Unlawful eviction challenges migrant(1)

By Alfredo Santana

J.L. Felix leased a strip of land last year near his apartment, hoping to rack in better money as auto mechanic, put his school-learned skills at work, and improve his family’s stressed economy.

But a violent incident last March between him and his landlord left Felix stranded with work, and with an option to file a legal complaint for unlawful rental termination. So far Felix has refused to file it because he said “he’s not one that likes to seek trouble.”

Felix is an undocumented immigrant who has lived in Los Angeles since the mid-1990s. He moved to L.A. from his hometown of Mazatlan, México, and has worked in both house construction and auto repairs fields. He lives with his wife and two children, one of whom was born in the United States.  

On November 2013, Felix started a verbal rental agreement with property manager Alberto Ponce, for a  8.5 by 4.5 feet open space at 3001 W. Delay Dr., in Los Angeles CA. 90005, at $250 a month. Ponce also rents containers for construction workers and spaces to park cars. The contract was set to be renewed each month with advanced monthly payments.

However, on March 31, 2014, Ponce decided without explanation to abruptly terminate the rental agreement, told Felix to clear the premises immediately, and gave him 24 hours to do so. This occurred after Felix had paid the landlord a month worth of rent a day before.  

Felix was caught off guard, didn’t have another rental space to move in, and could not vacate the premises. When Ponce returned to the rented plot of land, he challenged Felix to start a brawl with their barehands, “to rip each other’s guts,” threat to which Felix refused to engage. He told the landlord to “calm down” and to think the situation better. Ponce returned Felix his advanced payment and told him he didn’t need his “dirty money.”

Watching Felix’s peaceful demeanor, the property manager grabbed a pan filled with automatic transmission oil, and tossed it on a stake bed truck Felix was repairing. He also threw an air compressor on top of the truck, and spilled Felix’s tools on the truck and on the ground.  Felix estimates he spent $550.00 wiping the oil off, and repairing the damaged compressor, in addition to a full day of labor he estimates at $150.

On April 1, 2014, Felix hired a tow truck for about $100.00, pulled the truck out and emptied the plot of land. Felix estimates he lost about $2,500.00 in wages the month it took him to find another mechanical repair space for rent, plus another $300 to move into another plot.

Please read Landlord, page 2