The report begins: "A 103-year-old woman facing foreclosure from her home will not be forced to leave the dwelling she has lived in for the past 53 years. The bank administering a second mortgage on the northwest Atlanta house where Vinia Hall lives will work out an arrangement so that she and her 83-year-old daughter, Kathelyn Cornelius, don't have to move."

103-year-old Vinia Hall was in the process of being evicted until community pressure forced Chase bank to delay the proceedings, 12/03/11. (photo: WSBTV)

Public Outcry Halts Eviction of 103-Year-Old Woman

By Mark Davis and Angel K. Brooks, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

04 December 11

103-year-old woman facing foreclosure from her home will not be forced to leave the dwelling she has lived in for the past 53 years.

The bank administering a second mortgage on the northwest Atlanta house where Vinia Hall lives will work out an arrangement so that she and her 83-year-old daughter, Kathelyn Cornelius, don’t have to move. The bank, JPMorgan Chase, announced the decision Wednesday afternoon.

"We will work out a resolution to keep them in the home," Thomas Kelly, a spokesman for the bank, said in an emailed statement.

"That's a blessing," Hall told Channel 2 Action News.

The bank’s decision caps a series of telephone calls and negotiations that involved a former Atlanta City Council member, a state senator and the office of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

There were plans to evict the women Tuesday, but the movers and Fulton County sheriff's deputies sent to the home did not remove them, Channel 2 reported.

Hall, whose 104th birthday is three weeks away, told Channel 2 that day that she was not worried about being kicked out of her Penelope Road home.

"No, I knew that they know what they were doing. God don't let them do wrong," she said.

The situation seemed to affect Hall's daughter, who was rushed to the hospital, Channel 2 said.

In 2002, Ali Muhammad, the grandson of Vinia Hall, got a second mortgage on the house from Deutsche Bank National Trust, according to Fulton County Civil Superior Court records. That loan ultimately was administered by Chase.

Muhammad was listed as the owner, though his grandmother had lived in it for decades. Seven years after getting the loan - in March 2009 - Deutsche foreclosed on the property.

Hall remained in the home while Muhammad fought the foreclosure, said Derrick Boazman, a former Atlanta City Council member who said he negotiated with the banks to keep the two elderly women from eviction. Joining him was state Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta. Officials representing Reed also contacted the banks.

Chase, Boazman said, "should write this off at a loss."

Chase - not Deutsche -should be negotiating with Hall, said John Gallagher, a spokesman for Deutsche. Chase administers the loan, and is responsible for settling it, he said.

"Deutsche Bank was not involved in any way in the decision to seek to evict Mrs. Lee and her daughter," Gallagher said in an emailed statement. "As trustee, Deutsche Bank does not control decisions or actions related to foreclosures or evictions."

News about Hall’s predicament, originally broadcast Tuesday night, prompted Carol Beaver to leave her west Cobb home Wednesday morning and deliver a basket of fruit to Hall.

Hearing of Hall’s plight "just broke my heart," said Beaver "This really puts a face on foreclosures."

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+57 # Barbara K 2011-12-04 13:49

Yes, as the last line says, it really puts a face on foreclosures. So many people have been wrongly evicted by banks who didn't even hold a mortgage on the home. People should go to your County Clerk or Register of Deeds office and find out who is listed as the holder of your mortgage to be sure it is the one you are making your payments to. If not, start asking questions and tell the County Clerk about it and report it to the police if necessary to get it all on record.

-15 # X Dane 2011-12-04 20:34

WOW Barbara...You forgot to write
NEVER VOTE REPUBLICAN. We all expect that from you

+14 # punk 2011-12-04 20:55

sure, this story says 'never vote republican', and it gives one very good reason why. republicans put all the power in the hands of businesses with money and forget that the political system is supposed to support society as a whole, not just business. a little balance, please.

+2 # CL38 2011-12-06 13:49

We do expect that from Barbara...I, for one, appreciate her reminder (of solidarity) to NEVER FORGET WHAT THE RIGHT HAS DONE TO OUR COUNTRY

+1 # CL38 2011-12-06 14:20

Banks engage in the renegotiation process and foreclosures on the same homes AT THE SAME TIME. Paperwork for renegotiating the mortgage is often "lost" and the owner has to start over and resubmit the forms...again and again.

