Report: L.A. Mayor Served Faux Eviction Notice By Activists Demanding He Cancel Rent

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) was served with a faux eviction notice from protesters demanding that he cancel rent for residents in the city.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the protest outside the mayor’s home drew hundreds of people — three of whom were arrested, one for alleged battery of a police officer — and at one point, activists posted an eviction notice on the front gate of the mayor’s official residence.

An apparent photo of the notice, captured by KPCC and posted to the local news site LAist, reads in all caps: “You are hereby notified that you will be evicted from your mansion if you do not cancel rent within three (3) days of receipt of this notice.”

The eviction notice also contains a bright-red title, “3-Day Notice To Cancel Rent Or Quit,” and warns the mayor that “hundreds of thousands of people” will face eviction should their rent not be cancelled. He could also be prosecuted for “crimes against humanity,” the notice warns.

Despite Garcetti’s far-left positions, the two-term mayor has not put his political weight behind the “Cancel Rent” movement, which seeks to free up many tenants from their obligation to pay landlords.

In a memo to the city council back in April, the city’s legal team warned that passing any “rent forgiveness” motions would result in the city being liable for the cost, according to a copy obtained by The LA Times.

A local government may not deprive property owners of their right to compensation for use of their property. Further, a local government may not single out a property owner to bear a burden that should be borne by the public as a whole. Therefore, in order for the city to forgive rents during the period of emergency, the City must pay a property owner just compensation. Given that the city has over a million rental units, this compensation could exceed one billion dollars.

The memo notes that no city had passed such a measure, but mentions that the city of San Jose did consider doing it before deciding against it based on constitutional grounds.

Back in April, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced legislation that would cancel rent for up to one year, and allow landlords to seek compensation through the federal government. The legislation failed to take off.

One U.S. city, however, has since gone through with passing a resolution looking into a form of rent cancellation.

According to USA Today, the common council in Ithaca, New York, passed a resolution asking the state’s health department to let Mayor Svante Myrick “obtain the power to cancel rent[s]” due “between April and June” for residents and small business owners.

Shelter Force, an independent publication about community development, reports that the New York State department of Health said on July 10 that it was reviewing the request from the council.