The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a motion today calling on city staff to find a way to prevent the eviction of hundreds of residents from a senior living home close to UCLA.
The building’s new owner, Watermark Retirement Communities, plans to renovate the property and convert it into a residential care facility. Invoking California’s Ellis Act, which allows landlords to mass-evict tenants in certain cases where a building’s use is altered, the company gave residents 120 days to vacate at the end of November.
Councilmember Paul Koretz, who yesterday launched a “pressure campaign” against the evictions, authored the motion passed by the council. It instructs the City Attorney, Planning Department, Department of Building and Safety, and Housing and Community Investment Department to investigate possible legal violations in Watermark’s plan.
The motion notes that the building’s previous owner had originally filed the plans for the property’s transformation. Those plans, however, called for residents to remain in the building as work went on.
“The attempt to undertake a different kind of renovation and conversion of 947 Tiverton based on approvals sought and/or obtained by a previous owner for a different plan raises questions about the validity of invoking the Ellis Act in this situation,” the motion reads.
In a press conference Monday, Koretz vowed to do everything in his power to prevent the evictions and encouraged members of the public to complain against the company in letters and emails.
In a press release, Watermark insisted that the evictions were necessary to safely renovate the property and noted that it had hired a “Relocation Liaison” to help residents find alternative housing. The motion, however, notes that current tenants—many of whom are in their 80s and 90s—could have a difficult time finding new places of residence as vacancy rates in senior facilities are currently “extremely low.”
- Hundreds of residents face eviction from Westwood senior living home [Curbed LA]
- Mapped: Where Mass Rent-Control Evictions Are Ramping Up in LA [Curbed LA]
- LA Rent-Control Evictions Have Doubled Since 2013 [Curbed LA]
Comments
Dang, what kinda evil is there to evict hunderds of senior citizens?
By kira zeno on 12.13.16 4:25pm
Yeah, how dare they do what they want with their own property. The City should seize the property and maintain it for the citizens. Hail Lenin! Hail Stalin!
By LADude on 12.13.16 4:33pm
The property owner doesn’t have to have a reason to do an Ellis Act eviction – they are just required to "go out of business" as a rental. The restrictions kick-in after the evictions take place. If the property owner tried to re-rent as a rental building, they would have to wait 5 years after the evictions were complete or let everyone move back-in.
The City’s motion is pure politics since the City can’t do anything to stop the evictions assuming the eviction notices themselves were properly served.
By I Like Buildings on 12.13.16 4:48pm
The city can do a lot to stop the evictions, using our tax dollars.
They tied up AIMCO in court for a decade and eventually reversed the evictions at Lincoln Place.
It was a horrific abuse of the process, but they did it.
By smartalex on 12.14.16 1:27pm
That was different: the Lincoln Place property owners wanted to demolish existing and rebuild brand new rental buildings, so no change in use, which is against the purpose of the Ellis Act. Secondly, Lincoln Place could be considered historic, which gives the City a way into the whole process. Lastly, the tenants’ lawsuit – not a City lawsuit – was settled because the property owner didn’t change the use of the property. In other words, the property owner used Ellis Act evictions in a way not consistent with the Ellis Act – hence, the settlement.
In this case, it looks like the property owner will be changing the use of the property AND will not be demolishing a potentially historic property so there isn’t a way for the City to step-in and stop the evictions. Most likely, the tenants are going to sue – not sure for what, but their lawyers will figure out some sort of argument – but a tenants’ lawsuit is very different than a City lawsuit to stop the evictions.
By I Like Buildings on 12.14.16 6:02pm
Koretz looks after his people. Screws everyone else,
By La Santuario on 12.14.16 8:11am
I hope the elderly people get a fair shake. I also hope that the miserable grinches on here die a painful and horrible death. Merry Christmas
By jeremiah3 on 12.14.16 3:11pm
In May 2016 the City of Los Angeles was sued for civil rights violations and housing discrimination and conspiracy to violate tenant rights because they directed landlords to circumvent the city’s rent control ordinance requirements regarding permanent relocation during renovations in rent control buildings. It is no secret that the City had a hand in directing violations of the Ellis act provisions. Central District Court case Johnson v. Hi Point Apts, LLC et al. case no. 2:16-cv-03236 JLS filed May 11, 2016. It appears the City has now authorized "buyouts" that were pretty much illegal in the fist place due to "Ordinance 176544
Sec 152.07 F. Any agreement, whether written or oral, waiving any of the provisions of this article shall be void as contrary to public policy." So it seems authorizing buyouts now is a way for the City to avoid liability for years of landlords who cheated tenants out of relocation monies. The JOHNSON lawsuit proves the city was advised of rent control violations and did nothing but contribute to the problem. The city should order retroactive payments to tenants who signed void buyout agreements that did not comply with city THP regulations. The JOHNSON lawsuit asks for just that: that tenants who did not receive the THP agreement be compensated with the full amount of rent paid. The lawsuit also asks for $167,000 in damages against the City and $501 million dollars punitive damages for the city’s admitted role in housing discrimination. See the website http://wp.me/P6ztbL-7z or Google "Racism at Hi Point Apts". The city’s latest Ordinance 184529 can be accessed for free on the City clerk website. The Los Angeles County District Attorney has been asked to bring criminal charges against city employees and Hi Point Apts LLC and LB Property Management. Will the City be able to Police itself and hold itself accountable?
There is no provision for police powers of enforcement, civil penalties, or retroactive payments to tenants.
By Juan Valldez on 01.07.17 5:24pm