Merced, California, Community’s Grassroots Victory over Unfair Evictions
Michelle Dirickson and Angela Fragulia never dreamed that they would start a movement. But neither did they expect to be evicted unjustly from their homes.
Hello, My name is Jackie Blair, I am a widow and currently disabled because of a lung disease. I had to move out of my previous apartment because the landlord sold the property. I only get disability payments and my husbands small pension from Veterans Affairs, and I am on section 8 housing assistance. There was just not any safe places for me to move to, most were in crime ridden neighborhoods.
I rented a 2br apt from JD Home Rentals in Fresno, CA. I lived there for 5 years; always paying my rent on time. Always. If it were not for the low rent, I would never live in such a horrible place managed by such horrible, unlawful, and flat out uncaring individuals; including and especially their attorney. If I were to list all of the ways they "wronged" me, I might as well be writing a novel(non-fiction, of course). There were mice and cockroaches; many, many cockroaches. I complained many times to deaf ears.
I am about to go crazy. The home we have been renting has now been sold in a foreclosure sale.The 18th of November. I have been asking for 90 days to save to move and today was told I have to pay rent while the house. I dont know what to do. I spoke to the organization and the middle man between us and new owners. and he says to bad .
Brought to the attention of my manger and the management company that my kitchen floors has spongy floors and has a speed bump in it. After she brought in 2 contractors i was told it was a huge expensive job and she didnt know what to do with me. One day i was able to get into the area below my unit and it was horrible, black mold growing everyhwere, ceilings collapsing, insulation showing everywhere and a big pipe that wasnt just dripping, it was running like a faucet.
I believe this the organization, that kept me in my unit, for which I lived for 25 years.
Without a stipend from your organization, I would either have ended up in a single room (SRO) or homeless.
Since 1956, Legal Services of Northern California has provided quality legal services that empower the poor to identify and defeat the causes and effects of poverty. LSNC’s service priorities include the preservation of housing; health care; enhancing economic stability; support for families, family safety, and stability; civil rights; education; and serving populations with special vulnerabilities.
updated 07/19_FC
I moved in the unit in Sept. of 2006 and had to transfer my unit because of habitability issues. The bathroom plumbing was connected to the laundry room and the wash water was backing up in my bathtub. I had to take my son out of the bathtub on 3 seperate occasions and was moved after 2mos of complaining. Initially there was no charge for sewage, water, or trash. Two months into the initial lease, they wanted to implement this charge. I told them they had to give a 30 or 60 day notice before they could charge me. They did, and the charge was $23.00 per month, per unit.
I received a 30 notice of Termination of Tenancy four days after I paid rent for Oct.2010. I was shocked. i called my landlord but she refused to talk to me. We were once friends and a small dispute last July 2010, which I thought was resolved. She parks her RV on a nearby lot and spends time here, rarely gives us 24 hr notice and the houses here are on the market. She spent 4 out of the last 10 mo we were here to nearly reconstruct three houses on this lot, all of them rented.