Retirement Of A Landlord Who Penned A Destiny's Child Song Has Been Ruined
The retirement of a landlord who penned a Destiny's Child song has been ruined. Pamela Haile, a retiree, owns a house in Oakland that she rents out to renters. Despite the fact that she has paid property taxes, insurance, and other obligations related to the house, her tenants have not paid rent for more than three years since Oakland has one of the longest-lasting eviction prohibitions in the country.
Author:Xander OddityReviewer:Dr. Felix ChaosphereJun 30, 202315.5K Shares219.3K Views
The retirement of a landlord who penned a Destiny's Child songhas been ruined. Pamela Haile, a retiree, owns a house in Oakland that she rents out to renters. Despite the fact that she has paid property taxes, insurance, and other obligations related to the house, her tenants have not paid rent for more than three years since Oakland has one of the longest-lasting eviction prohibitions in the country.
The Landlords' Frustration
“„This was my entire plan, and I’ve just kind of watched it go up in smoke- Pamela Haile
Next month will mark the end of the eviction moratorium in the city that is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Haile cannot wait. The woman, who is 69 years old, believes that she is due more than $60,000 in past rent; nevertheless, she is skeptical that she will ever get this money.
In addition to that, she claims that the renters have wrecked her house, and in order to make it habitable again, it would cost tens of thousands of dollars.
“„It’s unbelievable and it’s like, how can they have the nerve to just let something like this happen? If this happened to them, how would they feel? Dealing with this whole thing gets me so upset.- Pamela Haile
Haile said of her tenants.
At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 in the United States, eviction moratoriums were implemented across the country in order to protect people from being uprooted and to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The vast majority have long since lapsed, but not in Oakland or the surrounding cities of San Francisco and Berkeley, which are characterized by high levels of both rent and homelessness.
In the state of California, it is more frequent to see tenants descending on city halls to demand more protections; but, early this year, landlords of small properties in Oakland and the neighboring areas of Alameda County held rallies demanding an end to moratoriums on rent increases.
Oakland Landlords Are Fed Up After Tenants Demand Landlords Provide Free Housing
The majority of the landlords were people of color, such as Haile, or Asian Americans, and they said that the eviction rules had put them in the position of having to worry about debt and foreclosure while their tenants, who have employment, continued to live rent-free in their homes.
They chastised government officials for enabling renters to self-certify that their inability to pay was connected to the epidemic, and they said that this was unacceptable behavior. These small-property owners, in contrast to major corporate landlords, said that they lacked the resources necessary to remove tenants and that they were consumed with anxiety as a result.
“„There is nothing natural about being forced to house and have people live in your property for over three years and not pay. There is nothing natural, ethical or even humane about that,- Michelle Hailey
Michelle Hailey, who is also Black and owns a triplex where both her tenants stopped paying.
At the end of April, Alameda County allowed its moratorium to become null and void. It will be over on July 15 in Oakland. In most circumstances, tenants are required to begin paying rent in August; however, if the pandemic was the direct cause of the tenants' financial suffering, they cannot be removed from rent arrears.
The prohibitions, according to proponents of the moratorium, saved the lives of numerous families by keeping them housed and off the streets. They stated that households with low incomes are still having difficulty as a result of the epidemic and require protection from abusive landlords.
According to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, which monitors eviction files in three dozen cities and 10 states, the number of eviction cases has increased dramatically throughout the country ever since the prohibitions were lifted, reaching more than fifty percent of what they were on average before the outbreak in several locations.
In the month of May, there were almost 500 filings in the county of Alameda in California, when there were just 65 in the month of April before the restriction was lifted. This is an increase from the typical number of reports, which was in the 300s before the epidemic in 2019.
Some African-American families that moved north from the South during World WarII were able to buy homes in Oakland, California, despite redlining and other forms of discrimination that were practiced by banks and the government at the time. Oakland has a long and rich history of the African-American community.
However, a recession, the subprime mortgage crisis, quickly rising property prices, and gentrification forced many black residents out of their homes, which led to an increase in the number of people living on the streets.
The owner of the triplex, Hailey, is grateful that she was able to recover some of the money she lost due to the fact that she participated in a program that provided rent assistance. The renters have moved out, but she is saddled with a mountain of debt and is unable to afford to make any renovations.
In 1999, after having made a significant amount of money from creating songs that were included in the debut Destiny's Child album, she bought the property. The creative person anticipated that the triplex would not only assist fund her retirement but also give her a stable income.
“„So this was my entire plan, and I’ve just kind of watched it go up in smoke. We’ve never had a situation where you would have government-sanctioned freedom to not pay your rent,- Michelle Hailey
Michelle Hailey, 59 years old, wondered why, in April 2020, the family who had been renting the property from her parents decided to cease paying rent. Because of the eviction moratorium, the property management business stated that they were unable to inquire.
When being contacted by The Associated Press, the renter, Martha Pinzon, stated that she had ceased paying on the recommendation of a local charitable organization when she was let off from her work as a hotel cleaner in March 2020 due to the pandemic-induced government shutdown.
