The community came together, and the Marshals did not show up today to evict Ms. Ward!

Thats beautiful !!

Fantastic!!!!

What a wonderful story! I know that things will work out for Ms. Ward because she has God on her side.

While I feel sorry for her...Is the law the law/ ? Can we now choose what we want to obey and forget the ones we don't. The new owners bought the house totally legal and should be able to take possesion of it as they are entitled to by LAW

Dear Michael King...SHe has God on her side??? That is the dumbest excuse for someone not obeying the law I have ever heard. Oh....Ii get it....I can rob a bank...Ii had God on my side...No problem

Check out more photos at my blog post. What an amazing day with Ms. Ward!
http://stephaniekeith.tumblr.com/

black people, and people of all races for that matter, have to come together like this MORE. this is the only way that officials, the police, politicians and corporations listen to us -- when people make a big stink and it makes its way to the news. God Bless everyone who came out to help Ms. Ward today

we MUST fight back when we're wronged. the system was designed to make people just give up and go away. take a note from Ms. Ward - FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS

So she kept more than 70K that she borrowed against the house. Over 15 years, it has balloned up to 200K with interest which is reasonable. Now she doesn't want to pay the loan back or give up the house. What was so predatory? Ok, Delta took maybe 8k in fees up front. What are you "people" and "commnunity" rallying against? She needs to move out. She had more than 15 years to find out that the loan has not be "erased". Guilt-ridden Whities will rally for anything if it involves black folks.

Dumbing liberals. "“We said he could have and we offered him also the possibility of him donating that property to a non-profit organization so that he would be able to get a tax write-off so Ms. Ward would be able to stay in that building."

Why don't you donate your house charity or have the old lady move in. Unreal!

Mr. Chowdry paid way more than $70K for that house even in foreclosure auction. So they want him to give up HIS house to some lady for what? Kick her to the curbs already.

Yea...Just donate it...NP...lolol

So did the elderly woman actually get 70k from the loan? If that is the case then the loan has to be paid. You make a deal with the devil, you give up your soul. In this sad case, it is the home. If the money was acquired, it must be paid back. I get it banks have very awful practices, but the bottom line is no one forced anyone here to take out the loan, other than personal circumstances. If this crowd wants to help this elder woman, they need to buy her an apartment, or pay her rent for the rest of her life. That probably won't happen thought. It's always easier to blame another person for our shortcomings in life. It is indeed a very sad story, but we can't let our emotions dictate how we make decisions based on reality. I wish this woman luck and hope this matter gets resolved. This is one more reason to get the criminals and soon to be criminals out of the projects and turn them into homes for the elderly.

That said, the thing I don't understand about you guys who keep championing the law in this situation is - why are you skipping over the 3 or 4 examples of broken law that lead to it? This whole thing started with an illegal adoption Ms. Ward was trying to use legal means to fight. She went to Delta funding. Delta funding turned out to be a proven criminal enterprise. Swindled by this criminal enterprise, Ms. Ward went to a pro-bono lawyer who had taken an oath to uphold the "law" and protect people like her ... Ms. Ward was swindled again. This lawyer went to jail for her actions. Her loan then bounced around from company to company - probably being packaged in the hidden tranches of varying unregulated, legally gray Collaterized Debt Obligations at big banks that brought our country to brink of collapse and were rewarded with the biggest example of Amero-Corporate socialism the world has ever known. On the final end of this spectrum we have 768 Dean - obviously a "blood in the streets" type enterprise, looking to come up on someone elses misfortune. Can't knock the hustle I guess. How, you guys are so myopic as to single out Ms Ward as the most egregious villain is beyond me.

Thank you Jermaine!  It's also saddens me and angers me how many people this has happened to.  It makes me think of all the land black folks in this country used to have. Entire communities that white folks usurped and made their own, just because they wanted it.  Predatory lending is just a newer more sophisticated way of doing the same damn thing nationwide. We have to fight back and it's nice to see this community is helping her fight for what was rightfully hers in the first place. Thanks to all who participated and continue to help this woman and others like her across the country.

