A sham within Occupy foreclosed homes NY? Say it isn't so....

So as most know, in December, Ows started occupy foreclosed homes. So on December 6th, there was a march leading to the home, pretty good turnout, considering that neighborhood, east new york, has always been considered one of the worst in bklyn, never hear anything good. I think it was a great day for that area, and "gangstas" got to see something positive for a change. Back on topic, there was huge rally in front of the home, Councilman Charles Barron, who was one of their biggest supporters, was also present in what was the beginning of reclaiming homes from banks.










So, a guy by the name of Alfredo Carrasquillo was going to be moved into the home with his wife and two children. Protesters were gathering volunteers to do household work to get the house in order to be suitable for the children...

Alfredo works as an organizer with VOCAL-NY, one of the community groups involved in the march, an Occupy wall street sympathizer.

They stopped at a vacant home on Vermont Street where Alfredo Carrasquillo, 27, moved in with his two kids and their mother. “We’ve been in and out of shelters for a long time,” Carrasquillo told The Post. “This feels great. It’ll feel even better when we can claim it as our own,” he said. OWS demonstrators stood guard outside the home last night in case cops came to evict Carrasquillo. “We’re here just to be helpful,” said Max Berger. “We’ll stay until we win the house for the family, and as soon as we’re not needed we’ll leave,” Berger, 26, added. Carrasquillo, who works as an organizer with VOCAL-NY, one of the community groups involved in the march, spent last night in the home. “Hopefully, in the next few days we’ll have heat and water,” he said. Cops arrested one protester after a resident asked him to leave his property while OWS tried to help a man fighting an eviction notice.

NYpost

Cops arrested one protester after a resident asked him to leave his property while OWS tried to help a man fighting an eviction notice

When I originally read this, I thought this was a resident of a house next door, or on the same block, while ows tries to help this man Alfredo...

A week later...

Occupy Wall Street protesters announced with great fanfare last month that they moved a homeless family into a “foreclosed” Brooklyn home — even though they knew the house belonged to a struggling single father desperately trying to renegotiate his mortgage, The Post has learned.

But Bank of America, which has been in and out of foreclosure proceedings against Ahadzi since 2009, confirmed to The Post that he is still the rightful owner. Meanwhile, the family that OWS claimed to be putting into the vacant house has not yet permanently moved in. And it turns out the family is not a random victim of the foreclosure crisis, but cast for the part, thanks to their connection to the OWS movement. OWS last week said it has spent $9,500 breaking into the house and setting it up for the homeless Carrasquillo family. A photo of the smiling family covers a window, under the slogan, “A place to call home.” The head of the family, Alfredo Carrasquillo, 28, is an organizer for VOCAL- NY, a group that works with OWS. His Facebook page shows him in a “99 Percent” T-shirt at an OWS protest in November. The Post visited the Vermont Street home last week — six weeks after OWS announced that the Carrasquillos were moving in — and the family was nowhere to be found. In fact, the only people occupying the house were occupiers themselves. “They only stay here sometimes,” a protester named Charlie said of the Carrasquillos. “There’s not enough room for the kids.” The occupier refused to say how many others were inside, but at least two more protesters could be seen at the house, along with mattresses on the floor, during The Post visit. “We’re almost done with the basement,” he said of the renovations. The real property owner is livid because he could be raising his two little girls, Imani, 3, and Kwazha, 10, in the two-story home instead of in a meager, two-bedroom rental in Brownsville while he tries to sort out his mortgage nightmare. Police notified him in early December that the vigilante vagrants moved into his East New York digs, he said. He immediately ran over to the house to see for himself. “Oh, don’t call the police!” an occupier begged him. OWS leaders and Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron, an OWS supporter, met with Ahadzi before the press conference to discuss the future of his property, he said. Ahadzi hoped that the group would help him regain his footing. “Why can’t you fight for me?” he asked them. “They told me I don’t qualify,” he said. “So my lawyer asked what the qualifications are. [They said] I have to be with an organization and they’ll deal with the bank and you have to be homeless. “They said they couldn’t help me,” he added. Ahadzi explained that he purchased the house for $424,500 in 2007 before the housing bubble burst and the market price plummeted to $150,000. He claimed he lost his job as a day trader in 2009 and couldn’t meet his mortgage payments. He packed up and left after foreclosure proceedings began in 2009, he said. “I paid the mortgage on the house for two years,” he added. Ahadzi even attended the Dec. 6 press conference at the house when the Carrasquillos were introduced. He wanted to tell reporters his story. “[OWS] told me not to talk to them [reporters] because they [OWS] had an offer for me,” he said. At a second meeting after the press conference, however, organizers said they would not pay him for the house. At that point, he told them to leave. Inside the house the walls are knocked down and all of his belongings, including a stove, refrigerator and bedroom furniture, have been moved to the basement. “I’m pissed off,” he said. “I’m trying to get my house back, and they’re trying to take it from me.”

