Irish People Say NO to Evictions!

Ben Gilroy speaking on MSI radio

http://youtu.be/0P8BV78Hjc0

https://www.facebook.com/AntiEvictionTaskforce

“Another great day for the “Trust,” security moved, locks changed, security vehicles moved off the property after they illegally broke into Eugene McDermott’s property early Friday morning at 1am like cowards in the night which is more like the actions of criminals then a professional security company.
Their was a crowd of nearly 300 proud Irish people who behaved impeccable like true free Irish sovereign people.

What a proud moment to see 300 concerned people march over the hill in a straight line on their way to the farm singing the fields of athenry.
The security men were escorted off the property but made a token resistance against impossible odds but they were been removed regardless of what ever complaints they had but removed in a peaceful way regardless of what the Independent newspaper says.(we all know who they support anyway, so think carefully before supporting any of the advertisers)”

https://www.facebook.com/AntiEvictionTaskforce

Anti-Eviction Taskforce shared Tony Rochford's photo.

 

Co Kildare we have retaken the farm

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Banking System,Governments, People

Matthew Elderfield, a Central Bank “Fat Cat” has become the latest bankster to threaten people with repossession of the family home. A strong campaign against eviction from the family home is underway in Ireland.

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Mortgage mayhem follows Anglo deal

Thought and Action is among those assisting people with the banks. Other recommended organisations are People for Economic Justice, Debt Options, The Common Law Society of Ireland, the Anti-Eviction Eviction Taskforce. Many blogs and websites will continue to spread the necessary information. Again let us remember with pride, Seamus Sherlock and his family.

The Irish will not be slaves to debt and banksters.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/shane-ross/mortgage-mayhem-follows-anglo-deal-29076062.html

7 FEBRUARY 2013

POOR Patrick Honohan. He must be at the end of his tether. His colourful choice of imagery on Sean O'Rourke's Week in Politics programme last Sunday was arresting.

The Governor of the Central Bank revealed that the top brass in Dublin's Dame Street fortress were "tearing their hair out" at the lack of action from the banks.

The RTE interview should have been a lap of honour for Patrick. He had just pulled off a big deal on the Anglo promissory notes. So why in the name of God was the folically challenged Patrick "tearing his hair out"?

Patrick's outburst smelled of desperation, bang in the middle of sampling a Pyrrhic victory. Patrick was signalling a far worse problem than the Anglo promissory notes. The mortgage arrears crisis is coming to a crunch. And the banks have been simply ignoring the warnings from the Central Bank.

What is new?

Nothing at all. Once again bankers are running rings around regulators. This time the problem may be too big, even for professor Pat.

It was last October when Central Bank chief Fiona Muldoon stunned the bankers after she let them have it with both barrels about their failure to tackle mortgage debt. Fiona was the advance party in a Central Bank offensive to get the bankers off their butts.

The bankers hardly budged. Mortgage arrears have continued to soar.

One month ago Honohan publicly told the Dail's Finance committee that he was "unhappy" with the progress on mortgage debt. Everybody tut-tutted solemnly. Last Sunday he stamped his foot on Sean O'Rourke's programme. He grabbed a few headlines. The bankers sat tight, absorbing the abuse, but doing nothing.

And last Wednesday the Central Bank held a timely conference on "How to Fix Distressed Property Markets".

The host, Professor Patrick, opened the event with a broadside about the "extraordinary level of mortgage arrears in the State". Speakers from abroad were hauled in to tell us how fatal would be our laissez-faire approach to mortgage arrears.

Independent experts were damning in their verdicts. The Central Bank had organised a conference with critical speeches – heavily loaded in favour of house repossessions – as part of the solution to a mortgage crisis. A none-too- subtle message was being sent to the bankers and the Government.

What looked like a modest series of alert warnings a few months ago seems more like pure panic today.

Patrick is looking down the barrel of a gun. My guess is that there were two important dates in his calendar this year. The first was the pushover, March 31, D-Day for the Anglo notes.

The second was far more important. And far more dangerous. Originally, pencilled in for early July, the Irish banks were due to be stress- tested.

Stress tests have proved awkward hurdles for Irish banks. The last one, two years ago, has left still unanswered questions about the possibility of a flawed process, the bizarre treatment of a Central Bank whistleblower and the consequent credibility of the final outcome.

For some mysterious reason this year's stress test has been postponed. Originally scheduled for the summer, it has now been pushed back till the autumn. Even then, it leaves very little breathing space for Patrick to sort out mortgage debt. If the result of the stress test is credible this time, it will tell us that the banks are refusing to tackle a mortgage monster that is poised to expose them as insolvent.

