Comments for Real Estate Activists Move Homeless People into Foreclosed Homes »
Posted By altnrg 12 months ago in NewsAn activist group is busy plowing the streets of Miami looking for abandoned foreclosed homes and help homeless people live there while the city takes notice without taking action.
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MMarquitComment removed: Hard Banned
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Locky12Comment removed: Spammer, Abusive
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Natureboy12 months ago
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Good!
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Vacant homes in Detroit were never dealt with by the City, and frequently became crackhouses or worse. Angry neighbors frequently took care of the problem on devils night. This Florida group seems to have a more productive solution to the problem.-
PsychoHosebeastComment removed: Spammer, Abusive
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Natureboy12 months ago
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http://takebacktheland.blogspot.com/2008/12/ap-sto...
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Is the group's website. More power to 'em! -

reidgator12 months ago
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This seems noble and pragmatic, but, does it make sense to force people out of their homes (rendering them "homeless") and then letting other "homesless" people squat in the houses? If we are going to tolerate the squatters, why not let the original dwellers live in the homes until all this mortgage/economy mess works its way out.
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BTW - this "take back the land" group is opening itself up to major litigation. If they help a squatter move in, and that squatter destroys/damages the house (intentional, accidental, neglect) and the bank can sue for damages. So can neighbors who may suffer. Just wait until one of these homeless people (who often have psychological problems) attacks a neighbor!-

StevieGee12 months ago
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When a bank forecloses on a home and kicks out the owners they take on the responsibility of maintaining the home. Many lenders have not been very good at this. If they don't take care of the landscaping and other requirements, they are being negligent and creating blight in the community. Helping homeowners that are in trouble could be the best way to solve this problem but lenders seem to be unwilling or unable to do this. If these squatters are willing to mow the lawn and keep the house looking nice I don't have a problem with this happening. It is illegal but if they take care of the home it may be a victimless crime.
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GehlLady12 months ago
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This is organized theft. Period. As reidgator said, it sounds noble and pragmatic, but there's nothing noble about theft.
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I clicked through to Natureboys' link. The quote below is taken from an article in Mother Jones. "innovate" a way for utilities? That means they are stealing. Who pays, in the end, for theft of utilities? Everyone else that legally pays their bills.
"Prosper means that if the place checks out, she and her colleagues from Take Back the Land, a local group that advocates for affordable housing, will break in, change the locks, paint and clean, innovate a way to connect water and electricity, and then move a homeless family into the house. The criminal laws they'll violate in the process range from trespassing to breaking and entering (even burglary, if the police get ambitious), which requires the organization to keep a pro bono lawyer on standby." -

