Chicago sheriff won't evict foreclosure victims

Meet Sheriff Dart, one of the good guys. He finds out that banks have been sending his sheriffs to throw out renters...

"We were completely surprised," Maria said. "We've always been on time. We paid our rent."

Never missed a rent payment, they said, but they and others in the building were going to be evicted because the building's owner had stopped paying the mortgage - then fled the country.

Sheriff Dart: no way I'm throwing those people out.

Dart is suspending all foreclosure evictions until the banks take two basic steps in court.

So here's how it works: Let's say you own a building and rent someone an apartment. They've paid the rent faithfully but you don't pay the mortgage and face foreclosure. The bank has to indicate they live there and give them sufficient time to look for another place to live.

Dart says an ideal time is four months.

Pretty simple, huh?

90-year-old attempts suicide over foreclosure

Jesus:

A 90-year-old Akron, Ohio, woman who shot herself as sheriff's deputies tried to evict her from her foreclosed home became a symbol of the nation's home mortgage crisis Friday.

Addie Polk is being treated at Akron General Medical Center after shooting herself at least twice in the upper body Wednesday afternoon, her city councilman said.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, mentioned Polk on the House floor Friday during debate over the latest economic rescue proposal.

"This bill does nothing for the Addie Polks of the world," Kucinich said after telling her story. "This bill fails to address the fact that millions of homeowners are facing foreclosure, are facing the loss of their home. This bill will take care of Wall Street, and the market may go up for a few days, but democracy is going downhill."

Fuller story here.

One Million Homes in Foreclosure

A Bush-sized hole that will take decades to crawl out of.

Foreclosure suicide

Here's a story that'll ruin your day.

And at the end:

Residents noted there had been a number of foreclosures in the neighborhood lately.

Wonderful.