Landlord of fire-ravaged Oakland building attempts to evict displaced tenants

"Dozens of renters displaced by a monstrous blaze in their downtown building Monday quickly received a letter from their landlord announcing their leases had been "terminated." The renters could make an escorted trip to their scorched apartments to retrieve their belongings and return their keys, receiving a refund on their security deposits, said the letter. It came from Commonwealth Management, a company registered to prominent Oakland landlord Ted Dang, who's owned the building at 1770 Broadway for decades."

""A fire is not a legitimate event that terminates a lease or gives the landlord the ability to terminate the lease," said David Hall, managing attorney at Centro Legal de la Raza. Depending on the cause of the fire or other findings, the landlord may be required by city law to cover temporary relocation costs for the residents and guarantee them the right to return once repairs are complete, Hall said."

"When the three-alarm fire broke out just after 7 a.m. Monday, more than 60 firefighters rushed to the scene to extinguish the blaze and evacuate tenants from over 40 apartments. The fire was out by 8:40 a.m., and the Oakland Fire Department red-tagged the property. Three residents were sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation injuries and have since been released, said OFD spokesperson Michael Hunt. A firefighter also suffered a minor injury from heat exposure."

More than 40 apartments were evacuated after a three-alarm blaze in a downtown building, and the property was red-tagged. Dozens of displaced renters received a letter from Commonwealth Management saying their leases were "terminated," offering escorted retrieval of belongings and security deposit refunds. Lawyers contracted by the city say a fire does not automatically terminate leases and that landlords may be required by city law to pay temporary relocation costs and guarantee tenants the right to return once repairs are complete. Tenants are advised not to sign documents without consulting an attorney. Several people received medical attention; storefronts were boarded up.

Read at The Oaklandside