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Today,
Tenants Together, California’s statewide organization for tenants’ rights,
launched its Landlord
Hall of Shame.
The Landlord Hall of Shame is designed to expose the worst landlords in
California. Through the Landlord Hall of Shame, Tenants Together hopes to
publicly shame bad landlords and deter their future misconduct.
The first two Official
Nominees to the Landlord Hall of Shame are Palo Alto-based real estate
Developer David Taran and Bakersfield-based mega landlord Frank St. Clair.
Taran orchestrated the mass eviction of low-income tenants in East Palo
Alto. St. Clair is an investor who has been acquiring tenant-occupied
foreclosed homes in the Bakersfield area and kicking tenants out of their homes
in violation of the federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act. Taran
and St. Clair were nominated in recognition of the extensive misery they've
caused California tenants.
The user-friendly website offers tenants an opportunity to suggest landlords
for the Hall of Shame, and to provide input on suggested landlords.
Tenants
Together plans to announce Official Nominees throughout the year. Annually,
members of Tenants Together will vote to determine which of the Official
Nominees will be inducted into the Hall of Shame.
According
to Executive Director Dean Preston, "The message to bad California
landlords is clear: clean up your act, or be ready for a public shaming."