Rally to Keep Jerome Jackson in his Home – Thursday, August 16th 1:30 pm, Inkster, MI

Rally to Keep Jerome Jackson in his Home

Thursday, August 16th
1:30 pm

22nd District Court, 27331 S. River St., Inkster
(One block north of intersection of Michigan Ave. & Inkster Rd, 2 miles west of Telegraph)

For additional information, contact: Bob Day, Legal Aid and Defender, 313-967-5642

Come and support Jerome Jackson, a paraplegic since the age of 14, at his eviction hearing in 22nd District Court. Join Jerome in demanding that Community Living Services (CLS), PNC Bank, and Fannie Mae, stop his eviction from his home, a a wheelchair-accessible home built specifically for him.

CLS is a non-profit organization funded by taxpayers, through the Wayne County Health and Human Services and other government agencies, while PNC Bank was the loan originator and servicer of the mortgage and a recipient of TARP Bailout funds and other tax-payer assistance. Fannie Mae owns the mortgage and is ordering the eviction. Fannie Mae is the mortgage industry behemoth, that along with Freddie Mac, controls about three-fourths of the mortgage industry. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were taken over by the Federal Government in 2008, and placed under the control of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and should, therefore, be working on behalf of the people instead of carrying out evictions for the banks and investors.

Two months ago, Jerome Jackson and his supporters won a 60-day stay of his eviction. On June 7th, over 40 picketers demonstrated in front of the 22nd District Court in Inkster, where Jerome’s eviction hearing was taking place. The judge agreed to the stay in order to allow a negotiation of a settlement that would allow Jerome to stay in his wheel-chair accessible home.

Over the past two months, the negotiations have been by stymied by the refusal of CLS to honor a commitment made to Jerome in 2004 to pay 85% of the monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, making it possible for him to afford a wheelchair-accessible home. In 2009, CLS broke its promise and stopped paying its share of the monthly payment, causing the mortgage to go into default. CLS’s behavior runs contrary to its own “Guiding Principles”. CLS states that “No, I can’t” must be replaced by “How can we make this happen?” (http://www.comlivserv.com/principles.htm). It is the responsibility of CLS to figure out how to undo the damage it has caused, by finding the funds to make things right. To CLS: Make it happen NOW.   Jerome did not cause the mortgage to go into default!

If you cannot attend the demonstration on Thursday, please call (and email) the following institutions and individuals on Thursday and demand that the eviction of Jerome Jackson be stopped. Below the phone numbers is a more detailed account of Jerome’s case, reprinted from an earlier email.

Community Living Services, 734-467-7600 or 866-381-7600

CLS’s funder, Detroit-Wayne County Community Mental Health Agency, 313-833-3232, 888-490-9698 or 313-833-2500

Edith Killins, Director of Wayne County Health & Human Services, 313-224-0810, fill out online contact form: http://www.waynecounty.com/hhs_contact.htm

Robert Ficano, Office of the Wayne County Executive, 313-224-0286, fill out online contact form: http://www.waynecounty.com/executive_contact.htm

Gary Woronchak, Chairperson, Wayne County Commission, 313-224-0934, email: gworonch@co.wayne.mi.us

Timothy Killeen, Chair Wayne County Commission’s Committee of Health & Human Services,
313-224-0920, email: tkilleen@co.wayne.mi.us

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Wayne County / Community Living Services:
Honor Your Commitment to Keep Jerome Jackson in His Home

For additional information, contact: Bob Day, Legal Aid and Defender, 313-967-5642

Jerome Jackson, paraplegic since age 14, is facing eviction from his Inkster home by the combined actions of Wayne County, PNC Bank, and Fannie Mae. There will be a hearing on his foreclosure eviction this coming Thursday, June 7, in Inkster’s 22nd District Court. Community supporters are rallying to his defense, and we urge Wayne County and Community Living Services to honor the commitment they made to Jerome Jackson.

Ten years ago, Jerome Jackson was living in an apartment in downtown Detroit and receiving support and assistance from Community Living Services (CLS), a Wayne County agency. In 2004 CLS told Mr. Jackson that rental housing was getting too expensive, so he should buy a house. CLS and Wayne County promised that they would assist Mr. Jackson with the down payment and monthly mortgage cost for a home that was wheelchair accessible. Mr. Jackson agreed to this proposal, and (based on the commitment by CLS) PNC Bank provided the mortgage for the home Jerome bought in Inkster. PNC Bank, CLS and Liberty Tree Housing all agreed that the loan would provide Jerome with a wheelchair accessible house, including wider doors and a ramp.Mr. Jackson entered into a mortgage where the monthly payment, including taxes and insurance, was about $900 per month. Mr. Jackson’s only income was SSI at little more than $600 per month, so there was no way he could pay the mortgage without financial assistance from CLS / Wayne County. All parties— including the bank— understood this.

Jerome Jackson has lived in his home in Inkster since 2004, paying his agreed-upon share of the mortgage. In 2009, however, CLS stopped paying their portion of the mortgage. They have since refused to honor the commitment they made to pay the bulk of the monthly mortgage payment, which was the only way Jerome Jackson could afford the home. Without the support that CLS and Wayne County had promised, the mortgage went into default. CLS had convinced Jerome Jackson to buy the home in the first place, then reneged on their agreement and left him to face foreclosure and eviction. PNC Bank, and now Fannie Mae (which insured the loan and bought the home at Sheriff’s auction), have refused to work with Mr. Jackson and have filed a complaint to evict him from his home.

The lender, the builder, CLS and Wayne County all knew and understood that the only way Jerome Jackson could purchase his home was with regular housing support from CLS. Now when CLS decides to stop paying, they all agree that Jerome Jackson should be evicted from his home. Jerome Jackson and his family disagree.

Jerome and his sister Jettowynne have asked for community support, and the UAW, Warriors on Wheels, Occupy Detroit, People Before Banks, Moratorium NOW! Coalition, and other organizations have joined in the campaign to save his home. We are calling on Fannie Mae / PNC to first stop the eviction, then modify the mortgage to reflect the collapse in housing prices and the billions in taxpayer bailouts that PNC and Fannie Mae have both received.