Call to Action: Tell Judicial Council to open the courts to landlords
When members of the California Judicial Council meet this Friday, it’s crucial that they understand the damaging effects of their statewide eviction suspension.
That’s why the California Apartment Association today is urging you and other members of the rental housing industry to contact the council and ask it to reconsider its near-total halting of evictions last month.
By suspending virtually all unlawful detainer cases in California, the council’s rule has given extreme tenant activists a veritable license to withhold rent without consequences.
Friday’s meeting is the Judicial Council’s first since April 6, when it held an emergency vote to suspend nearly all unlawful detainer cases in California in response to COVID-19.
The eviction stoppage has no clear end date. Although designed to sunset 90 days after California’s COVID-19 state of emergency ends, that emergency declaration could last for years. Just look at the ongoing states of emergency tied to California’s devastating wildfires.
The council’s eviction stoppage also goes much further than Gov. Newsom’s eviction moratorium, which shields from eviction only tenants who can’t pay the rent due to COVID-19 financial hardships.
Under the council’s rule, evictions can only proceed for circumstances that threaten “public health and safety,” however, these terms are not adequately defined in the rule, making evictions for these reasons impracticable. Tenants who engage in disruptive behavior, such as making noise at all hours of the night or harassing another renter in a way that falls short of being criminal activity, will enjoy the benefits of the council’s eviction suspension while their neighbors suffer.
The California Apartment Association has outlined these issues in letters to the council. Now, the council needs to hear from you.
Members of the public are not able speak at this Friday’s Judicial Council meeting, but they can submit written comments. The messages must be sent by Wednesday. To send a message to the council, click the button below. A page on the CAA site will open. Scroll down and click on the “Contact Judicial Council” button to auto-populate an email.