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Can Our Landlord Turn Our Garden into a Parking Lot?

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There are some confusing numbers to keep track of, but the basic question is: Is this landlord allowed to create a parking lot out of a lawn? Something seems fishy if the landlord is asking permission, eh? The reader asks: "We live in a five-bedroom 'house' in East Hollywood with six small apartments attached behind us.... I say house, but it's really more of a big apartment. There are 6 parking spots in the back for all 7 dwellings, one of which is ours. It's not a problem, as we only have 2 cars among 5 of us, as we all bike most of the time. In the front we have a very small yard that we use part of as a garden. About a month ago the manager told us the front yard was being turned into a parking space. 'This comes from above, sorry to say, can't do anything about it.' They offered $25 off of rent if we took the space and $75 if we gave it to another resident. The next day they told us construction would start in two days! We fought it and they backed down. Now they are practically begging us to let them pave the little green spot we have. What are our options? How much leverage do we have? We pay $2800/month. 10% off of rent? Sell our space in the back and keep the green? What's the law say? They are practically after us every day about it."
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