Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

I live in a rent controlled building in the city of LA that is operated by a crook posing as a landlord. Every year he gives me a late rent increase notice that is always backdated to the last legal day he could give it to me, if it had been a year since his prior one. He owns almost three thousand apartments, and clearly knows what the law is, but just thumbs his nose at it and his tenants. He also keeps tacking onto each one the amount from his previous raises as if they had been legal, despite the fact that I have not paid them for several years. So every time he is always demanding more than the allowed amount.

Because he keeps track of the amounts I haven't paid, I'm becoming concerned about whether I'm actually right in not paying them; so that is question number one. Number two is that, if I am in the right and he files a UD against me, what action, if any, can I take afterwards against him?

Thank you,

Joe Francis

Due Date Dated Rec'd Increase % Allowed

7/01/07** 5/01/07 5/14/07 $20.00 4.854 4%

5/01/08 3/30/08 4/07/08 $22.00 5.093 5%

5/01/09 3/31/09 4/07/09 $35.00 8.102 3%

4/01/10 2/28/10 3/04/10 $40.16 9.296 4%

** The first one was a legal notice, which I have been paying all along.


Asked on 7/19/10, 12:07 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert F. Cohen Law Office of Robert F. Cohen

I would suggest you speak with the City Attorney's office, and also the rent stabilization board. They might be interested in your situation. You might omit your name in future posts, as our service is not otherwise anonymous or confidential.

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Answered on 7/19/10, 3:15 pm


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