La Casita Hotel : Owners Say They’ll Obey Court Order

The owners of La Casita Hotel in Van Nuys said Friday they acted legally when they ordered residents of the shabby residential hotel this week to vacate the building within three days.

But owners Ronald Bentley and John Busby said they would abide by a court order temporarily blocking the eviction because some residents have lived for a long time in the 40-room hotel at the corner of Sylvan Street and Tyrone Avenue, across from the Van Nuys Courthouse.

Bentley and Busby, who want to close the dilapidated building for refurbishing, said state laws governing hotels allowed them to post eviction notices throughout the hotel Tuesday. Bentley and Busby acquired the hotel Aug. 9 through foreclosure proceedings.

The men said they did not know that La Casita was operating much like an apartment building, not a hotel, even though the rooms lack kitchens or bathrooms.

28-Day Stay

A red and white sign in the lobby saying “Maximum Stay 28 Days” had been routinely ignored, they said. Some residents said they have lived at La Casita for months, others for two or three years.

Bill Flanagan, director of litigation for Bet Tzedek Legal Services, said many La Casita residents deserve more time to move because of their long residence at the hotel. Bet Tzedek is a nonprofit legal firm experienced in landlord-tenant disputes that takes its name from the Hebrew words for truth and justice.

Michael Duran, a Bet Tzedek attorney, argued Thursday in Encino Municipal Court that residents who lived at La Casita more than 60 days deserve legal protections afforded apartment dwellers. Commissioner Joseph R. Ruffner issued a temporary restraining order preventing the owners from evicting the tenants until after a hearing Sept. 8.

Duran said he will request that La Casita cover the moving expenses of the hotel’s residents.

Flanagan said La Casita residents merit special consideration because the hotel offers inexpensive housing to people who would otherwise have to live on the streets. Residents said rents at La Casita range from $109 to $210 a week.

Kathy Lopez, a La Casita resident for three months, said the hotel is a a vital haven for those who would otherwise be homeless because, unlike apartment buildings, La Casita does not require hefty deposits. Several residents said Friday they could afford the rent on an apartment--but not the deposits and other fees to move into one.

Residents Calmed

Sandra Bowlus, a hotel resident for three years, said the court order temporarily calmed the residents who had thought their belongings soon would be carted to the sidewalk. But the sense of calm disappeared Friday as residents tried to assess their future, Bowlus said.

Most residents refused to pay their weekly rents until they had a chance to confer with Bet Tzedek attorneys. The building’s owners said they would cite the non-payment in future legal actions. Lopez said he had begun searching for new housing for herself and two daughters, Dawn, 15, and Rhenee, 11 months.

Busby and Bentley, meanwhile, notepads in hand, walked up and down the halls to ask residents how much rent they were paying and how long they had lived at La Casita.

The atmosphere was chaotic. “There are no records,” Bentley complained.

As Bentley interviewed residents in the lobby, a tall, scruffy man in jeans and a brown shirt walked up to ask about a room. “We’re not accepting new tenants,” Bentley said.