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Miranda Leitsinger msnbc.com
Christmas lights illuminate the family's home as night falls in eastern Brooklyn
As night fell on the previously vacant home on Brooklyn's Vermont Street that was the target of a “liberation” by housing activists and Occupy Wall Street protesters earlier in the day, an illuminated Christmas tree stood in what is, at least for now, the small front yard of the Glasgow-Carrasquillo family's home.
It remains unclear whether authorities or the Bank of America, which owns the mortgage on the two-story brick house, intend to roust the longtime homeless family – Alfredo Carrasquillo, 27, Natasha Glasgow, 30, and children Alfredo, Jr., 5, and Tanisha, 9 – from their new abode. There were police parked on both ends of the block and a van in front of the family’s home, said Sean Barry of VOCAL-NY. Bank of America did not respond to an email seeking comment.
As the Carrasquillo-Glasgows got accustomed to their new surroundings, a group of the people responsible for putting a roof over their heads stood outside, discussing logistics and munching on food being distributed from a table on the sidewalk.
"What we're doing today … should encourage more and more people to ... fight for what their right is: Housing is a right,"” said Dorothy Amadi, a 63-year-old activist who was part of a squatting movement in Brooklyn in the 1980s. "We fought with the city and they gave this organization ... the buildings and we were able to renovate them and put people into apartments, and help put abandoned buildings back ... on the tax rolls, give the city some money to think about," she added with a laugh.
Some protesters had set up a mobile library across the street and were circulating a sign-up sheet for eviction defense -- in case authorities attempted to throw the family out of the foreclosed home.
“There definitely is going to be around-the-clock eviction defense,” said Barry, noting that protesters planned to work in shifts on an indefinite occupation. “Our understanding is that the police won’t take any action unless Bank of America asks them to do so.”
The NYPD did not respond to an email seeking comment. Officers at the scene declined to comment, as well as when contacted by phone.
Rob Robinson, of Take Back the Land, which helped plan the foray, said he hoped the action would encourage people to come out and share their stories of eviction, thereby helping others to overcome the shame and stigma of being foreclosed upon.
"You can only probably help somebody or change somebody's lives by sharing that story. Movements begin with the telling of untold stories," he said. "You need to tell your story, otherwise nobody knows."
Click here to read previous posts on the seizure of the Brooklyn home.
Click here to read complete coverage of the "Occupy" day of action.
Leave a Comment:
If they can't pay for it they need to leave.
Leslie -
You know that and I know that. The people who are ILLEGALLY occupying that home, er...oops, I mean "liberated" it, do not. Well, scratch that. Actually they DO know that what they are doing is both immoral and illegal, they just don't want to admit it. In the real world it's called 'stealing'.
November 2012: Our last chance to save America.
Same with that 103 year old bag of bones that the bank forclosed on. They need to throw her azz out into the street and fire all the deputies who refused to evict her. God bless our banks and our capitalist nation! Jesus approves!
Bank of America need to go out of business...
Remember, the bank borrowed their, and our's, tax dollars because they could not pay their bills...
Congress gave BofA close to a trillion dollars to keep them from going out of business, oops, I mean bankrupt...
Then Bank Of America should pay their debt immediately and not over the next 30 years...
They should have compassion and understanding during hard times...the tax payers did for them, and we saved their jobs...
Do not forget that the CEO of Bank of America received a ninety million dollar ($90,000,000.00) bonus as soon as he recieved the check from the tax payers...
You people are stupid, enjoy now because you are next...the drugs you use under-cover will bring you down...
Its a long term homeless family in the house now. It's that house, an overcrowded homeless shelter, or a tent city on the fringe areas.
When your goal is to have your family warm and dry for the night bank owned/abandoned property becomes the morally sound choice to squat in. After the holiday season the bank will have them kicked out when the chance for bad press reduces.