Even today, she is unable to pay the monthly rent of $1,875 on the salary that she receives from her job as a janitor at a homeless shelter.
Brigitte Cortez, Pinzon's 19-year-old daughter, said the embargo provided her mother "peace of mind" during the epidemic. She said that the property management business had disregarded their requests for maintenance for years.
“„We’ve had a lot of troubles in this house since we’ve moved in,- Brigitte Cortez
She also said that they are looking for a new place to live. Haile says the tenants never asked for repairs.
John Williams, 62 years old, is hoping that the anxiety and stress that he has been going through for the past three years will soon be over. Williams, who is a plaintiff in a case filed against Oakland and Alameda County over the prohibitions, stated that his renter stopped paying the monthly rent of $1,500 when the epidemic began.
According to him, she did not provide an explanation despite the fact that she ran a storage company out of the flat, and she refused to cooperate in order for him to qualify for financial assistance from the city's rent-relief program.
Williams, who is a Black man, has faced prejudice in the housing rental market, and he felt that the Victorian duplex he owns in West Oakland would be a good opportunity for him to retire and house other people. In 2013, he began renting to the mother who was accompanied by her two children.
Late in the year 2020, he made an offer for the house, but she flatly refused to leave, thus the transaction was unable to go through. Late in the year 2021, Williams' level of anxiety reached such a peak that he had to check himself into the hospital, go on disability, and be unable to work. He had no choice but to relocate to the apartment that was located above the one he rented out. It didn't feel like his home at all anymore.
The Oakland Pandemic-Era Eviction Ban
Oakland was one of the last municipalities to maintain its universal eviction prohibition. Housing activists believe it was a lifeline for many individuals who lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.
However, landlords claim that the regulation has caused them significant financial difficulty, and they have banded together to oppose any extension of the moratorium.
In May, the City Council voted to lift the eviction moratorium. Advocates for affordable housing refer to what happened in Alameda County. The eviction moratorium was lifted in April.
Alameda County had 500 evictions a month later. With the moratorium still in force, there were just 65 evictions in April. Before the epidemic, there were around 300 evictions in Alameda County in May 2019. Oakland Animal Services is worried as well. People turning in their dogs has increased by 22% this year compared to the previous year.
In a recent public statement, director Ann Dunn warned of another influx:
“„With the eviction moratorium on rental housing in Oakland ending on July 15, I anticipate this will be an ongoing challenge and that we will continue to need more help to prevent euthanasia of adoptable dogs.- Ann Dunn
They have found a home for the overflow of animals they had earlier this month thanks to the support of foster homes and the Animal Rescue Foundation. However, they are concerned that too many people may relinquish their dogs when Oakland's eviction moratorium expires later this summer.
People Also Ask
What Are The Eviction Laws In California During COVID-19?
COVID-19 rental debt is defined as rent and additional payments due under the rental agreement, such as utilities or parking fees, that fell due between March 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021.
If a tenant is authorized for rental assistance funds after an eviction case (unlawful detainer) is filed, they can petition the court to have the eviction process halted. Tenants may still be evicted for reasons such as failing to comply with the rental agreement, causing a nuisance, committing a crime on the property, or if the owner has a valid basis to reclaim the property.
Does Oakland Still Have An Eviction Moratorium?
What has changed as of May 2, 2023, and is now law: First, the Eviction Moratorium and the Late Fee Moratorium will both end on July 15, 2023
Can A Landlord Evict A Tenant During Covid-19 In California?
There are no COVID-19-related Federal restrictions on eviction. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau maintains a helpful webpage of resources for tenants.
Final Words
Theretirement of a landlord who penned a Destiny's Child songand others was greatly impacted by the pandemic. However, in Oakland, the moratorium on evictions that was put in place during the pandemic will be lifted on July 15.
Those tenants who have been unable to make their rent payments for the previous three years as a result of the epidemic will either have to begin doing so on August 1 or face the possibility of being evicted.
Xander Oddity
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Xander Oddity, an eccentric and intrepid news reporter, is a master of unearthing the strange and bizarre. With an insatiable curiosity for the unconventional, Xander ventures into the depths of the unknown, fearlessly pursuing stories that defy conventional explanation. Armed with a vast reservoir of knowledge and experience in the realm of conspiracies, Xander is a seasoned investigator of the extraordinary.
Throughout his illustrious career, Xander has built a reputation for delving into the shadows of secrecy and unraveling the enigmatic. With an unyielding determination and an unwavering belief in the power of the bizarre, Xander strives to shed light on the unexplained and challenge the boundaries of conventional wisdom. In his pursuit of the truth, Xander continues to inspire others to question the world around them and embrace the unexpected.
Dr. Felix Chaosphere
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Dr. Felix Chaosphere, a renowned and eccentric psychiatrist, is a master of unraveling the complexities of the human mind. With his wild and untamed hair, he embodies the essence of a brilliant but unconventional thinker. As a sexologist, he fearlessly delves into the depths of human desire and intimacy, unearthing hidden truths and challenging societal norms.
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