Defend 920 Everett From Vulture Landlords

On June 27, 2023, 920 Everett St tenants received unlawful detainer notices from vulture landlords [redacted] and [redacted], the first step that begins an eviction process. Despite local emergency protections that give tenants until February 1, 2024 to repay back rent from the COVID pandemic, [redacted] is attempting to evict the tenants over owed rents, and trying to intimidate them by serving them with legal papers.

The 920 Everett Tenants Association have decided that they will not be moved, and will fight back in court. But they need your support now more than ever!

CCED and the 920 Everett Tenants Association will be co-hosting a fundraising dinner at the CCED office (962 Chung King Road) on August 15th, at 6 pm. 100% of the funds raised will go to legal fees and support for the tenants association, which includes financial assistance, meals, and mental health support.

The fundraiser will feature delicious Southeast Asian food and drinks prepared by organizers and tenants, along with a fun karaoke session. Suggested donation is $20, though we encourage generosity if possible in order to reach the goal of $5,000.

If you’re not able to come, please consider donating here instead!

THE STORY:

The tenants at 920 Everett are longtime residents, some of whom have lived in the building for about two decades. Residents include Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees, as well as Thai immigrants. In 2019, tenants suddenly received eviction notices. They attempted to reach out to their landlord, but were ignored. Later that same year, the landlord sold the building to a wealthy westside developer, who issued another eviction notice and also refused to communicate with the tenants. Tenants organized and fought back, spread news of their plight, and garnered support from neighbors and allies. After taking action and protesting their landlord, he abandoned his plans to displace them and sold the building.

However, the landlord sold the building in 2020 to [redacted], which is a partnership between [redacted] and [redacted]. Tenants received their third 60-day quit notice in three years, with communication only occurring through [redacted]’s attorney, who threatened tenants with evictions and organizers with legal action.

TENANTS CONTINUE TO FIGHT & ONGOING LANDLORD HARASSMENT:

The tenants association continued to fight [redacted] and [redacted], attempting to collectively pay their rent in person when their checks were refused; and staging protests outside [redacted] and [redacted] residences. The 60-day eviction notice was rescinded in 2021, but [redacted] continues to harass the tenants. Some examples of harassment include spray painting and vandalizing the building, flooding a downstairs unit by leaving a water valve open in the unit above, neglecting to repair broken air conditioning and exterior lighting, suspending garbage services for weeks, and giving the tenants annual 10% rent increases. In March 2022, tenants received an illegal eviction notice for failure to pay rent, even though the COVID-19 eviction moratorium was in place.

The tenants have joined forces with other tenants in buildings all over Los Angeles owned by [redacted] & [redacted] to expose problems with bad slumlords and a weak housing department.

CCED has compiled a 93 page report that documents years of tenant harassment, illegal activity, and mismanagement by serial slumlords [redacted] and [redacted] (Within the 32 buildings they own) enabled by the systemic failure of the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) and the City Attorney to hold such landlords accountable.

Read more at [redacted]