Taking on the Largest U.S. Bank Wells Fargo- "David and Goliath Fight"

June 27, 2014

Jacquie Taliaferro, LaHitz Media CEO

Commentary

For Immediate Release
March 12, 2014

David and Goliath Fight Taking on the Largest U.S. Bank Wells Fargo

The California Homeowners' Bill of Rights is being tested in Federal Court.

Filmmaker A. Jacquie Taliaferro speaks at the Bayview Hunter's Point Human Rights

Leadership Council.

As a filmmaker and activist based in San Francisco, I am suing Wells Fargo Bank which assumed the predatory loan of my family home that traveled a slippery slope from Country Wide to World Savings Bank to Wachovia, all of which went out of business due to dubious, immoral and illegal activity.

The mortgage held now by Wells Fargo Bank is for our family home in Bernal Heights that was purchased over 50 years ago by my World War II Veteran father and my mother who worked in nursing. It's been an on-going battle since the economic crisis began early in 2007 for me and my company, LaHitz Media.

The multi-billion dollar bullying LA law firm Anglin, Flewelling, Rasmussen,Campbell, and Trytten LLP represents Wells Fargo in the case that is headed by lead attorney Robert Bailey. This is truly a "David vs Goliath" situation. Fighting my case "pro se" with no legal training, it is of great help to me that I found out about D.M. Evans and Associates of San Leandro. As a result I am fairing much better than my past experiences in filing in federal court as those cases were quickly dismissed. The legal framework D.M. Evans and Associates provides has given me a fighting chance to have my say in court. I will appear in courttomorrow and I invite you to join me for my first round at The Federal Building, 17th Floor, Department 3 at 1:15 p.m. on March 13.

It takes more than one weapon to fight a world war. Working with ACCE (Association of Californians for Community Empowerment), which is only one of a handful of organizations that gives homeowners a fighting chance, we are asking everyone who understands how the people of the banking system have devastated the U.S. middle class and those who are for social justice to take action and contact Wells Fargo Bank officials, AFRCT, CA Attorney General Kamala Harris, and the California monitor, professor Katherine Porter. People powered campaigns are needed to fight off the people of the banks.

With years of letters, calls, meetings, court proceedings, I stand today without an affordable loan modification from Wells Fargo Bank and facing eviction. As the company has hindered my ability to earn money (http://sfbayview.com/2013/black-filmmaker-shut-down-at-moad-gala-for-bay-view-story-on-foreclosure-protests/), one of the key indicators of why the people of Wells Fargo Bank aren't willing to work out a humanitarian solution (including an appeal to Wells Fargo to work with me so that I can use my home for veterans and/or foster care youth to generate funds to pay their "blood out of a turnip" mortgage payments), is because of my advocacy and vocal protests, not only at their institutions but also the homes of their executives such as the CEO John Stumpf and California Community Affairs Director, Brenda Wright.

SF Bayview Article-

http://sfbayview.com/2012/occupy-our-homes-protest-wells-fargo-bayview-branch-ground-zero/

Part X of Occupy Our Homes Wells Fargo Bayview Branch in San Francisco on December 6, 2012

Protest of S.V.P. of Community Relations, Brenda Wright's Home:

Protest at Wells Fargo Executive

Brenda Wright's Home

Over four million homeowners since 2007 have been dragged from their homes as strangers posted papers on the doors of their homes. Their children cried in fear as strangers came to their doors to demand that they leave their homes. Why should the people of the banks be exempted from strangers coming to their doors to demand justice?

As you contemplate taking action consider Jessica Silver-Greenberg's New York Times article "New York to Sue Wells Fargo Over Mortgage Settlement."

Click here to view the article.

The New York Times editorial was a forewarning of the banks duplicity around the $25 Billion mortgage settlement that put the majority of the money back into the hands of bankers and others while in the majority of cases homeowners walked away with less than $1,000 after years of paying their mortgages.

(http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/23/opinion/more-questions-on-mortgage-relief.html?_r=2& )

The people of the banking system have lost their moral center. The fact that Wells Fargo has received the slave held dollars of Wachovia Bank and it's drug money laundering profits is just the tip of the iceberg.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-29/banks-financing-mexico-s-drug-cartels-admitted-in-wells-fargo-s-u-s-deal.html

http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/02/news/fortune500/wachovia_slavery/

Just a casual search on the Internet of Wells Fargo and the moral and legal case against Wells Fargo is evident.

As a corporate giant that spends over $550 million annually on advertising, Wells Fargo Bank can buy the PR machine to appear to be the corporate friend for the community. http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/wells-fargo-evolving-marketing-fit-larger-footprint/243680/

In addition to advertising A few thousand dollars here and there in the community and its corporate citizenship buys off the very organizations that should be standing with its neighbors http://www.wrightnow.biz/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=79514

"In 2012, Wells Fargo invested $315.8 million in 19,500 nonprofits and schools nationwide, up 48% over 2011." https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/csr/charitable/where

In the city of my birth, where people from all over the world come and make millions from the people of San Francisco, where there is the weak talk of helping artists, Blacks and families stay in this City that is becoming only habitable for "the haves," I reach out to you for your assistance.

Thanks in advance for specifically assisting me by contacting Wells Fargo Bank to stop my eviction that is imminent. I need your assistance today. Take a moment to pick up the phone and email. The case is in my birth name, Allen Stowers (not in my professional name).

https://www.facebook.com/events/1472709346290422/permalink/1473227042905319/-This link includes others that are facing eviction this month. We all need your help.

Thank you for prayers and action.

Sincerely,

A. Jacquie Taliaferro

Filmmaker

Additional contacts you should call call:

Wells Fargo

Tracy Curtis, San Francisco Area President, curtist@wellsfargo.com, 415 623-7722

Brenda Wright, Senior VP of Community Relations, 415-623-7738

Alfredo Pedroza, Director of California Local Government Relations, 415-396-0829

Ruben Pulido, Communications Staff, 415-852-1279

John Stumpf, CEO, +1 866-878-5865