(Since Ralph already has threatened the Helms' with legal action on "character defamation", we contacted several civil rights attorneys to make sure that Ralph doesn't have any grounds for lawsuits prior to creating this petition)

While Sunland-Tujunga fight against developers ( Snowball West who is determined to take the opens space - La Tuna Canyon), we need your help to save one family home from a developer.

Ralph Suarez is a house flipper and “gentrifier” at Dilbeck / La Cresenta who, knowingly or unknowingly, is helping Wells Fargo in their most recent illegal activity, their violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Code.

Michael Helms, his wife, Kaz, and their young child, are one of the thousands of families who are victims of robo-signing during Wells Fargo’s well-documented mortgage fraud. They are also fighters: They have an ongoing federal lawsuit against Wells Fargo (now moving to the Superior Court)  to get back their home.

The Helms and the friends and the housing activists are demanding that Ralph Suarez cease his complicity in the destruction of people’s lives, and sell their home back to them at cost - $565,000.

Ralph Suarez purchased the house for $565,000 in August, after another House flipper dropped the house, after discovering the lawsuit.    Two months later,  he gutted the house out, "hipped up by removing the house's original charm" and is selling the house for $979,000.   Kaz contacted the listed agent Brett Hazard of Compass, informing about the case and the investigation.   He continues to list  - and hosts open houses. 

This is how gentrification happens.    Residents get priced and and displaced, and developers take advantage of unfortunate and fraudulent transactions.   

The Helms family is involved in an 8 year federal litigation case against Wells Fargo regarding their home. The banks have mishandled the loan documents, have lost the title, and the house is now a toxic asset. (Read the full story at   www.10349Siesta.com.)   They have tried in good faith several times to work with Wells Fargo to resolve this, by negotiating to purchase the home.    Wells Fargo’s attorney Raajini Shah emailed the Helms an offer, that the bank will only accept $620k or more. Unbeknownst to us, Wells Fargo listed the property as REO for a much lower price of $575,000 and later selling it for an even lower price of $565,000 in August 2019 in what appears to be closed-door negotiations with Ralph Suarez*.

Raajini's letter - DO NOT CONTACT Wells Fargo 

Ralph's Lawyers Cease & Desist Letter to Helms 

We, the Friends of the Helms Family & the housing activists, do not tolerate this. This unfair pricing is a direct violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Code.*

We have been working with LA County who is conducting a fraud investigation in the matter.  In good faith, we tried to alert Ralph Suarez of the ongoing litigation and clouded title. We mailed a copy of the fraud investigation report to Adele Suarez, the officer of Ralph Suarez’s Ribeye Management, and to Leah Dillbeck of Dillbeck Real Estate Agency. 

We thought Dilbeck (“built on a commitment to superior service, honesty, integrity and the value of home ownership and family”) and Ralph Suarez would do the right thing and cease their transaction until their case was lawfully resolved in court.

Two Brokerin Trust agents  Mike Anderson (representing Wells Fargo), and Hosep Stepanian (representing Ralph Suarez) ignored the litigation and fraud report, and conducted the transaction in a blatant attempt to flip the house for quick cash. Even so, we were further shocked when we learned (from a friend who called to inquire) that Ralph Suarez told him “There is no litigation.” That is a lie. As far as we know, Ralph Suarez is still preparing to flip the house, and he will continue to tell prospective buyers that “there is no litigation.” Buyer beware#.

Help us take a stand against those who place profit over doing the right thing, whether they are huge corporate banks or complicit individuals.

Help us get the Helms family back in their home and return to their community.

Help us persuade Ralph Suarez that it’s not too late to do the right thing.

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*This unfair pricing & offer is a direct violation of California Fair Employment and Housing Code.   Hosep, for example, told Kaz in June the house's "sold as is.  $575k cash only in Mid-June.   No title insurance offered."   Hosep also turned down an offer from one of our friends to buy the house for the Helms family in early July.   A real estate agent will not take back up offers if they already have a pool of flippers to sell directly.     Ralph purchase this house for $565k - with a loan and with a title insurance in August. 

# According to his website: 

Ralph Suarez is a real estate agent with Dilbeck Realtors in La Canada, California and has been in the real estate business for 20 years. Home Light ranks Ralph as one of the top 15% of agents in Los Angeles for successfully selling homes and as one of the top 10% of agents who sell homes fast. Suarez covers Los Angeles, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Altadena, Burbank, Pasadena, and Santa Clarita regions.

Suarez works mostly with home sellers and mostly with Real Estate Owned (REO)  properties. Ranked in the top 250 real estate agents nationwide, Suarez has achieved monumental success through persistence, availability, and old-fashioned hard work. Says Ralph, “I value each and every one of my clients, and I’m determined to make each transaction a success.”

- REO = Bank owned - foreclosed houses.    That's what he does.   He takes foreclosed houses, knocks on their door, and kicks people out.    California is a non-judiciary foreclosure state.   That means, many of the homeowners are stripped  of their due process.

#ShadowHills  

#Tujunga

#Pacoima

#SunValley

#Sunland - WE SAY NO TO GENTRIFIERS.    

+ La Tuna Fire, 2 years ago, is the largest city fire in history of LA - We were evacuated from our home. Sun Valley and Tujunga residents were both recently evacuated due to fires on La Tuna.  PLEASE save our defensible space.   Pls sign - https://www.change.org/p/monica-rodriguez-save-verdugo-hills-golf-course-open-space-say-no-to-snowball-west-development