California Swipes Citizens' Property

[JakeStratham]

Check out this story at the Mises blog.

If you're lazy, here's the point:

Back in '08, ABC covered a story about shenanigans the state's thugs were doing. They were pilfering property from citizens' safe deposit boxes to settle the state's debt. Example (from Mises):

... a San Francisco woman’s jewelry appraised at over $80,000 was sold even though she lived a few blocks from her bank, had not moved, and was current on all of her box rental feeds.

From ABC:

They were sold for just $1,800

Good grief. Remember, when you vote, you get thugs for leaders.

 

[IMHopeful]

^^That's beyond absurd. I'm not totally surprised, but you'd think a safety deposit box would be off limits (excluding a warrant.)

 

[cheshire]

No different that BOA foreclosing on you, even though they don't hold the paper on your note.

 

[JakeStratham]

No different that BOA foreclosing on you, even though they don't hold the paper on your note.

Though tragic, there is one difference. The BofA event seems to have stemmed from a mistake. From the piece in your post:

The bank had an incorrect address on foreclosure documents — the house it meant to seize is across the street and about 10 doors down — but the Cardosos and a Realtor employed by Bank of America were unable to convince the company that it had the wrong house, the suit states.

The state of California, on the other hand, seemed intent on stealing citizens' property. From the ABC News piece:

California became so addicted to spending people's money, that, for years, it simply stopped sending notices to the rightful owners. ABC News obtained a 1996 internal memo in which the lawyer for the Bureau of Unclaimed Property argued against expanding programs to notify rightful owners. He wrote, "It could well result in additional claims of monies that would otherwise flow into the general fund."

And...

San Francisco resident Carla Ruff's safe-deposit box was drilled, seized, and turned over to the state of California, marked "owner unknown."

...


Unknown? Carla's name was right on documents in the box at the Noe Valley Bank of America location. So was her address -- a house about six blocks from the bank. Carla had a checking account at the bank, too -- still does -- and receives regular statements. Plus, she has receipts showing she's the kind of person who paid her box rental fee. And yet, she says nobody ever notified her.

That is outright thuggery.

 

[cheshire]

Though tragic, there is one difference. The BofA event seems to have stemmed from a mistake.

If you want to spin it that way, then it appears the state of California made a "mistake" aswell.

The state of California, on the other hand, seemed intent on stealing citizens' property. From the ABC News piece:

It seems BofA also seemed very intent on stealing citizens property. From the Tampabay story:

The bank had an incorrect address on foreclosure documents — the house it meant to seize is across the street and about 10 doors down — but the Cardosos and a Realtor employed by Bank of America were unable to convince the company that it had the wrong house, the suit states.
"Their own real estate agent told them, and nevertheless Bank of America steamrolled right ahead," said Joseph deMello, an attorney in Taunton, Mass., who is representing the couple.

Seems like they really wanted that house even though everyone was telling them they didn't actually own it. To top it off the state didn't even verify that they had the right to foreclose as the courts have to approve a foreclosure before they can legally kick you out.

That is outright thuggery.

Thuggery like this?

Last July, the couple's tenant called the Cardosos in a panic. The single mother of two teenagers accused the couple of lying when they told her she could rent the house as long she wanted. Three men were there to clean out the house and change the locks, she told them.

Possessions the couple had stored at the home, including photos, clothes, tools and small appliances, had been removed and are presumably lost, the complaint states.

DeMello said he has been fielding calls from other homeowners throughout the country with similar complaints.

The two incidents seem very similar, just different thugs.

 

[JakeStratham]

At cheshire: you and I are looking at both events through different lenses. I'm okay with that, and will assume you are, too.


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For anyone who has ventured in here, and was bored stiff, I'll make it worth your while. Here's something completely unrelated (I don't want to start a new thread), and kinda cool to think about...

This guy created the first cell phone:

In a piece by Bob Greene, he has a couple of great quotes. Examples:

"I'm at the doctor's office," Martin Cooper said. "I'm in the waiting room. And there's this guy on his cell phone, talking really loud. Does he think he owns the place? Apparently.


"I think this is so offensive. But you have to remember: It doesn't take a cell phone to make people rude. People were rude before there were cell phones."

"This was 1973. Was I supposed to know that one day you could get the internet on your cell phone? There was no internet -- how could I know that? Was I supposed to know that there would be cameras built into your phone? It's still kind of ridiculous, when you think of it.

"But back then, it wasn't just ridiculous -- the thought didn't even come up. There was no digital photography then. Take pictures from your phone? How were you going to get the roll of film into it?"

"Whatever happened to courtesy?" Cooper said. "What can be so urgent that you have to look down at your phone in the middle of a dinner conversation with people who matter to you? You can't wait five minutes before staring at your phone?

lol Good on him.

 

[Hurr-Durr]

I could go on and on about how horrible California is, when it comes to extracting money from its people. 10% state tax rate on all of your earnings, add 35% IRS tax on top of that.

Also look up the HUGE fines for traffic violations.

#1 priority of the state = Get the money by any means necessary
#2 priority of the state = Serve its citizens.

 

[jmizzle]

#1 priority of the state = Get the money by any means necessary
#2 priority of the state = Serve its citizens.

Gotta pay for all the handouts and to educate all those illegals for free somehow.