rockin'robin
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Poonam Sandhu said she is now living with a friend, and even served an eviction notice, which had no effect. (Source: KPIX/Poonam Sandhu/CNN)
Poonam Sandhu said she is now living with a friend, and even served an eviction notice, which had no effect. (Source: KPIX/Poonam Sandhu/CNN)
WATSONVILLE, CA (KPIX/POONAM SANDHU/CNN) - A California landlord rented out her back master bedroom through online service Airbnb, and now the renters refuse to leave or pay.
"It's essentially like watching burglars in your house, constantly waiting for them to pick up the next item," Poonam Sandhu said.
Sandhu installed several surveillance cameras during what's become a three-week standoff.
She hired a lawyer and the cameras rolled when she served the couple eviction papers, which had no effect.
It's a lengthy process, and in the meantime the couple is holed up in the room and now living rent free.
"You can't just put somebody on the street, a hundred years ago maybe you could call Jack the leg breaker and he would take care of it for you, but you can't do that anymore," said Leo Siegal, real estate attorney. "Tenants and boarders have rights. And you have to respect those due process rights or else you risk yourself being sued."
Siegal said the couple has three previous eviction judgments against them in Santa Cruz County, and are possibly choosing this as a lifestyle.
"So they get to game the system by pro-rating their living expenses over however many months they get to live in someone's property without paying them," Siegal said.
To make matters worse, the home mysteriously developed a sewage problem during their stay that was so bad, plumbers had to shut off the water.
Sandhu had to move in with friends and offered to pay the couple for a motel, but they refused.
She said her biggest mistakes were not getting better background checks and allowing the couple to pay cash off the Airbnb platform after the first payments.
She said Airbnb has not been able to help and that should be a warning to others.
"Whenever an Airbnb transaction ends, it doesn't mean that the person is actually going to leave. And in this state, it doesn't mean that they have to leave. They have rights as a tenant," Sandhu said.
The couple is still living in the house. Sandhu is offering to pay them $1,750 just to move out. She said it goes against her principles, but she said she just wants her house back.
Sandhu's attorney has been trying to broker a deal with the couple.
Airbnb said the renters were not part of an official Airbnb reservation because once it went to cash payments, the company was no longer responsible.
The company said it protects its hosts with a $1 million guarantee when bookings are done properly.
http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/29...-to-leave-force-woman-from-home#ixzz3aDWQRkbp
Poonam Sandhu said she is now living with a friend, and even served an eviction notice, which had no effect. (Source: KPIX/Poonam Sandhu/CNN)
WATSONVILLE, CA (KPIX/POONAM SANDHU/CNN) - A California landlord rented out her back master bedroom through online service Airbnb, and now the renters refuse to leave or pay.
"It's essentially like watching burglars in your house, constantly waiting for them to pick up the next item," Poonam Sandhu said.
Sandhu installed several surveillance cameras during what's become a three-week standoff.
She hired a lawyer and the cameras rolled when she served the couple eviction papers, which had no effect.
It's a lengthy process, and in the meantime the couple is holed up in the room and now living rent free.
"You can't just put somebody on the street, a hundred years ago maybe you could call Jack the leg breaker and he would take care of it for you, but you can't do that anymore," said Leo Siegal, real estate attorney. "Tenants and boarders have rights. And you have to respect those due process rights or else you risk yourself being sued."
Siegal said the couple has three previous eviction judgments against them in Santa Cruz County, and are possibly choosing this as a lifestyle.
"So they get to game the system by pro-rating their living expenses over however many months they get to live in someone's property without paying them," Siegal said.
To make matters worse, the home mysteriously developed a sewage problem during their stay that was so bad, plumbers had to shut off the water.
Sandhu had to move in with friends and offered to pay the couple for a motel, but they refused.
She said her biggest mistakes were not getting better background checks and allowing the couple to pay cash off the Airbnb platform after the first payments.
She said Airbnb has not been able to help and that should be a warning to others.
"Whenever an Airbnb transaction ends, it doesn't mean that the person is actually going to leave. And in this state, it doesn't mean that they have to leave. They have rights as a tenant," Sandhu said.
The couple is still living in the house. Sandhu is offering to pay them $1,750 just to move out. She said it goes against her principles, but she said she just wants her house back.
Sandhu's attorney has been trying to broker a deal with the couple.
Airbnb said the renters were not part of an official Airbnb reservation because once it went to cash payments, the company was no longer responsible.
The company said it protects its hosts with a $1 million guarantee when bookings are done properly.
http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/29...-to-leave-force-woman-from-home#ixzz3aDWQRkbp
bye bye 
never had to worry about this.
