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DESCRIPTION: Sept. 12, 2008. Boston, MA. Community activists demonstrated outside of Bank of America in downtown Boston to demand that banks accept rent after foreclosure, from both former tenants and former owners, and put a halt to thousands of no-fault evictions.There is a growing movement of residents of foreclosed properties in Boston, organized by City Life/Vida Urbana. These residents have formed the Bank Tenant Association. They are demanding that banks accept rent after foreclosure, from both former tenants and former owners, and put a halt to thousands of no-fault evictions. The state of Mass. faces 21,000 foreclosures in the next 12 months, which means about 30,000 forcible evictions. Organizers from City Life contend that these evictions are “no-fault”, that occupants have not done anything “wrong”, and tenants were willing to pay rent, but banks refused the rent. The legislature had been considering state legislation and home rule petitions called “Just-cause eviction” laws. These would have required banks to have a reason to evict residents after foreclosure. These laws did not pass by the end of formal session July 31. Efforts continue to get them passed in informal session or they will be reintroduced for the 2009 session.
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COPYRIGHT: © 2008 Marilyn Humphries
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