‘Slumlord Law’ Delayed By County Supervisors

RIVERSIDE – Slumlords who rent out dilapated, rundown properties could soon be paying moving costs for those who are forced out when the property is condemned. Riverside County lawmakers are working hard to get the “slumlord law” passed. But passing this new law stalled Tuesday in Riverside.

They are the rental homes with holes in the walls, toxic leaks, and electrical hazards that are occasionally uncovered by county code enforcement and shut down. But, when these homes are condemned, the people living inside are sometimes left with no financial help to move out. That’s what happened in 2005 when everybody was told to suddenly leave Indio’s Chamberlain Court Apartments.

Mari Gomez told us then, “This is my house. This is everybody’s house. Everybody was comfortable here. Now, all of a sudden because he doesn’t want to pay a bill, we’re the ones who have to suffer for it.”

Riverside county supervisors say they’ve seen enough. They’re pushing for a new law to pay tenants when they’re forced to leave their condemned homes. The money would come from the landlords.

County Supervisor John Benoit explains, “It is unfair to make the taxpayers carry the load for relocating these folks. It’s unfair to the folks who were then forced out into the streets and not have any support.”

For now, the new law would only affect non-incorporated areas including Thousand Palms, Bermuda Dunes, Cabazon and Mecca. But, the county law may set an example for Desert cities to follow.

Cathedral City shutdown Marie’s Mobile Home Park by the city because of slum conditions.

City Attorney Steve Quintanilla recalls, “When I first met the residents of this mobile home park, they felt so dis-empowered. They felt they had no laws to protect them.”

The city fought hard to get the landlord to pay his former tenants money to move on.

Quintanilla adds, “I saw glimmers of hope in their eyes. They knew they were not going to be left out in the streets. They know that the park owner had an obligation to assist them.”

But, county supervisors delayed passing the new law. The Apartment Association of the Greater Inland Empire wants a clear understanding of what dangerous conditions truly mean.

Benoit says, “It’s an important step. It’s breaking new ground. There was a discussion that we should put it off for a couple of weeks. I think that everybody agrees that this is something we’re doing to move forward on.”