Does anyone see a problem here?!?!?

Ows allegedly KNEW that this man Ahadzi has been trying to get his home back, he was there also the day of the rally and was told NOT to speak to press? Meanwhile Alfredo and his family never moved in, but it seems obvious that people ARE present at the home, and not just for "renovations".

Was this all a show just to have another place to house protesters during the winter season? Everything that they have been saying they stand for is the complete opposite of whats happening in this particular situation.

So now after this story blows up in the paper, ows had no choice but to respond:

(Continued below)

The release begins quoting Alfredo Carrasquillo, the homeless VOCAL-NY community organizer who was chosen to live in the house with his two children and girlfriend Tasha Glasgow. "On December 6, I moved into a vacant, Bank of America-foreclosed property with the support of neighbors on Vermont St. because my family—victims of Michael Bloomberg's housing policies and the big banks' callous disregard for people—had been homeless for years." Carrasquillo notes that "The support I received from the community was overwhelming…We all want the same thing: families who need housing living in these vacant houses." Though Carrasquillo doesn't directly address the accusation that he doesn't reside at the home at 702 Vermont Street, he explains why the Post reporter found protesters there when she visited: "I invited members of Occupy Wall Street to inhabit the house with me, until it was safe for my family to move in, as a defense against the mayor's policy of using the police department to defend property over people." Carrasquillo also claims to have met with all parties directly or indirectly involved with the reoccupation, including the house's original owner Wise Azadhi: "We have met with Wise Azadhi, community leaders, and housing advocates multiple times, and will continue to work with him so neither his family nor mine is homeless, and so that 702 does not sit vacant." Doyle Coleman, a resident of Vermont Street, is quoted as supporting Carrasquillo's family: "My neighbors and I welcomed Alfredo, his family, and Occupy Wall Street to our neighborhood because we have been abandoned by Mayor Bloomberg and the predatory big banks." Coleman adds, "We need families like Alfredo's in these properties, and hope they continue to come." We've also been told that Occupy Wall Street will release a response to the Post's story, and will update when we have more information.

Gothamist

Doesnt sound like much of an update. I saw the tweets when they were calling for people to come an guard them at 702 Vermont. Nothing ever happened there. No standoff, no eviction. Nothing.

But now...

Councilman Charles Barron, one of Occupy Wall Street’s top political supporters, is yanking the welcome mat. In a bizarre about-face, the East New York Democrat now says that occupiers should not squat in a vacant house in his Brooklyn neighborhood — which The Post exposed last week as being owned by a struggling single dad. “The bottom line is that they have to leave,” said Barron.

Carrasquillo, The Post learned, was an OWS sympathizer, and never permanently moved in. In the minutes of an OWS meeting, members admitted they were worried the neighborhood was turning against the “white invaders.” “I never said anything about white invaders,” Barron countered. “I’m concerned when an outside group comes in without touching base with us.” But Ahadzi, an immigrant from Ghana, said he met twice with Barron and that the lawmaker was well aware of OWS’s plans and his effort to renegotiate his mortgage.

