Teresa

City: 
Mountain View
Residence Type: 
20 or more units
Landlord Type: 
Private Landlord -- No Rent Control

Today I had my court case for an eviction notice. I'm on Section 8, a disabled single mom receiving Social Security with a 16 year old daughter. I received a 60 day notice from my landlord for no reason. (During my annual inspection, Section 8 said if I'm in a month to month, he doesn't need a reason. I had voiced my concern to her as I was afraid I was going to be kicked out, and I was right). Section 8 corrected him and told him he needs to give me 90 days notice, so he did. I was not behind on rent at all, and have been in this 2 bedroom apartment for 7.5 years. I don't drink, smoke, do drugs or have any traffic nor am I noisy and I never caused problems. The owner here almost lost the building to foreclosure due to mishandling of funds, and his parents stepped in. The landlord was the most meanest person and always harrassing us, treating us like we were lower than filth. Children were told to play in back, they make the apartment look bad. Anyway, the parents are just as nasty, elitist and bigoted. They implemented massive evictions. We are in a 33 unit apartment and all Latinos and low income people were kicked out. I was fortunate not to be in that first round of peoples kicked out but I knew it was coming and I pleaded a lot of times with the landlords mother not to get rid of us as we are exemplary tenants and they always said weird things like "ya ya.. things change" We are referred to as "Low Lifes" and finally my time was up, I received the above mentioned 90 day notice to vacate and Section 8 approved it. I could not find anywhere to move, it is a very tight market. (at the time of receiving my 90 day notice out of 33 units, 13 were empty, just sitting, and had been for months). The landlord had started advertising that "we are a community of professionals: google, yahoo, apple (etc etc etc since we are in Silicon Valley) but it was a lie. He used false information about our complex to lie to prospective tenants and therefore create a higher strata of economic and social tenants here. They advertised these apartments as Luxury and it is again, a lie. New tenants are coming from out of state, staying for 3 months, settling into their job and finding better housing and leaving. The turnover rate is very high now, since ppl with money do not find this apartment complex very nice. Back to my story, I thought I was protected as a person with mental health issues against evictions in cases of financial et al hardships. But it's not true. I had help from a local mental heath organization for my 3 day notice that I got because I could not find anywhere to move who would accept my Section 8. On June 1st when Section 8 had already ended my contract with the landlord, I could not scrape up the total rent on my own, and the landlord came and was surprised I was still here. (more like agitated). I told him I am stuck and that I am losing my section 8 and I said you don't understand and he turned his back to me and walked away. I called him a little later to try to work things out with him, I told him my daughter is being bullied in school and got into a college program that will let her complete high school there and she will get away from it, I told him the market is too tight and there are no vacancies, I told him if I move away, my daughter does not qualify for the college program, and if I lie, which I cannot as I feel too much guilt and even if I did, the gas for commuting would be too much, and a few more things including that I am mentally ill. After every pleading reason, he kept saying "It's not my problem" over and over. at the end of the call I asked him if he is evicting us and he said he's not at liberty to say. I was distraught. I did not deserve to be treated like this, and I had no where to go and not enough money on my own to pay rent full w/o section 8. On the 4th (it was a Friday on the 1st) he came and put the 3 day notice on my door. (my rent is due on the 5th, but he won't read his own lease right and has always argued with me though it is very simple). I just gave up. I couldn't find anywhere to go. It is a clear case of discrimination and although he "no longer wants to accept section 8" it is more about: I don't want poor people here. The people at the mental health legal aid place put on my paper that I did not have the rent and today I found out they did a critical thing, they did not mark that I had a defense. I found out that on the 1st after I pleaded with him at my door and later on the phone, that he received a letter from section 8 that said he can give me up to 60 days more, and they will continue to pay for that extended period. but he ignored it, and on the 4th, like I said, he proceeded with evictions. I didn't know he was offered to extend the contract. I had my portion of rent but not the whole amount. I thought that evictions took at least 3 months. I did not know that if one does not pay rent it is so fast. it was lighting fast. I thought that I was supposed to hold the rent until we went through the whole 3 month trial, also not true. So when I went to court, the landlord's lawyer acted gracious and offered me 2 weeks to get out and not charge me rent and I told him if I can't find a place in 90 days, how will i find one in 14? he talked to my landlord and my landlord was unwilling to budge. Jan 10th my mother died and she is a huge cause of my emotional disability and she left everything to her husband. It was crushing. My mother's husband kept everything. He is well off now. And we have nothing. Also I was going through recertification for Section 8 and my AFDC and was being pulled every which way. So being told to leave with no reason except that I am a lowlife and poor, was the crippling blow. I've not been able to sleep at night, so not able to function in the day. I have high blood pressure and my chest feels like it's going to explode at night. Acid reflux is unbearable. Anyway, landlord was ruthless and has been aggressive and merciless, he is a heartless cold person by nature already. Later in the courtday, his lawyer offered me 3 weeks to move out. Of course I refused. I had a pile of papers and lots of stuff to show how this is discrimination and that this whole eviction is wrong. So finally at the end of the day, it was our case. My landlord and his lawyer stated the facts and it was a almost true, few things I was not happy with like that he received section 8 letter giving him opportunity to extend my stay for 60 days, but the judge asked him if I talked to him about it and he said no, but I didn't know that was offered, as I was a bit blindsided, but he could have had mercy and offered it to me. and my turn came and I had everything nicely organized and they judge wouldn't take my evidence or hear my case. Since the mental health legal organization did not mark that I had a defense. I had tried to tell him about the discrimination anyway and he yelled at me that discrimination is a serious allegation and he won't take it lightly so I was shut up and no one would listen. So all I had was inadmisable and the judge right there sided with the landlord for back rent, attorney and court fees and told me too bad I got bad counsel. and even worse the judge who is white, looked at my landlord and said.. hmm. you seem african american.. and my landlord said yes he was (he is a mix with asian, but does not associate with african americans, he is an arrogant rich aristocrat acting person married to a white lady) and the judge kind of laughed or made some ridiculous statement about how can an African American be racist.. the irony (I am white so it was a reverse racist remark) and now I am waiting for the sherrifs to put a 5 day notice on my door, I owe thousands to my landlord and i have no where to go. System Failure...

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