Foreclosure protesters force temporary closure of Lynn bank

LYNN – The Bank of America branch on State Street was closed to customers for about a half hour Tuesday afternoon, when protesters from Lynn United for Change entered the bank.The group of about 10 people, representing the organization which fights what it calls unjust evictions and foreclosures, walked into the bank?s lobby holding protest signs to try to stop the bank from selling the foreclosed home of Vilma Reyna at 43 Waverly St. in Lynn.Protest coordinator Isaac Simon Hodes said the plan was to give a letter to the bank?s workers for them to pass along to higher officials, which told how the bank refused to negotiate after a local nonprofit offered to buy Reyna?s home and allow her to repurchase it through a fixed-rate mortgage.The letter described how Bank of America was at first willing to negotiate, but then “decided to sell to an outside investor instead, without even notifying the nonprofit or the family.”Hodes said when he entered the bank with Reyna and about eight other protesters to state their case around 12:30 p.m., they were told they could be arrested for trespassing on private property. The branch?s security guard, who declined to give his name, allowed the eight others to leave before he locked the bank?s doors and called the police.About 10 customers were turned away from the bank while the doors were locked, allowed only to use the ATM in the bank?s foyer. By 1:30 p.m., customers were being let in two at a time, with the rest waiting in the foyer.Hodes said he was first told by the bank manager that he would be able to stay with Reyna while she spoke with the bank?s manager, but when police arrived around 1:10 p.m. they asked him to leave as well. Hodes said he was surprised they “went back on their promise.”The protesters were told by the police that they could continue their protest off of the property as long as they were continuously moving. They continued to picket, yelling “We got sold out, Bank of America!” until Reyna came out of the bank, which Hodes guessed was about 90 minutes.Hodes said bank officials took Reyna?s information but gave her no new information regarding the processProtester Carly McClain said she felt it was unfair that the organization couldn?t protest on the bank?s property. “Even though our tax dollars paid to keep the bank?s doors open during the bailout, it?s not considered public property,” she said, referring to the U.S. government bailout of the company.Hodes said Lynn United for Change has protested Bank of America foreclosures before.?Bank of America has responded to pressure in some cases. Here and in Greater Boston, they seem to come to the bargaining table only after they are faced with pressure from the community,” he said.TJ Crawford, spokesman for Bank of America, said the bank?s closing was normal; managers would only close the bank if protesters “are disruptive and impeding customers from doing business or creating an unsafe situation. The well-being of our customers and employees is our number one concern.”Crawford declined to comment on the protest.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].