Tenant Rights Hotel Eviction

Summary

In California, landlords cannot shut off utilities to force tenants out. Tenants have rights to essential services like water and electricity. Contact local tenant rights organizations or the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles for assistance. Document all interactions and gather proof of your continuous stay.

Full Conversation

I presently live in a hotel which I am a tenant and the states about to take it over on September 25th on the 31st day of us staying here the motel tried the 28th day lockout us and we said no we just want to pay rent and they said no that was about * weeks ago they haven't served us any eviction notice or nothing and we believe they're waiting for the state to show up to evict us but they said before the state shows up they're going to turn off all the power all the water and board up all the rooms what can we do
What state are you currently residing in? This will help me provide you with the most accurate information regarding tenant rights in your location.
California
What city in California are you currently residing in? This will help me provide you with the most accurate information regarding tenant rights in your specific location.
Garden t
What type of agreement do you have with the hotel? Is it a lease or a month-to-month rental agreement?
Pay 5 days get two free and we've now been here for like * consecutive days but we've lived here for the last * or 5 years
What proof do you have of your continuous stay at the hotel? This could be receipts, emails, or any other form of documentation.
We have receipts photos and video of the motels computers showing our payments are are stays and everything
Have you contacted any local authorities or legal aid about this situation? In California, tenants have rights under the law, including the right to essential services like water and electricity.
We contacted legal aid but they said that they can't do nothing for us until we've been served in eviction which nobody served with anything but the state comes on the 25th of this month and we're worried about them trying to bully us and turn the water off power off and board up the window
What is the name of the hotel you are staying at? In California, landlords cannot shut off utilities to force tenants out, it's illegal.
The hospitality inn garden Grove California *
What is the name of the state agency that is supposed to take over the hotel?
I am not quite sure they have been they haven't been very forthcoming with the information
What is the reason given by the state for taking over the hotel?
Supposedly it has something to do with housing or or something
What specific actions have the hotel management taken so far in relation to turning off utilities and boarding up rooms?
None as of yet they said they're going to do it the day before the stator rides
What date did the hotel management inform you about their plans to shut off utilities and board up rooms?
The manager told my girlfriend on Monday
What exactly did the manager tell your girlfriend?
The manager stopped me and said on Monday morning they're going to board up all the windows of the hotel and have the water and electricity turned off and so I need to make sure that I have everything out that I want because the windows will be boarded up and the doors will be locked and electricity will be gone so will the water
Have you received any written notice from the hotel management about the termination of utilities and boarding up of rooms?

In California, landlords are required to provide written notice before terminating utilities.
I have received no written notice about anything even about the property being sold
What steps have you taken so far to protect your rights as a tenant?
We haven't taken any steps I've tried to get legal aid help and they won't help us until we are in active eviction and now they won't take our rent anymore it's been a couple of weeks since I've taken any rent from us they're refusing it that's why we are contacting you cuz we don't know what to do
Have you contacted the local housing authority or any other local government agency about your situation?

In California, it's illegal for landlords to shut off utilities to force tenants out. They must provide written notice before terminating utilities.
No we've only spoken with the police when they wouldn't take our rent and the police told me that they can't make them take our rent from us
Have you considered contacting the California Department of Consumer Affairs or a local tenant's rights organization for advice?
No I have not I was contacting you for advice
What is the name of the state agency that is supposed to take over the hotel?
I don't know they haven't been forthcoming with that information
What is the name of the agency or organization that told you the state is taking over the hotel?
We've only been heard gossip from other people other than the owner of the hotel
Who are these "other people" you've heard this information from? Are they reliable sources?
The hotel is basically empty there's no one here except for the management they've gotten everybody to leave one by one I guess they've given some of people money to to relocate so we're basically Us in the management are the only people left on property it's a small hotel
Have you tried reaching out to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing or the local housing authority about your situation? They might be able to provide some guidance.
The other people that we heard information from was employees that used to work the front desk that are no longer here anymore and they are not a reliable source because one said it was the state one said it was the county and then the owner actually said to me one day that it was people investors that were buying the propert
What actions have the hotel management taken so far in relation to turning off utilities and boarding up rooms?

