The A Team
07-10-2012, 01:10 PM
Just a few minutes ago, the Homeowner Bill of Rights was passed by the California State Legislature. This means that Wall Street Banks are on notice: California will no longer tolerate the unfair and abusive foreclosure practices of the big banks.
The banks fought this legislation with everything they had. They spent $70,000 a day filling the campaign accounts of elected officials and the halls of the capital with lobbyists. Together, we fought back with a strategic, coordinated and powerful campaign that ultimately prevailed. We organized thousands of boots on the ground, held rallies in key districts, earned dozens and dozens of media hits and made it clear that legislators would be exposed if they choose Banks over communities.
:thumbsup:
Here are the most important protections in the bill:
Prohibits dual tracking, where a bank forecloses on a homeowner at the same time they are negotiating a modification
Guarantees a single point of contact for struggling homeowners
Creates civil penalties for fraudulently signing mortgage documents (robosigning)
Gives borrowers the right to seek injunctive relief in court when the banks fail to follow the process and the law.
This campaign, under the umbrella of the ReFund California coalition, will prove to be model around the country, both for the protections we won for homeowners and for the coalition that paved the road to victory. ACCE, through its Home Defenders League, organized hundreds of struggling homeowners to help raise their voices and tell their stories. The Courage Campaign generated thousands of calls and launched a website to expose which legislators received money from the banking lobby. The California Reinvestment Coalition provided data, legal expertise and on the ground evidence from counseling agencies of Dual Tracking. PICO led numerous faith delegations across the State, held a mass turnout event with the Governor and turned in hundreds of Prayer Cards. The State Labor Federation, CRL, SEIU, NCLR, Cal-PIRG and Consumers Union along with dozens of other organizations contributed heavily to the effort. Together, we worked closely with Attorney General Kamala Harris and the legislative leadership in Sacramento, while simultaneously keeping the heat on in the Capitol and at home on key legislators.
The banks fought this legislation with everything they had. They spent $70,000 a day filling the campaign accounts of elected officials and the halls of the capital with lobbyists. Together, we fought back with a strategic, coordinated and powerful campaign that ultimately prevailed. We organized thousands of boots on the ground, held rallies in key districts, earned dozens and dozens of media hits and made it clear that legislators would be exposed if they choose Banks over communities.
:thumbsup:
Here are the most important protections in the bill:
Prohibits dual tracking, where a bank forecloses on a homeowner at the same time they are negotiating a modification
Guarantees a single point of contact for struggling homeowners
Creates civil penalties for fraudulently signing mortgage documents (robosigning)
Gives borrowers the right to seek injunctive relief in court when the banks fail to follow the process and the law.
This campaign, under the umbrella of the ReFund California coalition, will prove to be model around the country, both for the protections we won for homeowners and for the coalition that paved the road to victory. ACCE, through its Home Defenders League, organized hundreds of struggling homeowners to help raise their voices and tell their stories. The Courage Campaign generated thousands of calls and launched a website to expose which legislators received money from the banking lobby. The California Reinvestment Coalition provided data, legal expertise and on the ground evidence from counseling agencies of Dual Tracking. PICO led numerous faith delegations across the State, held a mass turnout event with the Governor and turned in hundreds of Prayer Cards. The State Labor Federation, CRL, SEIU, NCLR, Cal-PIRG and Consumers Union along with dozens of other organizations contributed heavily to the effort. Together, we worked closely with Attorney General Kamala Harris and the legislative leadership in Sacramento, while simultaneously keeping the heat on in the Capitol and at home on key legislators.