On Friday, November 18, 2022, Alton King, a Black senior with a disability who had been wrongfully evicted from his Longmeadow, MA home, returned to his house for the first time in over a month.
King said in a statement released to the media by the Mass. Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), “I am excited to be back home. I am very satisfied that the Longmeadow Police have understood that I am not evicted physically from the home right now and report to me that they will be looking for the parties who claim that they have some rights to go back to the courts.”
King’s case is currently under reconsideration by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. MAAPL has been working with other organizations to convince the SJC to reverse its decision in the original case. More details about the SJC’s original decision, and MAAPL’s response to the decision, are available here on the MAAPL website.
You can read the full MAAPL Press Release below.
Download the complete Press Release ( PDF )
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact(s): Mr. Alton King: (413) 250-0098; Grace Ross (MAAPL Director): (617) 291-5591
LOCATION: 49 Memery Lane, Longmeadow, MA 01106-2573
ALTON KING RETURNS HOME
LONGMEADOW, MA, November 18, 2022 – Earlier today, Alton King, Jr. unlocked his home for the first time in over a month. Prior to doing so, King prioritized notifying the Longmeadow Police Department and ultimately gained entry with the assistance of a locksmith. King, though 80 years old, will swish jump shots… if you let him. After being out of his house for over a month, Mr. King was upbeat and praised the Longmeadow Police Department for their handling of today’s events:
“I am excited to be back home. I am very satisfied that the Longmeadow Police have understood that I am not evicted physically from the home right now and report to me that they will be looking for the parties who claim that they have some rights to go back to the courts.”
Sadly, the condition of Mr. King’s home, and the exact location of his possessions is still uncertain at this time. Mr. King conveyed the following after assessing his home for the first time in over a month:
“My home is not the way that I left it. We are creating a list of damages at this point. I still have a right to my belongings that are being illegally withheld by the moving company. They claim that it is the Sheriff’s office that is doing it. I expect those to be returned to me immediately. This is obviously not over, but today, justice prevailed.” [emphasis added]
Contrary to the disclosures by Sheriff Nick Cocchi, no legal eviction of Mr. Alton King from: 49 Memery Lane, Longmeadow, MA occurred on October 12, 2020. In fact, aside from confirming receipt, Sheriff Cocchi has still not responded to the ‘Open Letter’, dated and delivered to him on October 12, 2022. On the aforementioned day, Mr. King was unlawfully locked out of his house, and watched as much of his personal property was removed from his house. As of 6 p.m. today, some of Mr. King’s personal property still remains locked at Race Street Properties, 460 Race Street, Holyoke, MA.
Until today:
BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON As TRUSTEE on behalf of the registered holders of Alternative Loan Trust 2006-J7, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-J7 (BNYM-J7)
had been ‘holding’ Mr. King’s home hostage for over a month. An unknown quantity of Mr. King’s personal possessions, removed by Race Street Properties on October 12, 2022, still remains unaccounted for.
1Race Street Properties, 460 Race Street, Holyoke, MA, which purports to be a ‘storage’ facility while not being legally registered with MA Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL). Also, Mr. King has not received a final inventory release from Race Street Properties for his ‘stored’ personal property as required by MGL Chapter 239 § 4.
The above-mentioned securitized trust (BNYM-J7) has: no legal existence, no trust founding documents on record with any Massachusetts Registries of Deeds, and has or is in the process of violating numerous Massachusetts laws and various Federal laws, including the anti-Ku Klux Klan Act, 42 U.S. c. §1981-88 (See ‘Open Letter’ to Sheriff Cocchi).
Today, Mr. King intends to return to his home so he may sleep in his own bed tonight and celebrate Thanksgiving with his family as he has for the last 18 years. Presently, the Bankruptcy Court has sole jurisdiction over this matter; the next hearing date for Mr. King is on December 13, 2022 at 10 a.m.
For other comments, clarifications, or questions, please contact:
Grace Ross, Coordinator of Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL)
(617) 291-5591 (c); Grace@GraceRoss.net
Please contact Jay Lively, Outreach & Media for general inquiries at (774) 521-6382 (c); jay.lively22@gmail.com