I don't think these folks are painting the lady as a villain. I just think that most people are working really hard to hold on to what they have by paying their bills. If I don't hear from a company that I owe money to for more than two weeks past the normal time to pay, i call. I try and find out what is going on. Fifteen years is a long time to wait. I think the hope was that it would disappear and go away. It did not and now it is time to pay the loan back. The money had to come from somewhere. It sucks, yes, but this is still America and here we pay. If there is ill will then it should be investigated, but enough with playing the victim card. It is embarrassing to see those people in the street without them knowing the full spectrum of the story.

I live in the America in which I still pay for my financial obligations on time and require no one to pay them fro me. Always have always will and you can bash this country all you want, but it has provided for me and my immigrant family with opportunities we never had before. Always easier to blame someone else.

Delta Funding and other predatory lenders targeted elderly people (black, white, conservative, liberal). They offered illegal loans with inflated fees. The majority of the homeowners owned their houses free and clear and now many of them are homeless. The company's high pressure sales tactics and speed (24-48 hours) in which they executed the loans were totally designed to circumvent the law and stop the possible intervention of a younger relative who had a better understanding or the current lending laws. Read the Federal Trade Commission's case against Delta Funding
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2000/03/deltafunding.shtm

Across the country many towns have been devastated because of foreclosures resulting from predatory loans. some town have lost 80-90 percent of the population. The towns look like a smart bomb which only kills people had been detonated.

Hey Claudette.

Ever hear of a LAWYER..? thats what smart people get BEFORE they sign any document...duhhhhh

The bottom line is no one and absolutely no one forced anyone to take out a loan, regardless of how tempting the offer. We can only hold responsible the person who placed their signature on that document. Let me tell you that there are many people that took loans against their home because of greed, not that this is one of those situations, but many were. I don't care to hear about the stories of banks being the bad guys. People went out and bought boats, cars, second homes and all other types on items. They were greedy, that is what caused our country to go through these hard times. You take money you have to pay it back, period. If it is not yours return it. I think fifteen years is plenty of time to figure something out, don't you. I am truly sorry this is happening to this lady, but that should not mean that i have to accept the circumstances behind it. How is this so hard to understand, it is not rocket science folks.

Pat you are seriously misinformed. The greed started on Wall St. I know because I was there, it's where I've made my career, working in Derivatives. Take a look at this clip - it's the most simple explanation for the collapse I've seen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBbNVxnIm7w

"And what do I say, when they ask why it wasn't regulated?" - Michele Davis
"Tell them no one wanted it ... We were making too much money." - Hank Paulson

Nice work Zawadi! Important discussion... personal responsibility vs. predatory lending techniques. I think like most things.. the answer lies with cleaning up both.

Bump the negative comments in this thread, they are just mad that this woman is black and in their eyes "getting over." If somebodys white grandma was going through this Id want to protest and help her too. This woman worked hard all her life and didnt hurt anybody. Her only mistake was trusting too much. I am glad she is still in her house and dont care if anyone doesnt like it. Instead of laying back giving up and letting these dirty companies walk all over her like many do, she fought back and won.

Hey JS If you punched me you would find yourself doing time...There are laws against battery. So cool it and talk right...Also who is this 'common man' you speak about? Where do you draw the line? at 75K per year? And if so if I make 75,001 am I not a common man anymore? Your arguement about the common man is misplaced and irrogrant. The only issue here is the Law. Whether we like it or not. As far as Delta...the law will deal with them in time thru the justice system

Dear Michael and Luwana,

A little investigation would go a long way. Delta Funding, and the many predatory lenders like them, are crooks. http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/documents/deltasettle.php

i dont understand.. why are u guys striking against one man? it should be fight against the predatory lenders and bankers.. too be honest< i dont think this movement is fair.. she fell behind her morgage and the man did what any other buyer would do.. if u guys are trying to help her than help him TOO.. he's a victim as well.. he bought the house and invested on it.. to just give it back to her would be like buying a diamond ring and then having it taken away because the past owner needs it.. what about all the money i put into buying that ring? how come i cant get my money back? if its justice u want< do justice for both? it obvious that house should not have been sold.. blame it on the court and the bank.. the whole world is cruel and MORALLY WRONG.. thats why its up to us the ppl to make a difference.. let help both of them.. let them give her house back AND the buyers money back.. it has to be an equal distribution.. sue.. the bank.. the lenders and the courT!!!! WE CANT HELP ONE AND LEAVE THE OTHER BEHIND..and help me too guys i need ur input.. have to write a darn essay on this topic.... I LOVE YOU AMERICA lol :D

thts not the issue.. he bought the property and spent money on it.. if the house get taken away.. he should get his money back.. if u guys are breaking the for her than break it for him too.. it wont be right to take the house from him then give it to her and he gets nothing in return