FrankHummel12 months ago
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This being the end of the “old” year, I’ve been hearing much blather from TV “economic” and “business” commentators “recapping” the “unfolding of the economic meltdown”. And it AMAZES me to hear these wonderfully “knowledgeable”, ostensibly erudite whiz-bangs focus on and ascribe blame to various disjointed “pieces of the elephant”. I wonder how long it is going to take for (and indeed, whether it ever really will come to pass that) these people will get BEYOND mere myopia!
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The REAL problem is NOT the mortgages, or even the mortgage holders. It is MUCH broader than anything nearly so SIMPLISTIC as just THAT! The fact is that this entire society has LONG been COLLECTIVELY FAILING TO INNOVATE so as to generate NEW REAL WEALTH that is actually joined in by and shared with many of those who OCCUPY all those homes that have been built/rebuilt (by the honest, hardworking folks who did all of that INTRINSICALLY WORTHWHILE work!). But there is not enough GENUINELY PRODUCTIVE work for many OTHERS to do, PERIOD --- AND IT SIMPLY IS NOT POSSIBLE TO INDEFINITELY SUBSTITUTE MAKE-BELIEVE FOR REALITY!
“We” DO NOT need an army of folks running around flipping each others' burgers, polishing each others' boots, and computing each others' income taxes! A LIMITED number of not-TOO-overly-high-priced CEOs, Thespians, professional athletes, "financial advisors", and "political pooh-bahs" of differing stripes is UNAVOIDABLE --- but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY! And “we” ESPECIALLY do NOT need a huge, VERY expensive army of MERCENARIES wittingly or unwittingly subverting this nation into cultivating an “empire” that would forcibly “expropriate” resources and energies of OTHER people and try to subject other cultures to do “our” bidding!
This ENTIRE NATION needs to get off its collective BUTT and get SERIOUSLY busy doing things that are REALLY useful. We ESPECIALLY need to WEAN "OUR"SELVES OFF OF "OUR" ADDICTIVE DEPENDENCY ON OTHER PEOPLES' OIL!! That means, in particular, COMPLETELY RECONSTITUTING “OUR” ENERGY DIET --- through such initiatives as REBUILDING “OUR” VEHICULAR FLEETS TO RUN ON ELECTRICAL POWER AND/OR NATURAL GAS (which “we” possess in ample supply). QUIT SQUANDERING BAZILIONS “SUBJUGATING” IRAQIS AND OTHERS AND GET TO WORK DOING THINGS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE USEFUL! Get GENUINELY busy on all of THAT, and there will be PLENTY of work for EVERYBODY for about the next CENTURY!!-

jordan1112 months ago
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I'll give what you have to say honest consideration when you stop yelling. An occasional capitalized word for emphasis is understandable, but honest to 'god', looking at your post I was taken back to to being five years old and my father screaming at me.
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StevieGee12 months ago
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Frank seems to be a very angry man but he makes some very good points. We do need to become more innovative. We do need to get rehab for our oil addiction. We do need to develop electric cars... and maybe natural gas too... In order to do this we need desperately to invest in education of our young people... and old people too... Here in CA, it seems that every time we have a budget crisis... every year... Arnold decides that education should take a big hit... and it does. It's time to invest in our future now because it may already be too late. When you're on top, everyone's gunning for you.
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lpanayotti12 months ago
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i think it is the best thing that anyone can do, for the people , for the home, abandoned homes deteriorate faster and homeless people might get a chance to buy at a good program or work in the house or repair and get big hopes of ownership and hope for a better life, a lot of the homeless are very well educated people and if they are not it does not matter, we are smart intelligent we are people, we are humans, we can , yes we can anything given the opportunity
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please educate the people by asking them to take of the sanctuary they have been given and themselves and family, hurrah please contact me for an idea i have i dont need shelter -
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PsychoHosebeastComment removed: Spammer, Abusive1 Reply
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PsychoHosebeastComment removed: Spammer, Abusive
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slate12 months ago
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Yeah that's what I thought of. A trashed house with all the things that could be sold to a cash for metal place. All the wires stripped out of the house the AC Heater, water heater, any appliances left in the house and fixtures of every variety.
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Trash everywhere holes in the walls yeah it makes sense kick out the ones that were paying, maintaining the place that fell on hard times and give the house to someone that will trash it effectively making it unsaleable.
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bobbysan12 months ago
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And here is a story for you. A nice, normal family,second time around marriage and blended children, moved into a big, nice suitable house and rented there for over 10 years. They took care of the house like it was their own. After all the children had grown and flown, the couple decided to downsize, the house was just too big, especially to heat. They moved, and the landlord decided to sell. He was in a hurry and sold it to another young family. They lived in it for 3 years, didn't pay a dime of taxes or mortgage and finally got evicted. The house went on the market, the price was dropped twice because of the economy mess, and someone bought it for a song. That was 3 months ago, and they have not moved in. The house is a gorgeous, old Victorian, but it needs a new roof badly. Every time it rains, water pours into the 3rd floor. What do you think is going to happen here???? It stinks!!!
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edrod3812 months ago
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There is a process to occupying a property, it's called "Purchase". It goes something like this,First you get a job, Second you save money for a thing called "A Down Payment", Third, You apply for a "Mortgage Loan" If all things work in your favor, you go to a thing called a "Closing", where you sing papers that get you in debt for the rest of your life. If these assholes from Take Back The Land, haven't gone through this process they are commiting a "Felony", which will qualify them for "Free Housing and Meals" for a long time. It's time we stop putting up with these Liberal ****heads. Lazy asses!!!.
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widowindefeat12 months ago
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I was a new bride of 10.5 months when my husband died. We did not have our house insured for a death beneit. I do not earn the income my husband did and placed the house on the market. It has been on the market since August of 2006. I have lowered the price $40K.........I have exhusted all my resources and soon be out on the street.
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I work hard, I pay every bill on time. I lost my husband, the income to pay the mortgage, now am sure to loose everything else any day too. So now what? I have done everything I can think of.-