The omens are not good. Action on the mortgage arrears front is close to a standstill. Bankers are relishing their paralysis. While repossessions stand close to zero the number of borrowers falling into arrears is rocketing. Recapitalisation looms.

Nearly one in four mortgages is in distress. Currently 135,000 homeowners fall into the arrears category.

The banks are reluctant to repossess any houses because the arrival of a flood of residences on the market will depress property values and expose the lower value of all the properties held on their books. In turn that will reveal that they have grossly underprovided for bad debts.

If they were then forced to write down the value of their security to realistic levels, they would urgently require more capital. Which they do already – but they are happy to pretend that the values are much higher.

In other words, they have been lying. Old habits die hard.

The bankers' escapism has been connived at by the Government. No politician wants to see repossessions. No Government wants to force the property market down to realistic levels. No regime wants to return to the taxpayer for more funds to prop up the banks. Better to live well in a fool's paradise than to meet your maker.

The refusal of the banks to repossess homes is far from an act of human kindness. It is a necessity to protect their web of lies. They are conveniently protected by a 2009 judgment, forbidding a lender to apply for repossession in certain circumstances .

Yet their failure to act, and the Government's reluctance to change the law, is leaving punters puzzled. Pressurised borrowers have naturally taken advantage of the lax regime exercised by bankers, albeit for unscrupulous reasons. The result is predictable. Mortgage repayments have become an optional extra.

Borrowers have learned that non-payment provokes few, if any, immediate penalties. They are discovering that their neighbours are not paying their mortgages either. Nothing happens.

The Government is colluding with the banks to allow mortgage mayhem.

And the number of punters in arrears is certain to rise in the coming months. Just wait until the Government's wretched property tax bills drop through the letter boxes. Homeowners will realise that they have no choice over whether to pay the property tax, as it will be confiscated from their wages or their social welfare by the taxman.

In order to pay their property tax, many will opt not to pay their mortgage, knowing that their seemingly benign, but deeply cynical banker is frightened of taking any action against them in case the entire edifice of lies collapses .

Mortgage anarchy is in prospect.

The banks have given the two fingers to the Central Bank. They are squatting on phantom balance sheets living in a fantasy world of padded house valuations. The day of reckoning is at hand.

The Government responded to the crisis with a feeble Personal Insolvency Bill, a piece of legislation that left power over mortgage arrears in the hands of the bankers.

Honohan has threatened to give the bankers "direction". They are hardly quivering with fear. God knows why he did not take this course years ago. He will need to kick ass, to tell them to recognise realistic values in their balance sheets, to make adequate provisions and then to come clean on their real capital needs. Alongside the mortgage arrears timebomb the Anglo promissory note was a walk in the park.

Patrick has seen into the abyss. That is why he is tearing his hair out.

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Cease Eviction Mandate Letter

The Anti Eviction Taskforce has circulated this letter. Do share it with your contacts and friends.

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am writing to you on behalf of the currently distressed mortgage holders in Ireland:

Statistics March 2012

77,630, or 10.2 % of Mortgage holders, were in arrears of more than 90 days. This compares with 70,945 accounts (9.2 % of total) that were in arrears of more than 90 days at end-December 2011.

The number of accounts that were in arrears of more than 180 days was 59,437 at end-March 2012, equivalent to 7.8 per cent of the total.  At end-December 2011, the number of accounts in arrears of more than 180 days was 53,120, or 6.9 per cent of the total.

Therefore, 116,288 accounts were either in arrears of over 90 days or had been restructured

and were performing as at the end of March.

In arrears 90-180 day: 87,293, over 180 days 1,209,459. Total = 1,296,752

Residential properties in possession – at end of quarter.

As you can see from the above statistics, distressed mortgage holders make up a large proportion of the Irish Electorate and these numbers are growing monthly.  The issue of distressed mortgages in Ireland has been allowed to fester and grow since the downturn with both the Financial Sector and the Government of the day determinedly avoiding to take responsibility for the situation or to focus on developing equitable resolution to the issue (as is their duty).

Article 45 IV: That in what pertains to the control of credit the constant and predominant aim shall be the welfare of the people as a whole.

We have seen household debt increase from 68.9% of personal disposable income in 2000 to over 150% in 2007, and this % continues to rise as debt remains stagnant while income reduces or in many cases disappears

The result of this negligence by the Government of the Day is:

• Ever increasing numbers of distressed mortgage holders
• Ever increasing debts / arrears per household
• Serious damage to the domestic economy
• Untenable stress levels within those family units
• Dramatic increases in family break-ups
• Dramatic increase in suicide figures

This negligence by the Government (and by default, the financial sector) must now stop.  It is critical that the issue of distressed mortgages be given top priority by this Government:

It now must be the goal of this Government to devise and drive resolution, to save family units, to save family homes and to save the lives of family member.

