- Trina Kaye was evicted from her Los Angeles apartment in 2019 after 25 years.
- The eviction occurred before California’s Just Cause Eviction law was enacted in 2020.
- Her apartment was renovated and re-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 around $725 a month. The landlord typically raised my rent by $50-$60 yearly.
Suddenly, in 2018, they started raising my rent a lot more. I received two rent raises that year, each $100. 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.
I remember getting 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 on July 1.
I was completely shocked. I had 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 giving them a doctor’s note (which they requested to agree to an extension), they agreed to September 15.
It’s been five years since this happened, but I’ll never forget it.
I had heard of people getting evicted before. I didn’t think it would ever happen to me.
I was familiar with the term eviction and had heard about this happening to people for not paying their rent. That wasn’t me. I had never missed a rent payment and always paid it on time.
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 only 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 is 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 had followed up more 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 timid about understanding my rights.
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 had been armed with more information before deciding to leave.
This wouldn’t have happened a year later to me in California
In a way, I got unlucky. In 2020, California passed the Just Cause Eviction law, which made it harder for landlords to evict tenants without a strong reason, especially if they had lived in the space for 12 months.
If this had happened to me in 2020, I would’ve had a good case to fight back. I also think this is why my landlords chose to evict me when they did because they knew the law was changing.
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 all the rents.
It took time to let go of the situation
It took me a couple of years to let go of the anger and embarrassment I felt 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 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 place didn’t have, like 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 here in Los Angeles so renting is my only option anyway.
