Hypocritical Landlord Refuses Court Order

Page Mill Properties says that they should not have to submit crucial documents to the City of East Palo Alto, even after a judge ordered them to do so. They claim that Woodland Park, LLC, the limited liability company that Page Mill created to manage the properties, has the documents, so Page Mill doesn't have to deliver them.

Further insulting tenants who are fighting to make the landlord honor the city's rent stabilization ordinance, Page Mill's lawyer said that David Taran, CEO and Head of Investment, is just trying to protect the tenants' privacy. One tenant who is working with others to have his rent restored to legal levels called that argument "the height of hypocrisy".

Tenant activists say that the landlord can keep trying to deny responsibility for their actions, but they will ultimately be forced to face judgement. Meanwhile they continue to face rent increases that run as much as 30% to 100%, a far cry from the rent stabilization ordinance maximum of 3.2% per year.

Page Mill's continued use of legal loopholes is frustrating not only tenants but also East Palo Alto city attorneys who are preparing for the first hearing next week. Attorneys for the city's residents will challenge the roughly 2,200 rent increases Page Mill levied in two rounds this year. Interim City Attorney Valerie Armento accused the mega-landlord of withholding the documents without justification saying, "They're just stonewalling on this."