Step one in this process has to be; A Complete Cessation of Eviction in Ireland. 

The automatic benefits of this cessation will be:

• To reduce stress levels within family homes struggling with distressed mortgages.
• A change in the playing field to focus both the Government and Financial Institutions on devising equitable and workable resolution to this issue thus eventually eliminating the issue long term.
• A return to the ethical basis on which the Irish Constitution is founded; for the good of Irish Citizens.

In this letter we, the distressed mortgage holders of Ireland, deliver to you a clear mandate to present the Government with a motion to introduce a complete ban on eviction from the family home in Ireland with immediate effect.

This letter is being distributed to the attached list of Ministers / TD’s.

Please be advised that we do not wish to receive any automated replies, replies from your secretaries or any replies advising that you will look into this matter.  This mandate requires your personal and IMMEDIATE ACTION.

There is no justification for any family to be put under severe duress or threat of eviction because of the economic downturn.

As our elected representative in this democratic country of Ireland, you are duty-bound to deliver on this mandate on behalf of the citizens of Ireland by immediately bringing forward a motion in the Dáil for a complete cessation of eviction in Ireland to protect the family home.

Yours Sincerely

..............................   (for and behalf of Distressed Mortgage Holders)

http://www.contact.ie/contact-national-politicians

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Banks 'put lives at risk', says charity

2012 has seen hundreds of people taking on the banks legally and lawfully in the courts. Thought and Action was able to distribute leaflets and videos during the year and assisted people in trouble with the banks. Groups like People for Economic Justice and Debt Options emerged. The Anti Eviction Taskforce is active across Ireland. The Common Law Society of Ireland held well attended ‘Lay Litigation Days’ during 2012. They also host regular educational workshops. Seamus Sherlock and family continue their noble stand at their family home and farm.

Modern banking built on the system of usury is nothing other than a scam of the greatest order. People and entire Nations are enslaved in debt and politicians are nothing other than puppets of the International Financiers.

In 2013, the fight will continue. See extracts  from Sunday Indo article below

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/banks-put-lives-at-risk-says-charity-3334489.html

“BUSINESSMAN Noel Smyth, the founder of charity 3Ts (Turn The Tide of Suicide), has accused banks of putting vulnerable people's lives at risk with their "punitive" approach to collecting debt.

"The value of human life in Ireland is diminishing by the fact that we've now decided it's reasonable to be punitive with people who haven't been able to pay their debts," he told the Sunday Independent.

"If that ends up with that person taking their own life, that's a consequence of being in the system. That to me is the biggest failure we are facing going into 2013. The one thing we are losing is our value for life. You cannot get blood from a stone. It doesn't exist.

"In the normal course of events, you would not put someone at risk by pursuing them if they are vulnerable."

Renewing his call for the establishment of a national suicide prevention authority, he questioned whether those tasked with collecting debts on behalf of Ireland's financial institutions had been given any professional training in how to deal with potential suicides.”

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Support grows for Mullingar man fighting eviction

 

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1129/mullingar-eviction-andrew-bradshaw.html

A Mullingar man in his 30s is battening down the hatches after an apparent attempt to evict him from his home.

Supporters are flocking to Andrew Bradshaw's home at 5 Beechlawns, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, after he returned home yesterday to find the locks changed on his front door.

Mr Bradshaw has been surrounded by friends and supporters of the Anti-Eviction Taskforce in a bid to keep him in his home.

"I hadn't expected to find myself locked out of my own home," said Mr Bradshaw, an out-of-work mobile panel beater who has lived at the Mullingar address for over ten years.

Mr Bradshaw said that his dogs had also been removed, but he later retrieved them, before regaining access to his home. He spent most of yesterday evening securing locks and boarding up his windows with pallets.

There was another knock at the door early this morning, which went unanswered. "We're under siege here," he said.

A notice has been posted on the front door with contact details for Dublin-based solicitors, Margetson & Greene, stating that access to the house can be gained by contacting Mullingar Garda Station.

Word of Mr Bradshaw's situation has spread, with anti-eviction activists and common law activists calling on members of the public to join them at Beechlawns to stop any moves towards eviction.

This morning, a local resident - who has been following Mr Bradshaw's situation on Facebook - dropped by with a bag of turf and some words of support.

A video featuring an interview with Mr Bradshaw has been posted on the web, in which he gave some more details about his circumstances.

He said that the death of a close family member, and a subsequent road accident, led him to a situation where he was forced to go to sub-prime lenders to keep up with his mortgage repayments.

But his supporters are determined that he has rights.

"It's an asset grab," one supporter fumed. "This is just another example of tangible assets being arrogantly taken away from ordinary people by banks and financiers."

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