And here's another question Ck, Why was this particular homeless family selected? The article states that this family has been living in a shelter for 10 years. Who's guaranteeing their safety and security? Wouldn't it be wild if they end up suing whomever removed them from the security of a shelter? just sayin....
CaptRon - your comparison is completely flawed. The 103 year old woman had paid for many years on her home and has a lot of equity in the house. She’s also disabled.
The couple in the article have never paid on the home and have contributed absolutely no equity to it. Also, the parents are 30and 27 and neither are disabled in any way, unlike the 103 year old woman.
Most Americans easily differentiate between these examples of the effects of the housing crisis and by comparing the two, you inadvertently show just how egregious the young couple are in their actions. Just because the banks have been unscrupulous, doesn't mean we should just abandon all laws of the land. Two wrongs do not make a right.
Simply disgusting.
Wouldn't you just love to be a family in this neighborhood who goes to work and pays their bills... to have a mob of leeches come in and squat in a vacant house next door, put up huge ugly banners, and camp in the yard and across the street to "defend" their crime?
Merry Christmas neighbors!
They all need to go to jail ASAP.
It amazes me how liberal some people are. So when you need to sell something let me know we can work out a payment plan but don't get upset when you lose your investment because I can't pay and no way am i giving your property back.
aw cmon! Its a new era!!!! Pretty much if you want it, declare it a "human right" and someone else will have to pick up for the tab!
Huzzah!! Rejoice!!!!
Er wait, if EVERYONE does that, then in the end no one pays for anything and we become a @!$%#jng nation of grasshoppers...
No, the one glaring thing I notice about these people is they are extremely free with other peoples money/property. Really if they want to show me how great their ideas are they would usher into their OWN homes these long term chronically homeless victims. Feed, house, and educate them themselves and see just how hard they are trying to get on their feet.
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day................................
This behavior is simply irresponsible and illegal. These "liberators" need to be quickly and forcefully removed.... and the media should stay away and stop diginifying it. Enough already!!!
What kind of Police Response is this ???....They are sitting their watching a break-in and won't do anything unless the owner (B of A) requests it ???.....would they sit there and watch a burglary in progress....taking HDTV's and jewelry, etc out of someones house and NOT do anything till the Owner requests it ????
NYPD....do your job....
This is so Bizzarr-O World.......Sheeeesh.....
rlp - I disagree, the media needs to cover the forceful removal... and it needs to be extra forceful, and as many charges as can possibly be filed need to be filed.
America use to be civilized; it gets less so every year, but allowing criminal spectacles like this to happen is like throwing in the towel.
The bank "owns" the house if they own the mortgage. If people want to buy the home off the banks and give this family a home they are welcome to do so. The problem is as stated above is whether the family can afford this home in the first place. There is such a thing as utilities and property taxes. The truth is NOBODY owns their home. The government owns that home. Try not paying taxes on that property.
The people own the bank and the house since the bank borrowed their tax dollars for help to keep from going out of business, aka, bankrupt...
PB Short - I'm certainly no BofA fan but technically they received a loan and have paid it back. If we were to use your logic, "the people" own all homes and businesses since they all will have to owe taxes on their properties indefinitely.
Hmmm, I think that ideology is referred to as common ownership, ask the former Soviet Union citizens how well that worked for them.....
PB Short missed the part where BofA has paid back all the borrowed money with interest since it doesn't fit in with their bashing of the banks. Also since MSDNC and move-on "forgot" to mention it to them they are clueless.
A simple breaking and entering call to the police is what is needed in this case. And I saw them carring a gun so they are armed and dangerous. Call out the swat team to take out the trash.
With that many people, they can just make the payments. Sitting around is more a waste of time and productivity that can be spent to legally obtain the home. There has been a charity doing that for years.
Cleffy, you may have a good point. OWS would be better off looking to buy foreclosed houses (they seem to frequently sell at a big discount) and putting people in them permanently. Occupying will sooner or later lead to eviction in one way or another, so it's really a dead end.