scounselor12 months ago
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While I sympathize with your plight, I too was left widowed without a life insurance policy on my husband. We had 3 children at the time and I had to get out of my home of 7 years with absolutely no equity in hand because of having to sell the house on distress sale. I actually got a job and made the mortgage payments for a couple of years while the kids and I had to eat leftovers for days on end because I had no money for groceries after paying the mortgage and basic utility bills on my meager salary. I went into foreclosure three times in 2 years and finally had to admit defeat and sell cheap. It broke my heart. That was in 1987 and the late pays on that mortgage are still showing up on my credit report! The hope I offer you in this tragic situation is that in 1995 I bought another house I could affford. The experience of living cheaply helped me pay off my mortgage early and I now own my house free and clear. I never remarried and struggled for years to support myself and my children working low paying jobs that women typically have. I finally retired on SSA this year. I can actually pay my bills on the $900.00 a month I receive from SSA because I don't have a mortgage or rent payment to make anymore. Hang in there and know that God will take care of you and has plans for you to have a brighter future.
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scounselor12 months ago
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I was a real estate broker for many years and I know that a lot of damage is often done by renters and by people being displaced by foreclosure. It is more common than not to see people walk away with light fixtures, appliances, window coverings, plumbing, rip up the carpeting, etc. Holes punched in the walls are common as well as finding damage left from pets. Bank owned or not, if you owned a vacant house would you want squatters breaking in and living there? They should be criminally prosecuted!
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orndorffter12 months ago
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I think that this is nice in those people doing that for the homeless, If I had extra property, I make sure it went for something more meanful, I really would let a homeless family with babys move into it and not ask a dime. its better then letting them set empty and get the windows knocked out and all toren up. theres nothing wrong with helping people who need it, am I right?
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GehlLady12 months ago
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orndorffter,
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You are right and generous to do that of your own accord with your resources, but it's not right to steal from anyone else which is what they are doing when they change the locks and "innovate" water and electricity. I'm guessing they can't legally turn on the utilities because they don't own the homes, and it would alert the true owners someone was living there without paying, so they are stealing.
As Slate said, they threw out the people that had been paying until they couldn't, and now these people that don't have jobs and won't pay a dime get it handed to them.-

coolrayfruge11 months, 2 weeks ago
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Ya'll amaze me!
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Loansharking, and exstortion use to be Illegal.
But now the CROOKS who make the laws have made it a part of everyday business.
Its OK
Businesses to suck people into their scam everyday!
Were is the law to protect the people from them?
They screw people daily who are trying to pay off their debts.By rising the interest rates to 29.99% to get more than what they owe from them ,making it hard for that person to pay of his loan.
Specially when they are finally already strapped financually and are trying to make ends meet.
You support the Biggest Crooks of all.
Then you want to talk about legal morals.
Go to Church and pray god has mercy on your soul Hypocrate!.
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horsun4tjs1 month, 1 week ago
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mdaok you might be joking however your comment has been going on for many years, now that the Liberal ranks increase with more Blacks who will never work, and Illegal Mexicans who will never be counted but get everything for free, check the first State to hollar Uncle, California, 75% Blacks & Mexicans also the same ratio in prison, Yikes read it and Weep.
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coolrayfruge12 months ago
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Awwwwe there depriving some greedy S.O.B. from from profitting off the needs of others.
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People should have the right to live off the land freely.
Humans are the only creatures on this Earth that don't.
We suffered under the rule of greedy selfisn men long enough!
These people are doning what we all should be doing helping one another.
We are in the mess were in because we let ourselfs be taken advantage of.
Tired of accomidating these selfish people who have put this hardship on us.
If freedom is concidered socialism.
Then give me socialism ,instead of this crap.-

