On Tuesday, the City of Alameda released a statement that the owners of Barnhill Marina in Alameda were ordered to pay over $335,000. The penalties and fees were levied in reaction to the owners illegally raising rents and harassing tenants, according to a judgment issued by an Alameda County Superior Court judge.
In April of this year, the Alameda City Attorney’s Office took legal action against Valley Investments-Redwoods LLC for harassing and forcing out longtime low-income tenants at Barnhill Marina. Valley, the new owner of the marina, was accused of raising rents drastically, interfering with residents’ right to sell their houseboats, and attempting to impose unlawful rent increases. The complaint also highlighted Valley’s disregard for the City’s Rent Control laws and multiple citations issued by the City of Alameda.
The judgment found that the owners, Investments-Redwoods LLC (“Valley”) and manager Amarpal Narang, did use unlawful tactics to force out longtime tenants. These tactics included drastically and illegally raising rents and interfering with the residents’ right to sell their floating homes. The injunction prohibits Valley and Narang from further interfering with tenants attempting to sell their homes or harassing other residents of the marina.
“We are pleased that the court granted this judgment to protect housing stability in Alameda, especially for some of our most vulnerable neighbors, and to uphold the public’s right to fair and lawful business practices in the community,” said Alameda City Attorney Yibin Shen.
In a separate but related case, a San Joaquin County court has appointed a receiver to take control of Barnhill Marina, meaning that Narang and Valley are no longer managing the marina or collecting rents. “We expect that the receivership will bring much-needed stability to Barnhill, where tenants have endured several years of wrongful actions by management,” Shen declared.
State and City law protects tenants against unlawful harassment by landlords and their agents. Management may not, in bad faith, influence or attempt to influence a tenant to vacate a rental housing unit through fraud, intimidation, or coercion; or interfere with a tenant’s right to quiet use and enjoyment of a rental housing unit. The City Attorney’s Office encourages any person experiencing unlawful behavior in Housing to contact the Rent Program at 510-747-7520.
