Tenants Protest Eviction From Apartment Building

Tenants of the historical Villa Carlotta are fighting to stay in their home. The building's owners want to make it a hotel.

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built back in 1926 by Arthur E. Harvey for the stars of Old Hollywood.

CDI Strategies took over ownership of the building back in August and issued eviction notices for the tenants on December 22. Sylvie Shain, a seven year resident of complex, says she doesn't want to move. "I wasn’t planning on staying here. I fell in love with the building and the community," she said.

Another 10-year tenant, David Maher, says the owners are trying to push the tenants out. "They want the tenants to become so unhappy and exasperated by their time in the apartment that they just want to leave," he said.

Thw owner's actions are protected by the State of California's Ellis Act. The act allows landlords to evict all residents if the complex is going out of business. "Unless the landlord makes a mistake in the process, this is something he or she is entitled to do," says USC real estate professor Richard Green.

Many residents have already left. People live in just eleven of the fifty units in the building.

ATVN reached out to CDI Strategies, but no one was available to comment.