Two apartment buildings were foreclosed on, leading
to two people arrested and a crowd of screaming residents and activists
spilling into the streets.
“They
say I'm starting a riot,” said resident Ashaundre Young, as police led
her away in handcuffs. “It’s because I got the loudest voice,” she
yelled.
Miami activist Max Rameau was the second arrest.
“The police are working for the banks, not the people,” he said.
Two buildings are in foreclosure: 820 Northwest 70th Street and 840 Northwest 70th Street.
Tuesday morning, a man who said he was working with a bank evicted three families in the residences. Several Miami police officers escorted him on to the properties, where he and two helpers removed furniture then boarded up the units.
Residents say banking giant JP Morgan Chase
holds the mortgage. Tenants admit they haven't been paying rent since
the beginning of the year, claiming that when they made rent payments
last year, the manager pocketed the money instead of paying the
mortgage.
“I
think it's very disloyal for the landlord to take my money and do other
things with it besides what he was supposed,” said evicted resident
Brandy Young.
A
representative from JP Morgan Chase told NBC Miami she has no records
of those buildings, and therefore she couldn't comment on the matter.
In this current economic climate, no doubt, foreclosures will continue. And activists say they’ll keep fighting.
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