NYpost

So now the heat is on Barron and he is giving them the boot. He says he is concerned when an outside group comes in without touching base but, he was aware of everything. To me it seems he knew about Ahadzi since at least December 6th. Neither previous or current alleged tenant live at the residence. At the end of the day, its only protesters living and sleeping there.

What was in it for Barron?
Spending $9,500 on "breaking in the house" doesnt sound like a large group using donated funds to house just 1 family.

This is all a sham. Since I have been keeping up with this, it gets me more into thinking they are not what they say to be, even though I guess I knew all along, this is kinda confirming it. I feel really bad for Ahadzi, and I know there are more just like him. But his financial problems imo are being thrown in his face every single day. Knowing that he has a home, the bank wont let him live there but some random group of people can come in, throw his things aside, and settle into his place, as he is still owner, trying to get it back

Oh look another Occupy thread... The movement is dead, move on.

reply to post by neobludragon


Either contribute, or you move on.

YOU dont have to read

Does anyone see a problem here?!?!?

I see a big problem. The article states the man paid $425,000 for a 2 bedroom home in one of the worst areas of NY.
I'll give you $65k maybe up to $80k for that place max. The value of homes were so over inflated, and I believe many still are inflated and are not in line with what many people earn.

It's sad, but political stance, nor income can guarantee a moral, good individual. There are just as many manipulative, self-centered greedy left leaning poor people, as there are super rich right leaning people. Our problem is really Humanity's problem as a whole, but as a people, we like to point fingers at groups different then our own, and try to put the blame on them, when in reality, we ALL put us in the place we're in right now. If people really want to change things, we have to change on a larger, cultural level, but it seems like most people aren't really ready for that.

Sure, democrats blame republicans, and vice versa, but in reality, both sides have an equal hand in trying their hardest to run this civilization into the ground (in my humble opinion). A small political, nor economicic "tweak" will fix our problems - Our inefficiency, our greed is good mentality, our want of nothing but "more" will be our downfall. We devour resources in competition with those around us: Whoever can consume the most WINS! Wins what? Is irrational greed, with a completely self-centered world view really that ingrained in humanity that we can't pull ourselves above it? We're drowning ourselves with our own consumer goods. A world ran for, and by global Snake-oil Salesmen.

Originally posted by WeBrooklyn
beginning of reclaiming homes from banks.

You mean stealing property from the rightful owners.

People took out home morgages who couldn't afford them. They over extended. Then when they couldn't pay, the banks RIGHTFULLY took the property back. The perps to blame are the homeowners themselves who overextended AND people like Barack Obama who sued citibank and forced it to give loans to people that simply shouldn't have had them. The bank knew better than to give the loans out but Obama, as a corrupt ACORN lawyer, sued and forced it.

Acorn Lawyer Obama sued CITIBANK and forced it to make bad loans

Squatting is stealing.

I see a big problem. The article states the man paid $425,000 for a 2 bedroom home in one of the worst areas of NY. I'll give you $65k maybe up to $80k for that place max. The value of homes were so over inflated, and I believe many still are inflated and are not in line with what many people earn.

reply to post by mugger


Yes, I agree.

Part of that I believe is because some people just followed what was being said without clear understanding. If your talking algebra to someone who isnt past addition, it might be easier to sway them compared to someone who is already past algebra.

They just wanted a home.

This article smells of BULL$#!T on so many levels it's not even funny.

Sure, a day trader making a quarter-million a year with a wife and two kids is going to move into a two-bedroom house in the middle of the damned ghetto...

And he was a day trader and spent half a million for a house in the hood? Please, he wouldn't be that stupid.

Something doesn't add up and you people are swallowing this story with no questions asked...

Remember the bulls#!t test people... If it doesn't smell right, it's probably not.

Come on everyone...

