When a 102-year-old Los Angeles woman was notified that she had to leave an apartment she’d been staying in for 30 years, former governor of California, reportedly reached out to help.
According to The Los Angeles Times, Thelma Smith received a 90-day eviction notice in March, so the landlord’s daughter could move in.
Apparently, the landlord’s actions aren’t illegal. The Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance allows landlords in the county to evict tenants to accommodate a relative, but they must start with the most recent resident.
Los Angeles’ rent control law provides assistance for the disabled and elderly who need to be relocated. However, for Smith, who stays out of the jurisdiction and city limits of Los Angeles County, the law doesn’t apply.
“They use this law to target long-term, low-paying tenants,” Larry Gross, the executive director for the Coalition for Economic Survival told The LA Times.
Smith has until June to move and is now dependent upon family members who live on the East Coast to help her find a new place to stay.
Schwarzenegger, who had become familiar with Smith as a public official, called the move for eviction “heartless.”
“Imagine doing this to a 102-year-old woman who gave back to the community her whole life,” the actor said on Twitter.
Schwarzenegger has committed to helping Smith and warned landlords that they’ll be “hearing” from him.
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