In California, it's illegal for landlords to shut off utilities to force tenants out. They must provide written notice before terminating utilities.
The only actions that they have taken as far as that would be they have been cleaning out each room one by one and it says two story building so there's a total of like * rooms so I've been working on that each room one by one cleaning them out vacuum in the floors painting the walls cleaning the furniture and then they put the room all back together like it's ready to rent and they move on to the next one and they had lots of storage buildings here or storage stuff in each room or some rooms or whatever so they've been dumping out all their storage stuff and throwing stuff away and things like that
What date did the hotel management start cleaning and preparing the rooms for rent?
Probably just like the last week maybe 10 day
What is the name of the owner of the hotel?
I don't know his last name his first name is Johnson
Do you have any written agreement or contract with the hotel owner or management regarding your stay?
No I don't have any written agreement or contract about me staying here no the only thing I have a receipts from when we paid rent and now like I said rent stopped paying about * weeks ago
What is the exact date when you last paid the rent?
September 9th *
What is the exact date when the hotel management refused to accept your rent payment?
They refuse to take my rent September 10th *
What actions did the hotel management take when they refused your rent payment on September 10th, *?
They called the police which they came out and said that we were legal tenants and they had to evict us and they told me that they couldn't make them take my rent money and that I should just leave
What was the police's response when they were called? Did they provide any advice or guidance on what you should do next?
The police said that we should leave that was it
What was the reason given by the police for suggesting you should leave?
Because we've been staying here for 5 years and so we have a history with them and if we respected them or or carried it all about our friendship with the owner and the manager on site that we would just pack our s*** and leave
What is the reason given by the hotel management for not accepting your rent payment?
And I told him no we're not really friends with them we have a working arrangement where we pay rent they let us stay in the hotel but I said they weren't our friend they were it was a business arrangement and I'm not worried about damaging a relationship I want them to take my rent and let me stay about the relationship I just want them to take our money and let us stay
What steps have you taken to ensure your rights as a tenant are protected?
Nothing I don't know what my rights are as a tenant that's one of the reasons for contacting you
What actions have the hotel management taken so far in relation to turning off utilities and boarding up rooms?
They have not done anything at all in fact they only told me and not my boyfriend about the utilities and the and the water being turned off
What date did they inform you about the utilities being turned off?
I think because I'm passive and he's a little more adamant about the situation and so they avoid telling him these things and they think it'll scare me and and I'll pack up and and leave but we don't have anywhere to go and we don't have any money cuz we can't leave the room otherwise they'll lock us out and and take the the our stuff and throw it in the trash is what I was told
What date were you told that your belongings would be thrown out if you left the room?
September 10th *
What is the name of the local police department that was involved in this situation?
In fact the manager said don't let me catch you outside this room because you will not see anything that's in that room ever again and you will be locked out forever
What is the name of the manager who threatened to lock you out?
George is his first name I don't know his last name I have his phone number his personal phone number but I don't know these people's last name they're the managers of the property I don't ask those type of questions
What is the name of the local police department that was involved in this situation?
Garden Grove Police department
What was the response of the Garden Grove Police department when they were called?
They really just said that they were busy and that this was a civil matter and they really didn't appreciate us not just packing her stuff up and leaving that if they can they will arrest us they searched our room they searched that person tried to find drugs or a reason to have us arrested there wasn't anything here and so they left and they said don't keep calling us and bothering us on the civil matter and
What was the reason given by the police for searching your room?
They were looking for a reason to arrest us because we wouldn't leave
What was the date when the police searched your room?
September 10th *
What is the name of the officer who searched your room?
I didn't get the officer's name I'm sorry they had to have filed some sort of report or something about it being out here cuz they were here for a good * hours
Did you receive any paperwork or documentation from the police after they searched your room?
No we didn't receive any paperwork from the police they just you know said pretty s***** that we wouldn't leave when asked to
What was the reason given by the police for not providing any paperwork or documentation after they searched your room?
They didn't give us a reason we didn't ask for a reason
What is the name of the legal aid organization you contacted for help?