It's sad, but political stance, nor income can guarantee a moral, good individual. There are just as many manipulative, self-centered greedy left leaning poor people, as there are super rich right leaning people. Our problem is really Humanity's problem as a whole, but as a people, we like to point fingers at groups different then our own, and try to put the blame on them, when in reality, we ALL put us in the place we're in right now. If people really want to change things, we have to change on a larger, cultural level, but it seems like most people aren't really ready for that. Sure, democrats blame republicans, and vice versa, but in reality, both sides have an equal hand in trying their hardest to run this civilization into the ground (in my humble opinion). A small political, nor economicic "tweak" will fix our problems - Our inefficiency, our greed is good mentality, our want of nothing but "more" will be our downfall. We devour resources in competition with those around us: Whoever can consume the most WINS! Wins what? Is irrational greed, with a completely self-centered world view really that ingrained in humanity that we can't pull ourselves above it? We're drowning ourselves with our own consumer goods. A world ran for, and by global Snake-oil Salesmen.

reply to post by Syyth007


I agree. But how do we change that? Something that has been embedded through dozens and dozens of decades?

I just wanted to show members who werent aware of this. Even though in the end, everyone has a hand in it, I wanted to show how this man, who owned the home, is having what he worked hard for to dangle in his face like that. Weather he understood the terms of the mortgage contract or not, is a separate issue. He was in the midst of trying to get back home when strangers popped up one day taking over.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by WeBrooklyn
beginning of reclaiming homes from banks.

You mean stealing property from the rightful owners.

People took out home morgages who couldn't afford them. They over extended. Then when they couldn't pay, the banks RIGHTFULLY took the property back. The perps to blame are the homeowners themselves who overextended AND people like Barack Obama who sued citibank and forced it to give loans to people that simply shouldn't have had them. The bank knew better than to give the loans out but Obama, as a corrupt ACORN lawyer, sued and forced it.

Acorn Lawyer Obama sued CITIBANK and forced it to make bad loans

Squatting is stealing.

Wish I could give you more then one star. This'll have to do:
That's the one rule everybody forgets, don't buy more then you can safely afford.

This article smells of BULL$#!T on so many levels it's not even funny. Sure, a day trader making a quarter-million a year with a wife and two kids is going to move into a two-bedroom house in the middle of the damned ghetto... And he was a day trader and spent half a million for a house in the hood? Please, he wouldn't be that stupid. Something doesn't add up and you people are swallowing this story with no questions asked... Remember the bulls#!t test people... If it doesn't smell right, it's probably not. Come on everyone...

reply to post by YouAreLiedTo


You know, I missed that. I just did a quick search on real estate in that area and sure enough, houses are still being sold there for $300,000 to 450,000, some for way less some showing monthly payments around $1,700.

I think that def adds to how bad some of these loans really were.

You mean stealing property from the rightful owners. People took out home morgages who couldn't afford them. They over extended. Then when they couldn't pay, the banks RIGHTFULLY took the property back. The perps to blame are the homeowners themselves who overextended AND people like Barack Obama who sued citibank and forced it to give loans to people that simply shouldn't have had them. The bank knew better than to give the loans out but Obama, as a corrupt ACORN lawyer, sued and forced it. Acorn Lawyer Obama sued CITIBANK and forced it to make bad loans Squatting is stealing.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Yea, when I said that, I was referring to what it was being called as of December 6th. Not my opinion.

Maybe he thought Obama was going to save us

Originally posted by WeBrooklyn

This article smells of BULL$#!T on so many levels it's not even funny. Sure, a day trader making a quarter-million a year with a wife and two kids is going to move into a two-bedroom house in the middle of the damned ghetto... And he was a day trader and spent half a million for a house in the hood? Please, he wouldn't be that stupid. Something doesn't add up and you people are swallowing this story with no questions asked... Remember the bulls#!t test people... If it doesn't smell right, it's probably not. Come on everyone...

reply to post by YouAreLiedTo

 

You know, I missed that. I just did a quick search on real estate in that area and sure enough, houses are still being sold there for $300,000 to 450,000, some for way less some showing monthly payments around $1,700.

I think that def adds to how bad some of these loans really were.

Really?

Because here is a house that is five buildings down from the address in question for $129,000.

Homes.com

As I said, no day trader would ever move into this neighborhood for that amount.

