California Governor Jerry Brown recently lent a hand and moved tenants’ rights forward in the Golden State, signing a bill which protects the privacy of those who are involved in eviction suits. The bill provides some long-overdue limitations on what information can be released about parties in an eviction suit until there has been a ruling.
The core provisions of the bill ensure that those who have not lost an eviction suit do not end up with an eviction on their record, potentially costing them future tenancy opportunities. In many cases, those who have been involved in an eviction suit ended up unable to rent from other landlords, or found that their credit suffered due to evidence of an eviction on their record when none had in fact taken place.
In some other cases, a tenant may have achieved an equitable settlement with the landlord, but was still left with an eviction record because the eviction to took longer than 60 days. These kinds of unfair practices are being done away with under the new bill, which only allows for records to reflect an eviction of those who have lost their eviction suits.
Renting a space, whether for residential or commercial use, is a complicated matter with many possibilities for conflict between the tenant one the landlord. Any time a conflict arises, it is best to go the extra mile to ensure that it is settled fairly and equitably if at all possible. If you are in a conflict with the owner of a space you have leased, an attorney with experience in landlord and tenant laws can guide you as you explore options for resolution.
Source: Tenants Together, “Tenant privacy protections passed!,” Aimee Inglis, Sep. 14, 2016
