Occupy Protestors Face Criminal Charges Over Foreclosures

Many homeowners have fallen victim to foreclosures at the hands of unlawful practices by lenders. Caught up in the massive paperwork scandal, some homeowners have turned to drastic measures to help get their homes back. The Occupy Movement took on a new mission a earlier this year, aiming to help foreclosure victims by moving into foreclosed properties.

Good Intentions Gone Bad

Occupy Foreclosure protestors have been able to dodge legal bullets for quite some time as they break in, occupy and essential live in foreclosed properties. These properties are legally owned by the bank and, once a property has entered foreclosure, it becomes sole property of the bank. Therefore, anyone who enters or occupies a foreclosed property is breaking the law. The intention of the protestors is not to commit a crime, rather they are seeking to make a statement and one that will grab the attention of the bank, but local authorities aren’t going to stand for it.

Cities and local police departments have been silent long enough. North Carolina police recently arrested nine people on trespassing charges when they attempted to reclaim a foreclosed property. California police found themselves dealing with a group of Occupy protestors earlier this year,  arresting one person and cited 14 more for trespassing on private property.