Updated September 7 2024
LA Mayor Karen Bass speaks June 25, 2024 denying housing services
Biased Court Gives Ok
To Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
to deny intercom and parking to Black Tenants
(This post is a continuation to page court documents on LA City employees declared as “Racists” PC 22-1327. https://wp.me/P57D2C-1sY .)
The Los Angeles Superior Court case 23STCP00644 has been dismissed. (Johnson v. City of Los Angeles Housing). Here are free downloads of some of the court documents. Documents not listed can be purchased from the Los Angeles Superior Court website. We will post the full Judgment here in a few days. (Previews of these documents can be seen on a desktop but maybe not a cellphone or tablet.)
The Mayor Karen Bass stated that Black tenants were denied housing services for over nine years.
Summary
The tenant, a Black American, filed a city rent stabilization (RSO) complaint on the grounds that repairs, tandem parking, and Intercom services were reduced by the property owner. He asked the city to order a rent reduction. The tenant also claimed that the landlord violated the city tenant anti harassment law. The city denied a reduction of rent based on the complaint. The city position was that harassment did not occur, and the tenant was not entitled to reduction in rent because the housing services requested did not appear in the month to month written rental agreement. The city and court ignored the conduct of the parties and ignored the rent agreement. So the tenant court complaint , called a petition for writ, asked the court to reverse the decision of the city, as well as require the city RSO, to supply the housing services working Intercom, repairs, and tandem parking stall and bill the owner for any damages. This request was denied by the court. Essentially the court was saying that the Black American current tenant (and Black roommate) is not entitled to repairs, intercom, or tandem parking, at least to be supplied by the city. The court ruling was against the City, not against the property owner. The tenant supplied pictures and declarations to the court about the Intercom and about the fact that the two Black tenants had been parked in a tandem parking stall for four years. The Blacks also supplied evidence that the owner of the property in 2023 in writing had promised a working Intercom and promised a tandem parking stall; the court seems to have largely the evidence and ignored the cries for help and requests for services of the Black tenants. Court papers accuse the Judge of acting in a biased manner. The court appeared to refuse to consider the fact that certain housing services received by the Black tenants are not in the rent agreement , for example the parking security gate and the clicker to open it are not in the written agreement. The court ignored the fact that the rent agreement says that housing services are “including, but not limited to.” Even though the rent agreement says that parking is included in the rent paid, the city claimed that the parking was not an “entitlement.” Even though the owner of the property testified that the new Intercom was for all units, (even though Blacks not given the parts) the City and the court claimed that the Intercom was not an “entitlement” for the Blacks.
I think you’ll find the written arguments of Mayor Karen Bass and her attorneys to be interesting to say the least in terms of how they deny the Black tenants full and equal housing services, and how the city voluminous amount of documents prove the corruption and racism of government employees. The city attorneys even refused to produce evidence of the numerous code enforcement and REAP complaints filed with the city by Blacks. The court, and the city , also ignored that city regulations say that housing services are “including, but not limited to” and do not say that housing services have to be in the written month-to-month rental agreement. (LAMC Sec. 151.02, Definition of Housing Services)” RAC. 410.04.
https://www.sheppardlaw.com/blog/2023/10/does-a-california-lease-need-to-be-in-writing
This apartment building in question contains 18 one bedroom units. Some say that since the court denied repairs to the Black tenants, then that puts white tenants in the building at risk.
Mayor Karen Bass objection and opposition
Mayor Karen Bass declaration re proposed judgment and unsuccessful meet and confer
From a previous lawsuit against the City and owner seen in the newspaper. (Dismissed without prejudice.)
Newspaper article highlights Los Angeles housing racism
Racism Hi Point Apts
LA Rent Control (RAC) and Permits (LADBS) 