Have you ever had your rent raised by an obsene amount, and then discovered you had few options in finding another affordable apartment? My wife and I had such an agonizing experience last December. We were turned down for an apartment because of racial discrimination. My wife and I are white, and the apartment complex we were hoping to move into is predominately hispanic.
After we were unfairly turned down, I turned to National Fair Housing first, and then the Better Business Bureau. NFHA said they couldn't help me because there was no way to actually prove that we were discriminated against. And BBB said that my problem was beyond the scope of their activities. All I wanted was an explanation on why me and my wife were turned down for this rental, and I got squat.
Here is the course of events:
Thur 11-29-01: Received a notice in the mail from Norman Jacobson Management Co., who manages our apartment building. They inform us that, as of 1-1-02, our rent will go up from $565 to $675 per month. They had previously raised it an extra $40 last June. My wife and I start searching for a new apartment.
Fri 11-30-01: Found a notice about the rent increase taped to our apartment door. It's the same notice. This notice is also taped to the other apartments throughout the building. (Note: one week later, we received another notice in the mail, saying that the rent increase would take effect Feb 1st instead of Jan 1st. This is because, on rent increases that are more than 10%, you need 60 days, not 30 days, notice).
Sun 12-2-01: My wife and I got together with our good ladyfriend, Dottie, at a karaoke lounge. We told her of our predicament of wanting to find a new apartment. Dottie had good news for us: she said she has a ladyfriend named Jackie, whose father is the owner of an apartment complex at 6728 Vineland in North Hollywood, CA. Dottie learned from Jackie that a single would be opening up on Sat 12-8-01. She said that 2 current tenants occupying the single would be moving into a 1-bedroom within the same building, because they wanted more space, leaving the single vacant. The 1-bedroom would become available on Wed 12-5-01.
Mon 12-3-01: Talked to Dottie on the phone, who had previously talked to Jackie. She said I should get in touch with the management company: Top Properties, 16800 Devonshire, Granada Hills, (818) 366-1193. I talked to Michael on the phone, and told him that Jackie referred me over. So I drove to their office, and filled out an application. I also gave him $20 with my application so that he could check my credit. (My credit is excellent). He told me to call at around 10 AM tomorrow.
NOTES: He never offered to show me the apartment. My wife and I probably would have taken it anyway, because of the reasonable rent ($475), and because it would have been just a mile away from where I work.
Tue 12-4-01: I called up Michael at 10 AM, and asked him how my credit checked out. He said that he hadn't sent for my credit report yet, and that I should call him back later in the week. Then he asked me how I would feel about renting a 1-bedroom instead of a single. I said, What? I thought you had a single available. Then he said that 2 current tenants, who were already living in a single, weren't sure if they wanted to move into a 1-bedroom after all.
I asked him how much a 1-bedroom goes for. He said $600. I said, Well... Maybe, but I'd rather have the single.
NOTES: I suspect that the only reason why he introduced this story is because it gives him an extra chance to turn me down. It seems to me that the people already occupying the single would have made their minds up a long time ago about taking the 1-bedroom. They would also know long beforehand what the rent on the 1-bedroom would be.
Fri 12-7-01: I decided to give Michael a few days to check my credit. When I called him and told him it was me, he told me in a cold tone of voice, in a robot-like fashion, I'm sorry, but the apartment has already been rented out. And this is all he said - he never bothered to give me any kind of explanation. I was shocked. I said, I don't understand - I was first in line to get this apartment, and my credit is excellent. He repeated, in the same, cold tone, I'm sorry, but the apartment has already been rented out. He wouldn't even volunteer the information on whether the current tenants moved to the 1-bedroom, or stayed in the single. I hung up, disgusted. But then I called him right back, and asked him, Well, can you at least tell me how my credit check worked out? He said, Oh, well, I don't have that information in front of me right now. I said, You never even ran the credit check, did you? He said he wasn't sure, but if it turns out that they never checked my credit, then I could have my $20 back.
NOTES: I was miffed when he used the phrase Don't have the information in front of me right now.in my opinion, whether or not you check someone's credit is something that should be easily remembered. Why didn't he just say, Gosh, Bob, you know something? There was some kind of mix-up, and they never did check your credit.
It was unfortunate enough that we couldn't get the apartment, but Top Properties was also trying to keep my $20 for the credit check that was never run!
Tue 12-11-01: Called up Top Properties. Their message unit came on. I asked them once again if they ever ran the credit check, and to please give me a call back.
Wed 12-12-01: I called Top Properties, and after a couple of rings, I heard a slight clicking noise, meaning that someone at the other end was picking the phone up. But then, a split second later, replaced the receiver on the hook. I speculated that they had the caller ID function, and knew it was me, and simply didn't want to deal with me asking for the results of my credit check that I paid $20 for.
I called right back, and got their message unit. I left a message for Michael to call me, and let me know how my credit checked out. I gave him both my numbers.
Wed 12-12-01: Received a call from a lady from Top Properties, who told me a $20 check was in the mail for me. I said, Dang! They never checked my credit? She said right. I said, I don't understand. I was first in line to get this apartment, and my credit is excellent. What happened? She said she didn't know. All she knew was that I was to get a $20 check.
Fri 12-14-01: Received a check in the mail for $20 from Top Properties, for credit check that was never run.
Wed 1-9-02: While preparing this letter to you, along with filling out the form that you mailed to me, I decided to call Top Properties, and see if I could get Michael's last name. A guy who wasn't Michael answered the phone. He asked me what this was referring to. I simply said that I was just wondering what his last name was. He said he didn't know what his last name was.
NOTES: When I received the $20 check a few weeks ago, I noticed that Michael signed it. I think his last name begins with a T, but he scribbled the rest of his signature.
And that's the story of how my wife and I were unfairly denied a rental unit. I'm certain that the only reason why we were denied this unit is because my wife and I are white, who applied for a rental in an apartment complex that is predominately hispanic.
This is the 21st Century, and, with the help of usacomplaints.com, I envision a day when property owners and managers don't have to waste so much energy on making sure that certain areas of town are segregated. The terrorist events of Sep 11th should have taught us all that we are all Americans, who deserve the same rights as all other Americans.
My wife and I really needed this rental unit, but Top Properties never intended to even consider us for this unit.
Robert
Sunland, California
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