And I've lived in New York. Brooklyn even. My kid went to ps233 for two years before we moved. I know the area well. No one working on Wall St. would be caught dead living there... Especially for half a million.

This wasn't some idiot with a bank loan... He was a DAY TRADER... He knows how money and markets work.

Again... Doesn't add up.

You want a contribution then go here. This is what I think of the whole movement. www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by YouAreLiedTo

Really? Because here is a house that is five buildings down from the address in question for $129,000. Homes.com As I said, no day trader would ever move into this neighborhood for that amount. And I've lived in New York. Brooklyn even. My kid went to ps233 for two years before we moved. I know the area well. No one working on Wall St. would be caught dead living there... Especially for half a million. This wasn't some idiot with a bank loan... He was a DAY TRADER... He knows how money and markets work. Again... Doesn't add up.

Your point? I found one blocks away for $355,000, 4 bedroom, Glenmore street.

As I said before, there are some for $300,000 to $400,000, and a few for less than that so?

The area you speak of, by Brookdale Hospital, I know that area too. Houses shouldnt be so expensive but I would think houses are worth more in that area than over her by Vermont st.

But I do agree that in both areas, noone from Wall st would live there.

You want a contribution then go here. This is what I think of the whole movement. www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by neobludragon


Well, it seems before you read, you commented to move on. You could have added that from the start but, thank you for that anyway....

I have not said that I am for them. I am pissed at what is going on here. I do not like what they have been doing.

Am I wrong for shedding a just a little light on what is going on here?

Originally posted by WeBrooklyn
reply to post by YouAreLiedTo

 

Really? Because here is a house that is five buildings down from the address in question for $129,000. Homes.com As I said, no day trader would ever move into this neighborhood for that amount. And I've lived in New York. Brooklyn even. My kid went to ps233 for two years before we moved. I know the area well. No one working on Wall St. would be caught dead living there... Especially for half a million. This wasn't some idiot with a bank loan... He was a DAY TRADER... He knows how money and markets work. Again... Doesn't add up.

Your point? I found one blocks away for $355,000, 4 bedroom, Glenmore street.

As I said before, there are some for $300,000 to $400,000, and a few for less than that so?

The area you speak of, by Brookdale Hospital, I know that area too. Houses shouldnt be so expensive but I would think houses are worth more in that area than over her by Vermont st.

But I do agree that in both areas, noone from Wall st would live there.

The reason you see those prices is because people that invested in rental properties during the "boom" are still trying to get their investments back, which will never happen.

You NEVER look at asking prices in a neighborhood when researching real estate... You look at the sold prices. And believe me, they ain't selling for $400,000.

Also, you quoted the price for a 4bedroom house half a mile away...

That is twice the space, and in a completely different location. You of all people, living in Brooklyn, should know that a few blocks means ALOT in the neighborhood department. You are comparing apples and oranges... I gave you a house five building down on the same street.

Housing prices are 70% higher than the average median income would historically allow. I've written many peer reviewed papers on the topic. Just research housing prices compared to the median income since 1995...

Occupy Atlanta did this in early November.

Occupy Atlanta Encamps In Neighborhood To Save Police Officer’s Home From Foreclosure

Foreclosed homes are one of the results of all that is wrong with Wall Street, so I guess it's fitting in a way to point it out.

Originally posted by WeBrooklyn

You want a contribution then go here. This is what I think of the whole movement. www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by neobludragon

 

Well, it seems before you read, you commented to move on. You could have added that from the start but, thank you for that anyway....

I have not said that I am for them. I am pissed at what is going on here. I do not like what they have been doing.

Am I wrong for shedding a just a little light on what is going on here?

No but, by mentioning them is only making people realize that it still exists, if everyone just forgot bout the movement it would die off and things would go back to normal. As it stands though there seems to be a post of the OWS every other day. So while its bout to die someone revives it. I know you're angered at the prices of housing, but not much we can do about it. As you can see by the prices not dropping, as you can see by how media doesn't even bother really commenting on OWS anymore. Yes it had a little impact for a month or 2 but like I said, unless it goes violent its gonna be forever a failed movement.