[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 22497-22498]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        A TRIBUTE TO RICK WAGNER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS-

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 23, 2009

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember Rick Wagner, 
Director of Litigation for the Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A 
``Brooklyn A'' in East New York, who suddenly passed away in his home 
on September 20, 2009. Mr. Wagner was well known as a champion on 
behalf of Brooklyn's poorest tenants and homeowners.
  Mr. Wagner was one of the leading foreclosure defense lawyers in the 
United States, single handedly leading the effort to educate and 
enlighten the legal community on the

[[Page 22498]]

availability of a wide range of homeowner defenses to foreclosure 
actions. He fought daily against rampant predatory lending and deed 
thefts, often spearheading innovative new legal strategies. In the 
early 1990s, he pioneered the use of civil racketeering laws against 
landlords in East New York, winning a major victory when they were 
ordered to return deeds to their tenants.
  His most recent focus was advocating for consistency, simplification 
and ease of access to loan modifications--in his words, ``basic rules 
of the road to help homeowners keep their homes''. Mr. Wagner's lasting 
legacy will be his passion and commitment to social justice, and the 
application of his legal acumen for the needy. Under his leadership, 
Brooklyn A has cemented its sterling reputation as a model community-
based law practice embedded in and responsive to the neighborhoods it 
serves. He worked tirelessly and will be remembered dearly by the many 
lives he touched.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in remembering Rick 
Wagner. May his soul rest in peace.

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