneapolis resident Sergio Ceballos' eviction and negotiate with him.

Last week a judge granted Chase Bank's request to evict Sergio Ceballos, even as they were considering him for a loan modification. That's called "dual tracking" and it's illegal under the national mortgage settlement--but that's not stopping Chase.

Sergio could be evicted as soon as next week--and cases like his are distressingly common, especially in communities of color. Chase, which played a key role in causing the crisis in the first place, is now flagrantly violating the terms of the new settlement--and STILL no bankers have gone to jail for their role in this mess.

It's clear the laws aren't enough to hold the banks accountable. If we want them to change their ways, we'll have to take action ourselves. So today solidarity actions were quickly organized all over the country.  We were happy to have Sergio’s back here in Atlanta and will take bolder action should Chase decide to move forward with eviction by force.

Sign the Ceballos petition nhere.