In the meantime, since the foreclosure moves quickly, banks continue evicting.

STOP all mortgage foreclosures until the fraud is stopped and corrected. BANKS HAVE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THEY"RE STILL GETTING AWAY WITH FRAUD AFTER TAKING BAIL-OUT MONEY!!

Let these bankers serve the most time possible. Let them finance the return of homes to their rightful owners. And while they're at it, bankers can finance moving expenses for anyone illegitimately evicted.

In 2012, remember what the right has done. X DANE, NEVER VOTE REPUBLICAN!!!

0 # X Dane 2011-12-06 16:11

Hey all of you I certainly didn't mean to offend Barbara, I like her and her salute. It was just a gentle tease, so ..........please hold your fire

0 # CL38 2011-12-06 18:54

ok...

0 # CL38 2011-12-06 18:52

We do expect that from Barbara...I, for one, appreciate her reminder (of solidarity) to NEVER FORGET WHAT THE RIGHT HAS DONE TO OUR COUNTRY.

+5 # popeye47 2011-12-05 06:42

Again, the rich and powerful vs. the poor and middle class. The banks have nothing to fear. The government is on their side, bailing them out no matter what they do. The middle class be prepared to lose more and more to the rich. They are coming for you. Be ready.

+45 # X Dane 2011-12-04 14:35

It very sad to see, not just these two old ladies facing forclosure, but many, many families.

Because the mortgages were cut into countless pieces and sold litterally all over the world homeowners are no longer able to negotiate with the bank.

The world has become increasingly heartless and scary, and the banks have committed fraud, having people falsely sign papers, because there is no actual owner. "60 munutes" did an excellent program about it.

It should be possible to sue them, (banks) to stop this practice.

+12 # Magars 2011-12-04 15:57

After the bailout, the law is on their side,and banks make every inch of these regulations work for them. This is the price people pay,when they make deals with the enemy.

0 # X Dane 2011-12-06 16:20

After the crash in 08, I called some friends in Denmark and mentioned our troubles. The answer I got surprised me indeed. They said "you've got trouble? WE BOUGT your mortgages, believeing it was a good investmant"

And little Island, the state, went BANKRUPT because they had bought a lot of our papers.

+35 # fredboy 2011-12-04 14:56

Please do not forget that many in the financial industry take great pride in cold-hearted actions. They view them as signs of courage, dominance, and absolute power over others. I do not exaggerate. Some believe they are so powerful that they have the right to "throw away" others. And this is what is taught and worshipped in the nation's MBA greed factories.

0 # CL38 2011-12-06 19:01

I post this often because it's important. Republican John Dean's book, "Conservatives without Conscience" exposes the far right and their beliefs about the GOP right to rule, dominate, take power and secure wealth at other's expense. It's a shocking eye opener. If everyone read it, there would be no Republicans in office.

+30 # MainStreetMentor 2011-12-04 15:00

These foreclosure actions are dispicable, but expected, from a "brand name" economic rapist of Wall Street infamny - which our govenment continues to allow to engage in such practices due to the lack of regulations, policies and procedures that contain constraints with real "teeth" in them. JP Morgan Chase bank, whose CEO is: Jamie Dimon. Don't forget either name.

+27 # Tom Camfield 2011-12-04 15:02

God bless those sheriff's deputies. They truly understand the difference between the spirit and the letter of the law.

This situation is an illustrative reminder of blind lack of concern by the banking system in general, which pushed our society into hard times in the first place.

Has a fund been established somewhere (not at this bank, certainly) for this woman and her daughter?

-6 # Progressive Patriot 2011-12-04 15:03

Is _someone_ prosecuting the grandson?

+21 # Tom Camfield 2011-12-04 15:04

What a combination: Chase Bank and in Georgia. Both are relatively soulless in the overall scheme of things.