That will not happen, he will get the house. It is his now, by law. The only way he will not get that house, is if he agrees to some kind of buy out. Sad to see this happen to both parties. He is not a speculator because of the fact that he might not get the house, speculating is based on whether it will render a profit. That is typical Bed Stuy thinking.

Ms Ward needs to move out of that house. And as a black man I certainly feel for her, but her legal woes have zero to do with the legal status of that property NOW.

The auction was a legal transaction. Chowdary is now the legal owner of record and this may come as a surprise to many of you -- but he has rights too.

In fact, his right to access trumps her right of squatting.

And, Finally, let's be honest about the real narrative here: White yuppies from Levittown now making their homes in Bed-Stuy trying to take over Bed-Stuy from the back door.

I'm from Bed-Stuy. When the dust is cleared Ms. Ward will be the only black person left in the piece. They'll keep her as proof they're not trying to gobble up every other building in Bed-Stuy that's not nailed down.

And what's a woman her age doing in a whole house anyway -- that's a recipe for disaster right there.

If -- and it's a mighty big if -- she actually has $70,00, that's enough to pay her rent on a nice Section Eight senior apartment for the rest of her life with a little left over to get her hair dyed blue each week at the beauty saloon on the ground floor most of these senior apartments have.

to gary lloyd you need to be ashame of yourself. there is nothing legal about this. from the 1965 immigration and nationality act to the genocide in the negro/african american communities,ie bed-sty, harlem, east ny-brownsville etc. this genocide has destroyed the african american nationwide. you are so disrespectful,you can't be from this country. it's amazing how this so call (gentrification) has affected and devastated only the african /negro community in ny. not the itialians,not the ashkenazi european jews, they have taken over bed sty/williamsburg like crazy,working their way up bedford ave like crazy with hud federal funds. and what about the irish,and the latinos, let's not leave any ethic group out,even the all the ones who have contributed nothing to the existence to this country,but have been imported into this country to help themselves to the resources that legally belong to the negros in this country. you want to talk about legal. dr king is rolling over in his grave,tALKING ABOUT GIVING HIM A WALL IN WASINGTON,you got it twisted,dr. king did not fight for his people,suffered for his people,and died for his people for no wall in wash. he gave his life ,so that what is happening to his people today ie ms. ward,would not be. not for some immigrant from bangladash, or wherever. and you wonder why ny is having earthquakes,and hurricane,you think you people can continue to disrespect our elders,and his real chosen people negro/african americans,think again. dee w.

To Gary Lloyd, you are a bona fide JACKASS. If all these transactions were legal, why would the banks be trying to cut a deal with the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT where they will pay a $20 billion dollar fine, in exchange for not be PROSECUTED IN THE FUTURE. Does that sound like people who operated legally? And one more thing, the people involved with this issue (Couniclman Vann, Assemblywoman Robinson and Congressman Towns) after examinnig her paper trail realized that SHE STILL OWNS THE BUILDING.

I'm sad to read all these negative comments if it was my Mom I'd be devastated. When you get older it's easy to get talked into things and if you do not believe that try getting old. I have been a speculator in foreclosed properties and there are often clouds on Titles, it goes with the teritory. This lady needs to get her property back and if the speculator is too mean spirited to do that with a tax incentive on the table then he is the vilain. Nobody is entitled to make a profit at the expense of others. I've done well all my life but not by taking andvantage of the elderly.

we can all thank GWBush for his deregulation tactics to make his buddies richer and tank the U.S. economy i.e. ruin many peoples lives

Rick,

This was William Jefferson Clinton's fault.