PB Short banned, volume-grenade-trolling, constant racism, posting
double-digit times.
Good job Tyler, but a heads up: he she has emailed me and told me he/she has severlother usernames/emails, so be on the lookout. He/she will try to make a comeback.
I'm losing my patience with these idiots. It's time to clear them out with significant force.
This is not going to end well.
It is going to end well... when the "occupying" mob is pepper sprayed, handcuffed, and taken to jail.
For once I'll be cheering the cops the whole time.
PB Short.... Please leave! We don't want or need your ignorant ass here! Perhaps we can start a fundraiser for your plane ticket out of here!
I would be happy to leave tax your dollars and leave You typical WHITE Catholic child molestors here to feast off each other...
You typical WHITE Catholic child molestors
everyone has a right to an opinion. I agree that the banks should be held accountable! They did take our tax dollars and they took more to help people modify their loans so they could make their payments (and yes they want to) and keep their home. I know people, and I'm sure you do too, that this is happening to. These are hard-working families who pay their bills. They were led to believe that they were going to get some help and before they realize that the bank is passing them from one rep to another (who then makes them resubmit everything and basically start over) they are way too far behind to ever even imagine catching up. So, if you think it can't happen to you, guess again. I'm a faithful person and I believe that should be the center of all we think and do... I'm pretty sure compassion is part of that. Don't judge what you do not understand.
bluedove,
What was the first thing you did when you applied for a mortgage? I'm hoping you determined that you could afford the payments? What happened to your acquaintance's that changed this? What kind of help were they looking for? And again, where are the lawyers?
Just like that other catholic, Madoff, would be pleased to accept your fund-raiser money...
"What we're doing today … should encourage more and more people to ... fight for what their right is: Housing is a right"
no, it is not. It is a privilege you earn when you get a job and save up and prove you can actually pay for something. Can't afford to save up money because you chose to have a family, whose fault is that?
"It remains unclear whether authorities or the Bank of America, which owns the mortgage on the two-story brick house, intend to roust the longtime homeless family – Alfredo Carrasquillo, 27, Natasha Glasgow, 30, and children Alfredo, Jr., 5, and Tanisha, 9 – from their new abode"
If you can't afford an apartment and take care of yourself, do the world a favor and don't have a kid, let alone two of them.
The American Dream...If we can't earn it, we'll take it!
you ain't kidding about that Ihatestupid. The article states that they have been homeless off and on for 10 years. If they were homeless why have that 2nd kid? Plus it stated her former partner? So did he latch onto her again because she is able to squat in a home?
This reminds me of that guy in Texas who is sqatting in a fantastic house. The difference here is that he did his homework and it is legal in Texas, is it legal in NY? Plus are they using generators or did the electricity get turned on and how would it if there is not any paperwork designating their right to be there? There are a lot of questions to be answered. I feel sorry for the homeless but dang, get a friggin job and work for it.
I might have missed something but what happened to the people that were actually foreclosed on?? Who's fighting for them? How come no one fights for themselves anymore? So many questions...
So if you don't pay your mortgage you should be able to live in the home? If you believe this I would like so borrow some money from you to purchase a home and then not pay you back.
To all of you people wanting these people to be forcibly removed. You must not understand that the Banks ILLEGIALLY used Robosigning to foreclose on THOUSANDS of houses, some we're even seized AFTER THEY MADE GOOD ON ALL THEY'RE PAYMENTS.
But of course you wouldn't know anything about that, would you Gyrogear? Because Corruption and lies don't happen in America!
Wait..WHAT?? Where's the lawyers? There's got to be proof of a mortgage being satisfied.
Prove it. In court. One house at a time. You simply can't arbitrarily pick a foreclosed house and presume wrongdoing. And you can't take it upon yourself to be judge and jury.
What happened at this one house appears to be trespassing, burglary, breaking and entering, to name a few crimes. The people in the house will eventually have to face a judge and jury on this.