GehlLady12 months ago
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There may be a scrap of land somewhere you can squat on, where you can generate your own heat, lights, energy to cook the food you have grown, all by yourself, after you take care of the waste you'll generate, because you won't be able to exploit anyone elses little scrap of land.
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coolrayfruge11 months, 4 weeks ago
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I'm working on it !
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The biggist fight is people who oppose Freedom.
Cause its not profitable for them to have people who are free.
And it not me who
believes in exploiting someone little scrap of land.
I didn't cause anyone to fore close on their homes.
thats the banks , morgage company's and the IRS that does that! LOL
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mdaok12 months ago
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Maybe the Activist can give their oun homes to people who refuse to work. The rest of us can tell the people who have been evicted from the home they purchaced, but could not afford, to go into an apartment and save their money until they have money to buy a home they can afford
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coolrayfruge12 months ago
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Give me the Freedom and right to own my own land.
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Without someone trying to exploit me financually for it.
Give me the Freedom to live self sufficantly without someone trying to exploit me financually for it.
Give me the Freedom to live freely that is our God given Birth right.
Not to be exploited or controled by anyone for personal gain.
If this is what you call socialism then give it to me.-

GehlLady12 months ago
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Who is supposed to be "exploited" to pay your way?
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Where is that land you are supposed to live on for free at?
Are you going to take care of all your waste so no one else will have to step in it? Smell it? No one should be able to make a profit so they can pay their way just so you don't have to be 'financully' exploited to pay yours?
Catch a plane, you can find that socialism you want somewhere in this world,, but you will be exploited that one last time, because those folks that built the plane didn't do it for free, or the airport, the roads to get there, or.........
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coolrayfruge12 months ago
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I have no problem working to provide for my needs and helping my fellow man who helps me.
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To help him in return.
I believe in working together with my fellowman to provide a better way of life for the both of us to live in.
I believe in taking care of my own sh*t and taking no sh*t from others.
I don't need money to motivate me to care about my fellowman.
I would gladly work with my fellowman,to provide a better way of life and to free us from being dependent and controled by money.
I think its stupid to give work to give someone wealth and power, so they can have a hiarchy over you.
Only Sheep need a sheperd.
And know the fate of the sheep. -

coolrayfruge12 months ago
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My vision is simple.
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And I know it will never come to pass.
Man is set in his ways ,his tradition.
This is how its been done for century's and all that!.
But my Vision is something the Marines tought me.
Team work!
The simple concept of people working together ,helping one another.
To work with my fellowman,than to work for him.
Without the need and depency of money.
Without someone controling and having power over the rescources and technology ,we depend on to make our lives better.
I don't think anyone someone above them.
treating them like they are the peasant and their the King.
To strive to have Freedom from such oppression should be our motivation ,not money.
To provide a better way of living for ourselves,our family and all of humanity should be our goal.
It makes no since to provide wealth to certain group of indivduals,giving them power over the resources and our lives.
To subject ourselves to being exploited by these indiviuals, just to satisfies their lust for wealth and power.
Look at what it has gotten us.
People may want to cling on to the old ways.
But I think were capable of creating a better way of life for all to live in.
Not just a few. -
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