<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div class="cmBodyWrap cmCol9"><div class="cmCol6"><div class="cmBreadcrumb"><div><br></div></div><h1 class="cmLargerH1">City's efforts to remove squatters from foreclosed homes ignored</h1><div id="cmArticleWell"><div class="cmMedia"><div class="cmElementEnlarge"><a id="lba3_2132495" data-asset_id="2132495" href="http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/img/photos/2012/07/23/4e/c7/occupado.jpg" title="Click To View Larger">View Larger</a><span class="sprite sharing iconIncrease"> </span></div><div class="cmLeadPhoto"><a id="lba4_2132495" data-asset_id="2132495" href="http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/lt/lt_cache/thumbnail/400/img/photos/2012/07/23/4e/c7/occupado.jpg" title="Click To View Larger"><img src="http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/lt/lt_cache/thumbnail/400/img/photos/2012/07/23/4e/c7/occupado.jpg" class="cmPhotoBorderWhite cmDarkBoxShadow" title="Occupy squatters 0722" alt="Occupy squatters 0722" height="225" width="400"></a></div><div class="cmCaption">Occupy squatters 0722</div></div><div class="cmRelated"><h3 class="cmRelatedHeader">Related</h3><div class="cmModule"><div class="cmMedia"><a href="http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/special-report-10-people-occupy-bank-owned-home/vcxWr/"><img src="http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/lt/lt_cache/thumbnail/188/img/videothumbs/2012/07/23/46/78/167e1182-d498-11e1-96cd-0019b9b9e241.jpg" class="cmDarkBoxShadow" title="SPECIAL REPORT: 10 people occupy bank-owned home for nearly 1 year" alt="SPECIAL REPORT: 10 people occupy bank-owned home for nearly 1 year gallery" height="105" width="188"></a></div><div class="cmCaption"><a href="http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/special-report-10-people-occupy-bank-owned-home/vcxWr/">SPECIAL REPORT: 10 people occupy bank-owned home for nearly 1 year</a><span class="cmSpriteContentType
video"></span></div></div><div class="cmModule cmAdSponsoredLinksBox"><h3 class="cmRelatedHeader"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: medium; "><a href="http://KTVU.com">KTVU.com</a></span></h3></div></div><p class="cmDateline">OAKLAND, Calif. — </p><div class="cmArticle"><p>As
many as 10 people have been living in a bank-owned building in Oakland
for nearly a year and they haven't paid any rent. Neither the city, nor
the bank can get them to leave.</p><p>KTVU found out that it's not the only house the squatters have targeted.</p><p>Real
estate broker Tony Maqdoor said he had just kicked squatters out of a
house in Oakland, when he discovered they had returned and changed the
locks.</p><p>KTVU was able to enter the home and found a painting, beer and pills, and even one of the squatters was home.</p><p>A
man who was living at the home said he wanted to check out the house
for a friend, but KTVU recognized him as one of the same squatters who'd
taken over another four-unit building on Vallecito Place near Highland
Hospital.</p><p>The squatter said he didn't want to comment, but some neighbors had plenty to say about the squatters.</p><p>"They're squatting," said neighbor Hannah James. "They're freeloading. They're not paying any rent."</p><p>But Joshua Nichols, one of the squatters, feels differently.</p><p>He said he's among 10 people who've been living in a bank-owned building rent-free since November.</p><p>Nichols
said he and the others have cleaned up the place. He also showed KTVU
utility bills to prove they're paying for water and electricity.</p><p>Outside
the home hangs an "Occupy" sign and Nichols said he makes no apology
for taking over the foreclosed building without paying rent or getting
the bank's permission.</p><p>"They've completely withdrawn their right
to get rent from us," Nichols said. "They've taken away everything. We
bailed them out and they kicked everybody out of their homes. They've
ruined the lives of so many people."</p><p>Nichols said Bank of America
has filed a civil suit to try to evict him and the others living there
and they've hired their own lawyer to fight it.</p><p>A city inspector who visited the property told KTVU his hands are tied.</p><p>"You
should consult with the city attorney's office on that issue," said
James Anders, Oakland city inspector. "I'm really just doing an
inspection to assess the condition of the property."</p><p>Another city official confirmed it's a civil matter and police can't kick the residents out.</p><p>Neighbors
David and Sandy Berger said they worry that the number of people going
in and out of a building is growing and that there's no record of who
they are.</p><p>However, they said their new neighbors aren't the real problem.</p><p>"The
real issue here is not the Occupy, the issue is why the property was
ever allowed to get into derelict (condition) and people thought they
could move in and squat there," David Berger said. "Where is the
responsibility of the banks?"</p><p>Bank of America issued a statement regarding the situation:</p><p>"We
are aware that there are some unauthorized tenants in the building and
we are working with authorities to take appropriate legal procedures to
have them removed from the property. Once this situation is resolved,
our goal is to market the property for sale as quickly as possible."</p></div></div><div class="cmToolBox"><ul><li class="first-child"><p><span class="sprite iconComments"> </span><a href="http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/city-efforts-remove-squatters-foreclosed-homes-ign/nPz85/#cmComments">comment</a><span class="count"> (7)</span></p></li><li><p><span st_processed="yes" class="st_sharethis" displaytext="Share"> <span class="stButton" style="text-decoration:none;color:#000000;display:inline-block;cursor:pointer;"><span class="chicklets sharethis">Share</span></span></span></p></li><li><p><span class="favorite"><span class="sprite sharing iconFavorite"> </span><a href="http://www.ktvu.com/social/favorites/favorite-stories/add/1228152/">favorite</a></span></p></li><li class="last-child"><form action="/ur/api/redirect/?next=/news/news/city-efforts-remove-squatters-foreclosed-homes-ign/nPz85/" method="post" class="vote_form is_anonymous" id="aa"><div class="cmVoteText"><span>Vote</span> (<span class="count" title="0 total votes">0</span>)</div></form></li></ul></div></div></div><div><br></div></body></html>