More than 50 people protested outside the corporate office of their landlord, Douglas Emmett Inc., in Santa Monica on Thursday, Aug. 10. If the eviction goes through, it will be one of the largest mass evictions in the L.A. region in years. Victoria Ivie/LAistLAist is facing a budget shortfall, but our mission to provide fact-based journalism is stronger than ever. We cannot do this important work without your member support today.
The company filed the evictions under California’s Ellis Act, which allows landlords to clear their buildings when they plan to “go out of business.” Thursday’s tentative ruling from Judge H. Jay Ford, III — likely to become the final ruling after another court hearing — hinged on the question of “The Court concludes intent to temporarily withdraw Barrington Plaza from the rental market with the present intent to return it to the rental market after the renovations are completed is inconsistent with an intent to go out of the rental business under the Ellis Act,” Ford wrote.