Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

Slumlord

The building I live in consists of 2 19 unit buildings that are falling apart, literally. The landlord has been cited, fined and even had cases turned over to the City Attorney for criminal prosecution as a slumlord (nothing has happened yet). He has fat pockets enabling him to payoff inspectors.

How do we as a whole (all 19 tenants) file class action suit against this man. We're all fed up with living like this.

Money is no problem for this man, and at the rate this building is going, (it sits on jacks and metal plates are holding it up since the 1994 earthquake) someone is going to die in the next earthquake.

Are rents just increased 27.72 per year to pay for a Systematic Code Enforcement. We pay yet no one enforces any of the building codes on these properties. If they did they would probably shut both properties down. Most of us cannot afford to move, we just want habitable units for the rent we are paying.

What do we do when government agencies don't hold up their end of the bargain??? How do we get this man to ''fix'' these properties??? ARe we basically ''screwed''?


Asked on 2/15/05, 11:14 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Ken Koenen Koenen & Tokunaga, P.C.

Re: Slumlord

It would be expensive, unless you can find an attorney to handle the matter on a contingency.

Another alternative is for all 19 of you to file a small claims action against him. That would amount to about $100,000 in judgments against him if you all win.

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Answered on 2/15/05, 1:43 pm


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