XPost: alt.housing.nontrad, alt.los-angeles, alt.politics.usa.republican
XPost: sac.politics, alt.society.liberalism
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz0l4pkrrm9o
Landlords have been illegally raising prices due to the Los Angeles
wildfires, says Selling Sunset star Jason Oppenheim.
The LA property mogul, who owns the luxury real estate brokerage at the
centre of the Netflix reality show, said one client had been asked for thousands over the original asking price to rent a home - despite
California's anti "price gouging" laws.
It comes as LA officials warned anyone caught "taking advantage" of the disaster by scamming or burgling wildfire victims would be prosecuted.
Thousands of people have lost homes in LA and displaced victims say they
are facing sky-high rental prices and hotel fees.
Oppenheim said his business, known for selling LA's most expensive and glamorous homes, was offering its services for free and had received
dozens of calls from people who had lost homes.
Speaking on BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, he described sending a client to visit a property where the landlord had previously
been asking for $13,000 per month in rent.
"[My client] offered $20,000 a month and he offered to pay six months
upfront and the landlord said 'I want $23,000'," he said.
"There are price gouging laws in California, they're just being ignored
right now, and this isn't the time to be taking advantage of situations."
The 47-year-old added that the disaster had been "emotional for everyone".
He said: "Everyone has tears in their eyes all day long, literally from
the smoke but also just because it's emotional to see people struggling
like this."
Mel Gibson, Jeff Bridges and other LA celebrities lose homes to wildfires Watch: Huge clouds of water dumped on LA wildfires
Follow live updates
California authorities have warned businesses against illegally hiking the price of items more than 10% above their pre-disaster cost.
On Saturday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta also said he had seen landlords raising prices illegally.
"You cannot do it. It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and
fines," he said.
"This is California law [and] it's in place to protect those suffering
from a tragedy."
Retiree Brian, who wanted to be identified by only his first name, had
lived in a rent-controlled apartment in the Pacific Palisades for two
decades and lost his home in the fires.
The 69-year-old is afraid his pension will not allow him to find a new
home in a city where rents have doubled over the last decade.
According to property listings site Zillow, the median rent for properties
in LA is $2,800 (£2,295).
"I'm back on the market with tens of thousands of people," Brian told AFP.
"That doesn't bode well."
'A lot of scams'
Price gouging is just one example of the criminality that has emerged amid
the disaster, which has killed at least 16 people.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna warned those thinking of committing burglary
or "white collar crime or a scam" that police and prosecutors were
watching.
Meanwhile LA police chief Jim McDonnell said "people will go to all ends
to be able to do what it is they want to do to exploit the victims of this tragedy".
Mr McDonnell said there "are a lot of scams" and warned those who want to
help to donate "with caution".
He encouraged people to conduct careful research to find reputable organisations, recommending using resources such as Charity Navigator or
the Better Business Bureau, and urged residents to report fraud.
"Together we can prevent further harm and protect the generosity of our community," he said.
Meanwhile Mr Luna, the county sheriff, said there had so far been
approximately 29 arrests amid the fires, including a man posing as a firefighter to burgle a home.
He said police were "eager to prosecute" anyone who had "taken advantage
of our residents during this very difficult time" and specifically warned against "white collar" scams.
On Saturday, police in LA said the number of arrests for looting was "continuously growing".
Yet despite the malfeasance of some, LA mayor Karen Bass said more than
13,000 people have donated over $6m (£4.9m) to California's Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund since the fires began on Tuesday.
--
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump. We look
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