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Demonstrators March Outside Bank In Support Of Senior Citizen Facing Foreclosure

(CBS) -- A senior citizen who house is being foreclosed on made a last ditch effort today to try to stay in his house as protesters outside the bank made their feelings known, reports WBBM's Bernie Tafoya.

71-year-old Larry Valentine showed up to the Urban Partnership Bank on 79th and Cottage Grove to see if he might somehow be allowed to resume making full payments on his West Side house in the 4800 block of West Concord Place.

"The only thing I want to do as a homeowner is stay in my home. My wife of 51 years and I don't want to get put out of our house," he says.

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He says final foreclosure proceedings against him are Thursday.

The Vietnam veteran and retired corrections officer fell behind on his payments a few years ago but he says, "I've righted myself and I just want the opportunity to save my home."

Valentine went into the bank, but when he came out to report that he was still waiting for a meeting with a bank official, the bank was locked behind him and the main branch was closed temporarily. The drive-thru across the street remained open.

Police had told bank officials they did not need to close, but Urban Partnership Bank spokesman Brian Berg says it was closed temporarily as a precaution because of the demonstrators outside.

Berg says he cannot discuss Larry Valentine's individual situation but points out that Urban Partnership Bank has re-structured 1,700 loans in the past five years after taking over the ill-fated Shore Bank.

Valentine says "it doesn't look good at all," but that he promises to keep fighting to stay in his home.

About 35 protesters from the organization Action Now, marched in a, sometimes, loud but peaceful demonstration outside the bank.

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