Robosigning, so what, Obama used robosigning to pass legislation, does that make the law null and void? Robosigning is used everyday in all types of business and government...
If they had paid their bills there would have been no need to sign anything but a check that had funds to cover it.
You must not understand that these freeloaders produced two children WHILE LIVING IN HOMELESS SHELTERS, they have zero compassion for the people who were already spending their lives working to feed their two mouths and pay their welfare while trying to raise their own families. They deserve nothing but a plane ticket out of our society since their only intention is to feed on it.
You typical WHITE Catholic child molestors
Ah proof that any moran can write into this blog.
To anyone that defends this....wait untill they decide to take your house and the cops do nothing. You will be crying then. To the occupy morons....come on out to the suburbs....come try to take what I have earned.....the AK and the AR are locked and loaded!
You typical WHITE Catholic child molestors
PB, I suggest several years from now when you've matured some, you should go back and read your posts. I think you will be embarrassed.
You typical WHITE Catholic child molestors
English is not your first language, is it? Why do you keep repeating yourself?
Wow, It is so impressive that you have all made perfect financial decisions. Guess what, though? If these people hadn't worked hard, they wouldn't have had the house to begin with because they never would have qualified. It's not okay for people to be treated like garbage because of other peoples assumptions. It must feel amazing to have all of the right answers. You better pray your life and your job let's you continue on that amazing path.
Actually, I think it's perfectly reasonable, actually necessary, to hold people accountable for the decisions they make. This is one of the significant differences between being an adult and a child.
bluebird - "Wow, It is so impressive that you have all made perfect financial decisions. Guess what, though?"
Next time try actually reading the story before proving your ignorance.
These people have lived in homeless shelters for 10 YEARS... and their OFFSPRING ARE 5 AND 9. You think using a homeless shelter as a breeding ground TWICE, is simply a poor "financial decision" rather than a wanton disregard for society?
bluebird - " If these people hadn't worked hard, they wouldn't have had the house to begin with because they never would have qualified."
THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S WHY THEY NEVER HAD A HOUSE... IT WAS NEVER THEIR HOUSE. Thanks for proving that even someone as uninformed as you can understand the greed of these imbeciles.
you also just proved that your reading comprehension skills are as screwed up as the families decision making skills!
Going out on a limb, and I bet your both (D)'s...
sigh.
Yay, breaking and entering, destruction of personal property, and trespassing, plus several more charges I would not be familiar with. Good image you OWS folks. How about you occupy a job.
You typical WHITE Catholic child molestors
Illegal campsite, littering, disturbing the peace, violating the fire code, running a "library" without a permit, inciting hatred against responsible people, urinating in public, possession of drugs, being drunk in public, outstanding warrants, jaywalking, etc....
Why does this always have to disintegrate into, "they are getting something for nothing, and i worked and they want my stuff" Doesn't it seem like there should be a solution for homeless people who want to work when there are hundreds of empty homes, left uncared for and bringing down the value of neighborhoods. Maybe those kids could go to work as janitors and "earn the privilege" of housing. I do not remember this lesson from Jesus, but maybe he did require proof of work before helping with the poor. I am not sure why Christians today like to give charity or help, but only on their terms to those they think are worthy.
Perhaps there is a solution that would get people who need housing into vacant houses, but it absolutely does not include a mob breaking into a house where they have no legal right to be and declaring it theirs.
Exactly gyro! There are proper ways of doing things....this is definitely not one of them. And kudos to you amma for pointing out that owning a home is a privilege and not a right. But unfortunately those kids are generational entitlement families. They do not understand the concept that employment can pay their way to independence,especially when they can recieve so much more in relief. Eventually that "relief" isn't going to last forever.
How does putting a random family into a foreclosed house make a statement? Maybe if they would have found a house that had been improperly foreclosed on and put the evicted family back into it, it would be significant. This action is just wrong. What happens when the "movement" starts deciding that my family has too many cars and they should take one for someone who doesn't have one? Or that some of us spend too much money on food and they should take some for those who don't have enough?
