Kossacks, take a bow. You made Mark and Shannon's life a whole lot better. So far you have contributed $1,029. That will save their van from auction. I have Kos-mail from people suggesting that we continue tonight and tomorrow until we hit $2,000 - the total cost of getting their van out of hock. That's up to you. Let me know in the comments . . . and to our prolific American Legion member: thanks. I think you may have motivated many more donations than usual.
A van containing a disabled Veteran's family's papers and personal effects is in an impound lot in Ontario, CA. We are trying to get it out before it is sold at auction. We needed to raise $800. So far, $160 has been contributed... but take a look at my first comment. The total bill is over $2,000 which will have to be paid but the owner of the impound lot will release the van to Mark if he gets $800 by Wednesday night. In the comments I will explain what we plan to do.
I have confirmed all of the details in this diary with the people mentioned. I've spent 5 days checking out their story, checking with the owner of the impound lot, the manager of the motel, and many more. The video link below the Flying Spaghetti Monster (and the KTLA transcript) can save you from reading this.
To Donate: Paypal Link
This is Mark's PayPal Account:
xmarkx71@gmail.com
Snail Mail address:
Mark & Shanan Ames, % Motel 6, 231 N. Vineyard ave. Ontario CA. 91764
I found Mark and Shanan Ames a couple of weeks ago after their story appeared on KTLA in Los Angeles. They and their 3 children are living in a Motel 6 in Ontario, CA. Their van is at an impound lot and will be sold at auction on Thursday. As you might imagine, there is a lot of backstory to all of this.
Let's start with Shanan. In 1995 Shanan was given an honorable discharge from the Navy. She had witnessed and experienced what is now called Military Sexual Trauma. At the time she was discharged she was lied to. She was told to never contact the Veterans Administration for care of any kind - she wasn't eligible. Back then not having help from the VA wasn't that big a deal - the VA just didn't treat women veterans very well if at all. Until last night, Shanan believed that she couldn't get any help. Today we corrected that.
Mark had always been a good provider for his family. He worked hard, managed restaurants, made good money and had a nice home. When he proposed to Shanan, her engagement ring was a beautiful one from Tiffany's. When the real estate market took its' legendary nose dive, Mark started buying and flipping houses. One day in 2005 while working in the attic he took a wrong step and one leg went right through the attic floor into the bedroom downstairs. He didn't think too much of it although his leg hurt like hell for a while afterwards. That leg got really painful about 2 months later.
Obama Care would prevent the following:
Mark went to the hospital. What he thought was a torn ligament or something had turned into a torn inner wall of an artery producing a 7 1/2" aneurism behind his knee. The vein used to replace original vein turned out to be too small. Mark developed sepsis and gangrene. He nearly died. His leg needed to be amputated above the knee. He was in the hospital for 4 months. The hospital bills cost Mark and Shanan almost everything. They lost their business, their home, and most of its' contents. They moved into a small apartment until Social Security kicked in.
When Mark's Social Security came in, Mark and Shanan began looking for a home big enough for them and all 3 girls. They found one in Riverside, CA on Craig's list. The owner was in New Jersey, disabled herself, and required a $2,000 rent deposit. Shanan gave up their last valuable position - her Tiffany diamond engagement ring - for the money order. They could move in immediately. The door would be unlocked and the key left on the counter. They moved in. Then everything went to hell.
The first sign that things were not going right came on a Saturday when Mark saw that their Van wasn't in the driveway of the new house. A call to the Riverside Police Department revealed that his van had been towed and impounded. On Wednesday a Riverside, CA policeman appeared at their door with a Real Estate agent.
As the KTLA reporter states, "Ames told KTLA he dealt with the purported landlord entirely by email and was issued what he thought was a legitimate lease for a year." The Realtor said she was the real property manager and they were trespassing. The cop gave them 45 minutes to pack up and get out. The cop waited for them to evacuate.
The Ames family moved into a Motel 6 where they have been since Aug. 20.
KTLA Video and Transcript:
Mark Ames, an above-the-knee amputee who walks with a prosthetic leg, and his wife Sharon [actually Shanan], a disabled Navy veteran, rented a home on Aug. 20 through an ad they found on Craigslist.
“It was everything it was supposed to be, except it wasn’t,” Mark Ames said.
Ames told KTLA he dealt with the purported landlord entirely by email and was issued what he thought was a legitimate lease for a year. “When someone gives you the lease you expect them to be the owner. Not someone make it up,” Ames said.
On Wednesday, a woman identifying herself as the real property manager showed up at the home with a police officer and told them they had to leave immediately because they were trespassing.
“We don’t know where to go or what to do at this point,” Ames said.
The couple went to a nearby Motel 6 where they are now staying with their three children.
“With our money gone it makes it very hard to get into someplace else,” Ames said.
I have directed Mark to several programs set up to help homeless veterans. He is following through on every one of them. In the last 24 hours a number of women started to help Shanan to get the care she needs through the
VA's Military Sexual Trauma and
Women's Health Clinic.
I have spent the better part of the last 8 days checking out each and every detail in the diary above. In the comments I will address some curious things associated with the Ames story. None of those things cast doubt on the Ames family. I urge you to donate to this family to take care of one isolated problem - reclaiming that van. Daily Kos cannot be a social service agency. However, as Kossacks we can step and take care of a problem that others can't.
To Donate: PayPal Link
This is Mark's PayPal Account:
xmarkx71@gmail.com
Snail Mail address:
Mark & Shanan Ames, % Motel 6, 231 N. Vineyard ave. Ontario CA. 91764
Thank you for reading. Many of us can't afford a dollar donation, but your good wishes for Shanan and Mark will be truly appreciated.
6:31 PM PT: PayPal links in the diary now work. Thanks, Mark.