Ex-New Jersey Mayor: Bank Wants To Foreclose On My Home

EAST ORANGE, NJ — Nobody’s immune from home foreclosure… even a former mayor. That’s what Essex County residents should keep in mind when they hear about the fight that 78-year-old, former East Orange Mayor Thomas Cooke is waging against his bank, his supporters say.

On Wednesday, Cooke’s supporters plan to hold a rally at his home at 74 Hawthorne Avenue in East Orange to call attention to the situation facing the former three-term mayor and Korean War veteran.

East Orange Mayor-elect Ted Green and other elected officials including Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. and Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker are expected to attend the rally, according to a news release from organizers. Additional supporters include Women In Support of the Million Man March, the People's Organization for Progress and the Irvington NAACP.

Local advocacy group Hearing Of Citizens Coalition of the State of NJ issued the following statement about Cooke's reverse mortgage on Tuesday:

“Cooke like most homeowners has known the damage that results from unlawful discrimination by the banks and courts which threaten to leave families homeless."

Cooke, a Democrat, served as East Orange mayor from 1978 to 1986. He also served two terms on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

The property at 74 Hawthorne Avenue, built in 1912, is valued at $261,500, according to state tax records.

This is a developing story. Patch will update this article when more information becomes available.

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Photo: Hearing Of Citizens Coalition of the State of NJ