Property owners seek justice from foreclosure at Fresno rally

California property owners who lost homes or land to foreclosure filled the Mariposa Mall in downtown Fresno late Thursday afternoon to support the plaintiff in a lawsuit being heard at the B.F. Sisk Courthouse.

Organizers say at least 2,100 people hopped aboard buses or drove from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento and cities in between to hear the latest in the case of Larry Brown vs. Bank of America and other large banks and financial institutions named as defendants.

The marchers wore white and orange T-shirts with the word Lifesavers printed on the front and back. Lifesavers is a growing organization of property owners interested in helping each other, said the Rev. Nigel “Doc” Johnson, president.

“We are currently in court, here in Fresno, to right the wrongs of the banks,” said Johnson, who is from Stockton.

Brown and about 1,200 property owners are in a fight to seek damages from wrongful foreclosure and unfair business practices, according to court documents.

The property owners are from all over, including some in the Central Valley, Johnson said. Rally organizers say Lifesavers has 11,000 members nationwide.

The defendants, represented by attorney Scott Hammel of Walnut Creek, asked Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan for a change of venue. She ruled against it and set a hearing date for Nov. 18.

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 7:08 PM with the headline "Property owners seek justice from foreclosure at Fresno rally."