Members of the Economic Fairness Oregon (EFO) team are in Bend, Oregon right now, meeting with Tim Collette as he prepares for a big day with two very different events - an emotional reunion with his son, Aaron, who returns from Iraq tonight, and the public auction of his home by JPMorgan Chase at 3:30pm PT at the court house. Read more on the details of Tim's story, here.
Saadia McConville from EFO writes, "We are all excited for Tim and Aaron's reunion, and also anxious to see what unfolds at the courthouse. Chase tried to force Tim to sign a deed in lieu of foreclosure, which would have cost him his home and taken away his opportunity for legal recourse. Tim refused to sign this paperwork as it went against what Chase had been promising him, and he now waits to see what Chase will do this afternoon."
Despite the pressure of the impending sale, Tim is elated that his son Aaron will be home later this evening. His room is clean, his bed is made and several members of his family will be arriving in the coming days to visit him during his leave.
Tim also got a call from a Change.org member of the Patriot Guard, a group of supporters & veterans who have made a name for themselves by taking to their motorcycles to protect military families at homecomings and funerals. Their members have offered to escort the Collettes home from the airport, which Tim is keeping as a surprise for Aaron.
After months of struggling with the bank, Tim is growing frustrated. Now is the time to support Tim Collette and give him the strength to keep fighting. Do you have a personal story about the housing crisis in America? Send a note to Tim at homecomingwithoutahome@gmail.com and share your story and words of encouragement. Tim has invested hundreds of hours in this public fight to keep his home, and the outcome could have implications for us all.
As part of his campaign to save his home, Tim has been asking supporters to sign his petition to Chase Bank at Change.org.
Photo credit: Jim Legans, Jr.
Disclosure: I'm the Organizing Director for Economic Justice at Change.org. This blog post was also shared at Change.org.