+14 # Tee 2011-12-04 15:13

I haven't heard this President once mention the alternative of a moratorium on foreclosures. Him and Hillary Clinton made this promise on a number of occasions. I guess until they started taking all the Goldman Sach's and bank money. Come to think of it, I haven't heard any democrat mentioning moratorium either.Go to getthemoneyout.com

+29 # Politicalprincess 2011-12-04 15:16

The Occupy Movement could help coordinate information to resist the evictions in our local areas. This was very effective during the Great Depression. Please read: workers.org/2008/ us/anti-eviction_strugg les_0221/

+12 # Magars 2011-12-04 15:47

This is one of thousands and thousands cases. "Show me the deed" to find out who own the mortgage is a technicality . I'm sure these nice people are doing whatever it take to make it work for her it.But the idea of this article is to show the brutality of this mess. What about the news that appeared in this same website about the failure to resolve this despicable abuse with the money that was supposed to work for the people?The lack of solutions is a shame. The WH has to stand up vigorously to stop the rich and powerful ,because what is happening with people in poverty is about permissible .

+6 # reiverpacific 2011-12-04 15:54

All I can say is, I wonder what this venerable lady think of the world she is close to leaving?
If I had any power ------!? But that's the problem, innit!?

+13 # Sandy 2011-12-04 15:54

Some of these cases are akin to robbery. As such, the state should sue the bank, rather than the burden being on the victim homeowner(s). State of Georgia vs. JP Morgan Chase and/or Deutsche Bank.

+25 # MainStreetMentor 2011-12-04 16:13

At 103 years of age … how many of your childhood friends would there be to come visit – or you to visit them? How many of your children, if you had children, would still be around to talk to? When the electricity goes “out”, or the water pipes freeze, or the air condition fails (if you have any of those things), what would you do at 103 years of age? Into what dark horrors would the fears, the bone-marrow shaking fright of being put out into the street take your mind if you were 103 years old – and you had the utter misfortune of dealing with JP Morgan Chase bank? These bankers have no feelings, no ethics, no sense of need, or caring, or anything in this world except: Money, Greed and Profits. Deal with ONLY a credit union!

+13 # Regina 2011-12-04 16:22

The big banks got so whizzed by their game of slicing and dicing their mortgages, that they went on to slice and dice their mortgagees. Who are the "people" here -- the big banks or the small human beings??? This country needs a BIG attitude adjustment!!!

+10 # wwway 2011-12-04 16:24

In my opinion the banks need to work with every mortgage holder. After all, they to the money from the mortgage holder in the bail out. It's time for the banks to do cram downs and help people stay in their homes and communities. We've already paid for it and the goods need to be delivered.

+7 # John Locke 2011-12-04 16:51

Well an intereting side note here, if the trustee doesn't control the Note and decisions regarding foreclosure and evictions, who has that authority, it rests legally with the trustee, and Deutsche Bank has been involved in a majority of foreclosures and evictions across the US including Fraudulent ones in several states

+13 # sharag 2011-12-04 19:01

Without the sheriff's refusal and public outcry, the Banksters wouldn't have even thought twice about taking this woman's home away and throwing the out on the street.

Move your money to a credit union and support your state's attorney general in prosecuting the banks for their criminal behavior.

-5 # punk 2011-12-04 20:40

please legalize euthanasia. i'm not scared of dying. i'm scared of living too long. i think i have a right to decide what to do with my life, not the state. ppl sd be able to choose how to go and not be required to live in pain or distress until a god that they may not believe in takes them

+6 # Bodiotoo 2011-12-04 22:22

Bless these women...I hope they live out there days wherever they are comfortable...BUT:

This story answer some questions, I will assume for a moment that both women recieved some sort of pension, soc. sec etc in 2009...having lived in the house over 40 years I would hope it was paid off. Was the house re-financed for health care for the wome? X$S for what? A Banker making a quick buck, a house boat for the grandson????? Why did they find themselves in this fix. The story is not complete.

+4 # ABen 2011-12-05 14:18

Evicting "unproductive" members of society is very much a part of the Randian world that the current GOP wants to bring about in this country. It is heartening to see that responsible members of her community stepped in to prevent the travesty.

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