Okay and actually my boyfriend just got his last name of the owner so the owner's name of the hotel is Johnson ting
What was the response of the legal aid organization when you contacted them for help?
The legal aid organization of Southern California and they told me they couldn't help me to call them back when I had an eviction in my hand eviction notice in my hand and I never got one and I've never got one
What steps have the hotel management taken to evict you from the property?
They haven't taken any steps to evict us at all
What is the reason given by the hotel management for not initiating the eviction process?
They haven't given any reason they haven't said anything they just ignore us
What actions have the hotel management taken so far in relation to turning off utilities and boarding up rooms?
The only thing that I've seen them do is clean out the rooms paint the rooms clean the furniture and put it all back together every day the the maids have come here to clean the room and stuff like that and knocked and asked to clean the rooms but the maids aren't here anymore they aren't coming to the doors they're down on property anymore I think today is the first day that I've noticed that they haven't been here at all
What date did the maids stop coming to clean the rooms?
We haven't let the maids in since it 11th but today is the first day the maids have not come to the property and clean the rooms I guess they no longer work here
What is the reason given by the hotel management for the maids not coming to clean the rooms anymore?
That the property's been sold that nobody no longer has a job here there are no more there is no more hotels they don't have any reason to come work here to clean the rooms there are no more guests staying in the hotel except for us and the manager
What is the name of the entity or person who has supposedly bought the property?
I don't know the name or the entity of the person who supposedly bought the property I only know the name of the owner that we rented from which is the hospitality inn in the city of garden Grove and the owner's name is Johnson Ting
What steps have you taken to verify the information about the sale of the property?
I haven't taken any steps I can't get out of the room we have to stay in the room all the time otherwise we don't have anywhere to put our stuff and we can't go anywhere cuz if we leave they said they'll lock us out
Have you considered contacting the California Department of Consumer Affairs or a local tenant's rights organization for advice?
No but as soon as I'm done with you I'm going to call them
What is the exact address of the hotel you are staying at? This will help in providing you with the contact details of the nearest court and local authorities.
* garden Grove boulevard garden Grove California *
What is the exact date when the hotel management informed you about the state taking over the property?
September 5th * he verbally told me that the property had been sold and we needed to try to get out of here by the 24th of the month
What steps have you taken to ensure your rights as a tenant are protected?
Okay my boyfriend just told me that Cal optima bought the property with Federal grant money
Can you provide any proof or documentation that shows Cal Optima bought the property with Federal grant money?
No I cannot
I don't know what my whites are as a tenant that's why I was kind of calling you
What type of documentation do you have to prove your continuous stay at the hotel?
I don't know what my rights are as a tenant that's why I was calling you
What type of agreement do you have with the hotel?
I have receipts handwritten receipts from all the men for management when I gave them my rent and then we have pictures of the computer in the office with the dates of payments and stuff of the last you know month or so
Okay when you going to make a payment for rent they give you a handwritten receipt the amount of money that they accepted from you and the date that it was to cover your room rent so I have the last 30 days of that I have like 3 months worth minus a week in the middle of the couple of months because somebody came in my room and took all my receipts one day so now I carry him on my person everyday if I go anywhere
What actions have the hotel management taken so far in relation to turning off utilities and boarding up rooms?
I haven't seen any actions
What is the name of the state agency that is supposed to take over the hotel?
Cal optima
What actions have you taken since you found out that Cal Optima is supposed to take over the hotel?
We haven't taken any actions cuz my boyfriend just told me that name just now he wouldn't ask the manager that's sitting downstairs who bought the property and that's what he said call optima bought it with Federal grant money
What is the reason given by Cal Optima for buying the property?
Sorry the tablet I was on earlier died.
No problem. Can you please update me on the current situation with the hotel management?
Are you still available
Yes, I am available. Can you please provide an update on your situation with the hotel management?
It is the same the manager told me on the * that come Monday they were turning off electricity and water. Who would u recommend me calling at this point besides a lawyer cause I çant afford on
You can contact the California Department of Consumer Affairs at *-*-*-*. They can guide you on tenant rights and possible actions.
They said that they couldn't help me that they don't deal with tenant landlord issues
I recommend contacting the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. They provide free legal assistance for housing issues. Their contact number is (*) *-*.