A group of Hana residents was joined today by members of Occupy Maui to stand vigil at a home on Hana Highway that was set for a post-foreclosure eviction today. Occupy member Karen Chun reported that, as of 2 p.m. today, no eviction action had taken place at the Tehiva/Phillips home in Hana. Local residents and Occupy Maui members made signs and motorists honked and waved.

Photo by Karen Chun

According to Chun, the home’s residents had refinanced the home with a flawed title  due to alledged mortgage fraud by the lender.  The property had been in the family since the Great Land Mahele more than a century ago. As a result, Chun reports that the mortgage company has chosen to evict the residents. According to her report, Occupy members have vowed to be arrested rather than let the eviction take place. Attorneys from Maui and Honolulu are providing advice in the event of any arrests.

Chun closed with the advice, “… folks should know that if someone tells you to stop making payments during a loan modification, you are risking what happened to the Tehivas…” the current homeowners. Chun added, “…there are 60,000 homes in Hawai’i facing foreclosure whose title is flawed due to falsification of the transfer of the note (as in this case)…”

Maui TV News will provide more information as it becomes available. NOTE: This story has been updated to correct facts regarding the length of time the property owners have held that lend – more than a century, according to attorneys. Maui TV News apologizes for the error and any inconvenience or misunderstanding it may have caused.