- Home
- Politics
- Entertainment
- Sports
- Health
- Religion
- Society
- Tech
- Money
- People
- Science
- Galleries
Money
Wells Fargo Forecloses on Wrong Home, Destroys Homeowners' Possessions
Wells Fargo subcontractors wrongfully foreclosed on Alvin and Pat Tjosaas' home near Twentynine Palms, California, removing and destroying nearly all of the couple’s belongings.
The Tjosaas had no mortgage on the house, which Alvin had built with his dad as a teen, reports CBS Los Angeles.
Alvin told CBS Los Angeles: “Good news, we know who took it, Wells Fargo. Bad news, the stuff is all gone. I put my whole life into this place, building it for my mom and dad. I know every inch, every rock… my mom mixed all the cement by hand.”
Subcontractors, hired by the Wells Fargo, broke doors, smashed windows and stole property including: 3 tractor mowers, 3 golf carts, masonry tools, carpenter tools, a WWI uniform and flag and family heirlooms. The possessions were reportedly destroyed.
While the mistake was the fault of Wells Fargo, the bank only recently started responding to the Tjosaas after the media publicized the incident.
Wells Fargo quickly released a statement of apology for the losses suffered by the Tjosaas family and claimed to be moving quickly to “resolve this unfortunate situation in an attempt to right this wrong.”
The bank is offering the couple $260,000 for their losses, but the Tjosaas have not yet made a decision on whether or not to accept the money.
Neither the bank or their subcontractors are facing any criminal charges for the destruction and theft.
Sign up for the OV Daily Newsletter
Comments
There have been reports for
There have been reports for the past few years of mortgage businesses ransacking homes, usually of people in foreclosure. However, a number of occurrences occurred at homes that are not even mortgaged.
The law needs to be changed
The law needs to be changed for any organization to enter a home. Police do it with deadly consequences. A judge should be made to sign off on these entries and the warrant should have a picture of the residence with the mailman's initials on the picture. Somebody comes into my house is going to eat lead and if its cops they will wind up killing me. And of course nothing will happen to the ones that survive my initial attack but I'll be dead because they made a mistake.
If every time the gestapo
If every time the gestapo sent a group of thugs to arrest someone they had been met with a shotgun blasts, they would have run out of thugs.
The gestapo only wins because people let them.
Those that can't or won't defend themselves can only be slaves.
"Subcontractors, hired by the
"Subcontractors, hired by the Wells Fargo, broke doors, smashed windows and stole property including: 3 tractor mowers, 3 golf carts, masonry tools, carpenter tools, a WWI uniform and flag and family heirlooms. The possessions were reportedly destroyed."
Hang on a minute ... They did this all at the so-called "wrong" home? Is there a RIGHT home to do this kind of damage to, under California laws?
I wonder whether this might be another of those Opposing Views stories that embroiders the truth, to sex the story up. (Look who wrote it.)
I think they toned it
I think they toned it down...their house was actually broken into by them TWICE!!!
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wells-fargo-mistakes-home-neighboring-foreclosed-home/story?id=17185239#.UE6KRSIvmVo
This story was also reported
This story was also reported on Huffington Post and a local ABC affiliate.
Banksters are criminals.
Banksters are criminals. Every single bank employee is a criminal.
Those that can't or won't defend themselves can only be slaves.
It's not the bank. They gave
It's not the bank. They gave the wrong address, but the sub contractor should be held criminally liable for the destruction and theft. It's one thing to repo a home. The Bank is liable for the monetary damages due to the mistake. They didn't commit the theft or destroy the articles.
Yes it is the bank. If it
Yes it is the bank. If it isn't the wrong house its a fraudulent loan, or a no paperwork foreclosure, the list is endless and they NEVER EVER do any time for their constant crimes.
Try bouncing a couple of checks and see who comes calling, but bounce 10 Billion checks and you are too big to fail.
Those that can't or won't defend themselves can only be slaves.
True, IF they had only done
True, IF they had only done it once. But these yahoo's hired ANOTHER contractor, that made the same mistake and AGAIN cleaned out the home!
So now if you KNOW the first one made a mistake, WHY would they not make SURE the second one wouldn't???
(Yeah they never mentioned that here....)
Makes you wonder if the guy
Makes you wonder if the guy doing the hiring was getting a kickback from the contractors.
This is disgusting. Does
This is disgusting. Does wells Fargo really think that $260,000 should cover this all? That's a pittance. What they have done here should cost them big. Family heirlooms such as a WWI uniform are not replaceable. They need to give the family at least 1 million, though I would vote it up to 3 mil.
I have to call BS on part of
I have to call BS on part of this story. Why would subcontractors destroy doors and windows? I can understand kicking in a door OR breaking a window, but not both. Since the bank owns a foreclosure, they bank doesn't want it destroyed.
The next BS, is the belongings "reportedly destroyed". What a crock. The subcontractors kept/sold the stuff. There's no way in hell they destroyed 3 tractors, golf carts, etc...
Where are the homeowners when this happens? If the homeowners are gone, then I can see how the subs would believe they have the correct house. What happens if the owners are home?
I think you're right about
I think you're right about that. I wonder how many of these employees were actually legal.
The pity was the home owner
The pity was the home owner didn't shoot the contractor as was deserved. If more of the traitors were shot on site the banksters would have to steal the houses themselves.
Some criminal sticks a note on your door, return it to them supersonic style.
Those that can't or won't defend themselves can only be slaves.
Over the last couple years
Over the last couple years we've seen dozens of examples of banks foreclosing on homes that weren't behind on their mortgages, homes where the mortgage had been paid off, and even homes that have never had mortgages against them.
It's pretty clear that they aren't going to change their behavior unless we assign some pretty stringent penalties for doing so - like fining them double the value of the house and all of its possessions lost through the foreclosure action. Sure, the banks and their supporters will argue that in some of these cases is it the subcontractors that the bank hires that get the address wrong, but it would be in the bank's best interest to make sure there are safeguards in place to make sure their subcontractors get the correct addresses - and the bank can recoup the losses from the subcontractors via the court system. By making the banks pay up front, there is less delay in getting recompense to the families that have had their homes and lives destroyed by the banks and their subcontractors.