New 'Slumbusters' club hosts attorneys for lunchtime talk
—Submitted by Slumbusters Co-Chair Scott Greenwood
Two attorneys spoke to the new USC Law student group Slumbusters: Club for Housing and Unlawful Detainer Law on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Benjamin Ramm from BASTA, Inc. and Claudia Medina from Eviction Defense Network met with students to discuss the law of evictions, called unlawful detainers, and their experiences in this important field of law.
Both speakers discussed the substantive law in California that affects low income tenants. Ramm outlined the warranty of habitability and the obligations it places on landlords. Breaches of this warranty may provide a defense against evictions for nonpayment of rent.
Ramm introduced the basic concepts of the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance and the incentives some landlords have to evict tenants in order to collect market rents. Evictions of tenants who are under the ordinance are only legally permissible if they fall within one of the 13 reasons available to landlords, such as nonpayment of rent, violation of the lease, or creating a nuisance. This provides tenants’ attorneys with ample defenses against the legal efforts to evict, Ramm said.
Both attorneys shared their experiences with some of L.A.’s most notorious landlords and discussed strategies for public interest lawyers. Medina noted that landlords’ attorneys enjoy a distinct advantage over tenants, many of whom appear without legal assistance. Ramm noted that demanding jury trials is a particularly effective strategy because it increases the cost of any one eviction and allows the case to be judged by a jury of one's peers.
The Slumbusters will be hosting two attorneys from the U.S. Department of Housing Urban Development who will discuss HUD's mission to provide fair and affordable housing, the role of attorneys in this effort, and possible new directions for the agency under the Obama administration. The event will take place at lunch on March 10 in Room 7.
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