Two elderly, disabled military veterans in California have a court order protecting their ability to stay in their homes. Their landlord must also allow a motorized stair lift in the building and accept their housing vouchers.
Here's what to know
The Santa Monica City Attorney's Office brought discrimination allegations against landlord Lawrence Lee Boydston, leading to a stipulated judgment and injunction approved by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bradley S. Phillips, according to the Santa Monica Mirror.
Processing the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program's paperwork is one of Boydston's obligations under the judgment. Prosecutors said he had rejected the veterans' vouchers and prevented an accommodation they needed because of their physical disabilities.
A financial penalty accompanies requirements that Boydston follow local anti-discrimination rules, complete city-approved property management training, and implement a written fair housing policy.
More background
Fifteen ground-floor units at the Dorchester Condominiums, 1034-1050 4th St., will remain income-restricted under a California Court of Appeal decision in a separate case reported by the Santa Monica Mirror.
The court confirmed that for the building's lifetime, recorded deed restrictions require rentals to qualifying low-income tenants outside the owner's family and prohibit owner-occupancy. Owner Chiang Juei Sung had tried to bypass those restrictions and evict a low-income tenant.
More than five years of work directed by former Deputy City Attorney Gary Rhoades formed the basis for a $144,000 attorney fee award, which the court upheld. The former deputy city attorney retired in 2023.
Prosecutors allege that intimidation was used to try to displace long-term tenants, including many seniors who have lived in their homes for decades. Those allegations concern a six-unit, rent-controlled building on Harvard Street, the subject of a civil complaint filed by the Santa Monica City Attorney's Office.
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The complaint names property owners and operators Kevan Tschekaloff, Caley Tschekaloff, and Diane Tschekaloff, the latter both individually and as trustee for the Diane Tschekaloff Inter Vivos Trust.
What's being done?
In the Harvard Street case, prosecutors are seeking an independent receiver for the property, prompt repairs to structural problems, a halt to harassment, and removal of cameras deemed invasive, according to the Santa Monica Mirror.
They are also seeking civil penalties, increased damages for the alleged targeting of elderly residents, punitive awards, and reimbursement of legal costs.
The complaint describes prolonged hot water interruptions, widespread mold, collapsing plaster ceilings, and ignored repair orders. It also alleges that cameras were aimed at private windows and entrances, and that tenants faced unlawful eviction notices and retaliation for reporting code violations.
Additional legal fees and interest accumulated during the Dorchester appeal; city prosecutors have filed motions seeking to recover them.
Deputy City Attorney Jonathan Erwin-Frank described the role of affordability enforcement in Santa Monica's broader tenant protections.
"With rent control limited to units constructed before 1979, the city's Below Market Housing Program is a vital and increasingly important part of the city's mission to prevent and reduce homelessness and meet the housing needs of all its residents," he said. "The city enforces below-market housing affordability requirements just as it actively enforces rent control and anti-harassment protections."
Where can I learn more?
Disputes over disability access, fair housing enforcement, and rental conditions extend beyond Santa Monica. These stories cover a lawsuit over a caregiver ticket, federal housing grants, Pasadena landlord fines, and California tenants' complaints.
• A Washington woman sued Tacoma Dome under the Americans with Disabilities Act after requesting a free caregiver ticket.
• A Boston judge blocked a proposal to reroute grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development away from fair housing groups under President Trump's plan.
• Pasadena's rent board balked at landlord fines after a survey showed little use.
• A California renter questioned a $50 offer after six weeks without air conditioning, heat, or an oven.
• California tenants say splintering railings and nighttime entries followed a private equity buyout.
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