Lawyers for the city of Vista say eviction notices served on residents of the Green Oak Ranch RV park constitute an “unlawful termination” because they failed to comply with the requirements of a new law. the State came into force on April 1.

Longtime residents occupying 32 spaces in the park received a 60-day notice of lease termination on Sept. 30, informing them they had until Dec. 1 to find alternative accommodation. Today, residents of the park estimate that there are nine families left, having found no suitable housing that is both affordable and that they consider safe.

Green Oak announced earlier this year that it would lease the park to Solutions for Change, a local nonprofit serving homeless families. The park’s owner ordered the property cleared of subtenants, including park residents, to make way for Solutions, which plans to move the bulk of its operations there in 2025.

On Nov. 28, the city sent a letter to Dorinda de Jong, president of Green Oak Ranch, and current and future tenants of the property, stating that “each notice is void and provides no basis for action against any tenant for illegal detention”. ”, the legal name used when a tenant refuses to vacate a property, leading the landlord to pursue eviction.

De Jong did not respond Thursday to a request for comment on the situation. However, park residents reported that Hannah Gailey, director of Green Oak Ministries, a legally separate organization that currently leases the Green Oak Ranch property, recently told residents that the eviction notices were still in effect.

“She always says that, you know, ‘I would hate for you to have an eviction on your record or something,'” said Colleta Chidowe, who lives in the park with her husband and three children.

When asked why the evictions were still being pursued if the city had deemed the notices to be invalid, Gailey said Thursday that “we also have an attorney, and he has confirmed that the evictions are valid.”

Asked if the anonymous lawyer could share his arguments, Gailey said: “We will respond, but probably not directly to the press.”

Five of the remaining families in the park — residents estimated Thursday there were nine total who have yet to find other housing — are represented by tenant rights attorney Daniel Lickel.

He said those who remained should be able to stay in Green Oak at least until the end of the year, because the eviction hearing process, even if it were to begin immediately, would likely take that long. But he declined to say anything further about his legal strategy and did not respond Thursday to a request for additional information about how the city’s letter and its claims that previous eviction notices are disabled affect those who have already left.

“It seems like it could have been handled a lot better, and I think there was a lot of pain on the part of the people who were asked to leave,” Lickel said. “I met a lot of these people and there was a wonderful community of people at this RV park. It seems really sad that they had to be uprooted like this. »

Any attempt to initiate eviction proceedings, he added, will be investigated.

“I intend to present a full defense in the event they want to pursue unlawful detention proceedings based on their current notices,” Lickel said.

In its letter, the city cites the Tenant Protection Act, a new law that took effect April 1 which, according to an analysis by the firm Brancard & Brancart, requires landlords to either waive rent for the last month of rental or provide “moving assistance” for any tenant whose lease has been terminated without valid reason.

The city’s letter includes a “mitigation plan” that requires Green Oak to rescind eviction notices and pay relocation benefits equal to “three times the amount of last month’s rent” to families who have already left the property. Park residents said they pay $1,000 a month, making the total $3,000 each.

What do those who have already left think about the idea that their eviction notices may have been invalid?

Karin Allison, whose family recently moved into an apartment, said she was not inclined to move, especially after the removal of amenities such as a shared laundry room and shower that many people in the community had relied on. park.

“My family regrets not hiring a lawyer sooner,” Allison said.

Several residents said Green Oak Ministries and the city worked to provide storage for displaced trailers and campers when families were unable to find affordable spaces to rent in other parks.