I'm not a lawyer so I'm no sure about the following, but I have some questions:
1. In order to occupy a house, especially with children, don't you have to have utlilty service. Now if these people have illegally hooked up utlities, and are not paying customers. isn't that fraud. In addition, doesn't the house have to pass some sort of inspection by the city to determine liveability. If utilities are hooked without the companies permission isn't that theft.
2. The house is owned by the bank. Does the bank have the right to forcibily evict these people? Also what happens if someone buys this house, aren't these squatters there illegally and therefore must be removed.
3. How long do you think the bank is going to let this continue. If they don't do something and remove these people, this will set a very bad precedent later on.
4. What about city services and taxes? Who pays for them.
Yup. I think you're right on all accounts. It may feel good to them for the moment, but when the dust settles these people will be out of the house and will have a significant legal problem to deal with. They aren't being done any favors by the OWS crowd.
This is a whole lot diferernt from just camping on a park. It's a whole different ball game now. This time the consequences are much more serious and the potential for a bad ending on both sides is very real.
I think I know which side the tears will be on, and it's not the city or the bank. The bank, and probably the city, will want to put this to an end before multiple properties get involved and then trashed. The city will have no choice but to move police in once the bank gets a court order. My bet is a few days, at most, before the house is vacated and probably numerous arrests made.
You typical WHITE Catholic child molestors, do what you do best besides molest kids, go KILL YOURSELF...
Soon all of you pigs and your nasty white animal sex loving woman will be gone...that's why all of you people have so many diseases...and want me to donoate to your fund-raiser for this disease and that disease...
You typical WHITE Catholic child molestors posing as saints working as government officials, police office, coaches, etc...
Remember this "BTK"?
Bind, torture, and kill...is what needs to happen to all of you WHITE perverts walking around acting like saints...
The truth hurts...
thats it. Im getting you banned even I hqve to contact msnbc ceo.
Whats gone wrong with our country when law enforcement refuses to uphold the law. These people, and all like them, are breaking the law and the police should act swiftly and vigorously to arrest them and move them out. When did mob rule become the law of the land?
When Democrats desperately need the mob votes, and are willing to throw America under the bus to get them.
If this continues, mob rule WILL become the law of the land.This is what happens when the people get fed up listening to rhetoric coming from politicians and feel there is no other way. There are thousands of guns out there !!
Housing in America is a consumptable commodity (meaning it is available for the consumer to purchase and consume). Just like other consumptable items, those with the most money have the most choices when purchasing and consuming. Those with the least money have the lesser options to consume. We're not talking higher mathematics here! So this "family" (and I'm not sure what to call this group in the article) who have chosen to not earn any money for at least ten years, have virtually no choices when it comes to housing .... therefore society resigns them to shelters, funded by the US citizens. To think that somehow they "deserve" or have "earned" the right to a no-pay, free single family home is ludicrous ... preposterous.... NUTS!!!!
aw Cmon BillyBoy! Join in the fun.
I have recently come to the same conclusion as these people.
I hereby declare that not only is health care a human right,now along with housing, I declare the food,water, and Directv are also part of what is owed to me!
And non of that crappy basic package @!$%# either.
You, the ever-dwinding member of the productive class, owes me everything that you have.
Why should I feel left out? I am going to lose my job, and just whine my balls off till one of these jack holes gives me stuff!!!!
In fact lets get rid of the Constitution and replace it with "Me First"
Think of the $$ we'll save on printing costs........................
I would like to know how the neighbors feel about this. What are their feelings? I kept reading the articles but got tired of the same rhetoric in each and quit so I don't know what or if anything was stated from them.
rdixie ... good point, haven't seen anythng from the neighbors either, but sure wouldn't be excited to have these "do-nothings" living next door to me!!
We need to throw all Democrats out in 2012 or else this will become the norm. They are destroying America from within.