I'm a boomer who was evicted from my apartment of 25 years. I was

Trina Kaye was evicted from her Los Angeles apartment in 2019 after 25 years.
She was evicted before California’s Tenant Protection Act was enacted in 2020.
Her apartment was renovated and rented at a higher price after her eviction.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Trina Kaye, a 68-year-old who was evicted from her Los Angeles apartment in 2019. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I lived in the same Los Angeles apartment for 25 years, and I loved it. I moved into it in 1994 after an earthquake hit the San Fernando Valley, and I lost my place there. I found a building in Mar Vista owned by a couple and rented a one-bedroom apartment that was quiet and close to the beach.

When I first moved, I was paying about $725 a month. The landlord typically raised my rent by $50 to $60 a year.

In 2018, they raised my rent a lot more. I received two $100 rent increases that year. I agreed because I liked living in the building and didn’t want to move out. By 2019, the year I was forced to leave, I paid $1,695 a month.

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I got a call from the security gate that a process server was at the front of the building

I didn’t know who this person was or what this was about. I didn’t let them in.

Three days later, I came home, and a notice was tacked on my door that said that I was being evicted and had to be out by July 1.

I was completely shocked. I’d lived in the apartment for so long and knew the landlords well. I couldn’t believe they didn’t talk to me about this first. I didn’t ask for an explanation. I felt so embarrassed and was afraid of a confrontation.

I alerted the landlords that I was having a knee-replacement surgery on May 20 and asked for a move-out extension. After I gave them the doctor’s note they requested, they agreed to give me until September 15.

It’s been five years since this happened, but I’ll never forget it.

I didn’t think getting evicted would ever happen to me

I’d heard about people being evicted for not paying their rent. That wasn’t me. I’d never missed or been late on a rent payment.

I cared for my apartment as if I was the owner. I even repainted it and made repairs myself.

When I received an eviction notice that stated my tenancy was being terminated without any reasons given, I was heartbroken.

I didn’t want to move out, but a lawyer told me I didn’t have a choice

When I received the notice, I spoke to a friend who’s a real-estate lawyer and asked for advice. He said I didn’t have any legal recourse in this situation. I contacted my local city council office for advice but never heard back. I wish I’d followed up or hired a lawyer.

I just accepted it and moved out. I feared that if I didn’t leave or fight back, the police would show up and arrest me. I was scared and felt intimidated.

I was also under a lot of personal stress with my knee surgery at the time, so I didn’t have the time or energy to fight this or ask more questions.

I regret not pushing back on the eviction. I wish I’d been armed with more information before deciding to leave.

This wouldn’t have happened a year later to me in California

In 2020, California passed the Tenant Protection Act, which made it harder for landlords to evict tenants without just cause, especially if they had lived in the space for at least 12 months.

If this had happened to me in 2020, I would’ve had a good case to fight back. I also think my landlords knew the law was changing, which is why they chose to evict me when they did.

They renovated my apartment and raised the rent

I heard from my neighbors in the building that they renovated my unit when I moved out. After they fixed it up, it was listed for $2,250 a month.

My neighbor left shortly after I moved out, and they renovated his apartment, too. Since then, I’ve noticed they fixed up most of the building and raised the rent for all the units.

It took time to let go of the situation

It took me a couple years to let go of the anger and embarrassment I felt from getting evicted. The anger was because they took the choice of leaving my home away from me.

I’ve been living in a new apartment for five years now. It’s a two-bedroom in Pico-Robertson, and I pay a little more in rent than I did for my old place.

Looking back, the eviction was a blessing in disguise. My new place is better and has amenities that the other rental didn’t have, such as central air conditioning and new appliances. I rent from the owners of a condo, and they’ve been accommodating.

I plan to stay here for as long as I can. The situation didn’t discourage me from renting. But I can’t afford to buy anything in Los Angeles, so renting is my only option.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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