She assures that the owner harasses her without caring that she lost her job and that she barely got out of the illness
Arely Sotelo reported that the owner of the apartment she rents in the Van Nuys neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles, harasses her and pressures her to evict, even though she barely recovered from the coronavirus and does not have a job.
He also said that the neighbors, among whom was the daughter of the landlord, attacked her when she was sick with COVID-19, for allegedly not leaving her protected.
"I would like to leave the apartment because I can't stand harassment so much anymore, but I don't have a job or money to move", He says.
50-year-old Arely says she has been renting a one-bedroom apartment in Van Nuys for three to four years for which she pays $ 1,400 each month.
“My daughter, her boyfriend, and my 17-year-old son lived with me. They already left because they did not resist so much harassment, ”he says.
The problems for this mother began on February 10, when the landlord gave her a notice to vacate in 60 days. The opinion You have a copy of such notice.
However, Arely says that in April she started having COVID-19 symptoms, headache, bones, throat and chest as well as fever and cough. "They did the coronavirus exam; and on April 18 they told me that I was positive"
He also delivered The opinion a copy of the evidence that you had the disease.
She says that when she was lying in bed, a victim of the pandemic, the tenant called her to remind her to vacate the apartment.
"I just answered yes. I had no heart for anything. "
Three or four weeks after the positive diagnosis, Arely returned for a second examination, which revealed that by May 3, she no longer had the virus. The opinion you have a copy of the negative result.
She says that after she became ill, she could no longer return to her babysitting job nor could she pay the rent for the month of May, but she assures that she did give the rent for the month of April.
And on the recommendation of the clinic where she was treated, she claims that she had to send a notice to her neighbors to inform them that she was sick with the coronavirus.
"When I went out to do the second exam, the owner's daughter and another neighbor attacked me with insults, telling me 'why I wasn't protecting myself and exposing them' when I was wearing my mask."
The last straw occurred last week when he recounted that he had to call the police, because the landlord took the sheets off the first access door to his apartment.
“I can almost assure you that he went in to check on the department. And he has been constantly threatening me that I will no longer be able to enter, and that I do whatever I want. ”
She confesses that she feels all stressed. "I do want to leave because I don't want to live here in fear, but I don't have money to pay her rent or to rent another apartment. If he urges you so much, give me money to go. I'm not here for fun. "
He adds that even the owner turned off the light in the bathroom and the bedroom a few days ago. "I had to text them to reinstall it. He also put a sign for rent outside, when I still have not left the apartment. ”
In March, due to the health contingency, the city of Los Angeles authorized a moratorium on home evictions; and gave tenants up to 12 months to pay rent, after the coronavirus emergency arises.
The other version
Antonio Serna, owner of the apartment where Arely lives, says he asked for the apartment because he is a tenant who has never lived in the place. “Those who lived there were the daughter and son-in-law. He never wanted to give me their information. She lives with her boyfriend, and only recently in the early morning did she put in a mattress. ”
He points out that Arely has never shown him any letter from his employer indicating that he was unemployed or any document proving that he contracted the coronavirus. Although she admits that there was a fight with her daughter, when they told her that if she was infected, she would protect herself.
“You should at least give me half the rent. He is making fun of us, ”says the landlord, who admits that he did remove the plates on the door.
Fights increase
According to a report by the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg news site Crosstown, clashes between tenants and rental homeowners in Los Angeles soared by 300% in the past two months, due to unemployment caused by the coronavirus that has prevented many from being able to pay their rent.
Daniel M. Yukelson, director of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, which represents more than 10,000 landlords, commented in a recent interview with this newspaper that tenants and rental homeowners are in the same boat.
"The coronavirus crisis has stressed us all, and left us with a very short temperament."
