Santa Ana, CA – On the morning of April 29, chants of “Fuera Kingsley!” rang outside the room where the Rent Stabilization Division (RSD) was meeting. Coach Royal mobile home park residents, alongside members from Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC), held a press conference before a hearing with the RSD. The residents have been facing abuse and harassment from Kingsley Management Corporation, the owners of the park, for years.

Kingsley has retaliated against residents who stand up against their abuse of power with unjust evictions. The RSD was scheduled to hear 18 petitions regarding these unjust evictions.

“If Kingsley wins, immigrants lose!” chanted Karla Alvarado, before kicking off the event with an emotional testimony. “I have been a resident for 28 years and I was evicted, not for misbehaving or owing rent, but because they wanted to show us we get punished for speaking up.”

Alvarado demanded justice for all residents who have been evicted through coercive and deceitful tactics, stating, “We want justice in our city, our people are hurting! Kingsley is giving the Spanish-speaking residents documents in English and also pressures them to sign under duress. This needs to stop!”

Guadalupe Barragan, longtime tenant rights activist and resident, got on the mic to state her demands. “What we are hoping to accomplish here today is to ask once again for city officials to help us, as we have been harassed, threatened, abused, robbed, and caused death! We want Santa Ana city officials to help us get Kingsley corporation out!”

Resident Julian Orozco shared his experience with Kingsley intimidation tactics: “I was supposed to get the title to my home after I had completed the contract and sent them a $300 money order. A week later they told me it had been a mistake and tried to do an additional contract for another three or four years. They tried to get me to sign it so that I would pay more. Rob McDonald [Kingsley staff], showed up at my house trying to intimidate me to sign the papers.”

A CSO OC member closed out the press conference demanding Kingsley get out and for help from government officials to stop this systemic abuse. He demanded justice for Maria Pedraza, a former Coach Royal resident who took her life due to the abuse at the hands of Kingsley.

As residents entered the building to begin the hearing, CSO OC members continued to chant, “Kingsley out! If Kingsley wins, the people lose!”

Once inside, Kingsley’s lawyer Ariel Badell motioned to have resident supporters removed from the chambers, including members from CSO OC, CHISPA, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (C.L.U.E.) and Tenants United Anaheim (TUA). Two city officials sided with Kingsley. After pushback from supporters citing the Rent Stabilization Ordinance , it was determined that witnesses were lawfully allowed to be present within the chamber and remained seated.

As this situation unfolded, Department of Homeland Security vehicles arrived just outside the building’s entrance. It is unknown who made the call, but residents and supporters believed it was used as an intimidation tactic, as many of the residents are immigrants.

As the hearing began, petitioners were not provided interpretation services despite many of the residents being monolingual Spanish speakers. Supporters present requested the city officials to provide interpretation services. Kingsley’s law team refused to provide interpretation services for their team, as Badell stated that they are “legally not obligated to provide interpretation services.” Supporters continued to advocate for the petitioners and demanded they receive interpretation services until city officials eventually accepted.

Later, as a city council member and reporter attempted to observe the hearing, Badell’s team attempted to remove the official and media. She threatened to sue the city for its involvement and claimed the hearing was “turning into a circus.” After reviewing the policies and procedures of the petition hearing, city officials ruled that the reporter and the elected city official were indeed allowed to be present at the hearing.

Overall, Santa Ana city officials initially allowed the Kingsley Management Corporation team to attempt to prevent the petitioners from exercising their rights within the hearing, such as access to interpretation services, allowing designated witnesses, and allowing for observers to enter the hearing room.

The city of Santa Ana remains complacent to Kingsley Management Corporation’s exploitative practices of steamrolling Coach Royal residents’ hearings and settlement negotiations. Only eight out of the 18 petitions were heard. The Coach Royal residents will receive the verdict of their hearings within 30 days.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #PeoplesStuggles #Housing CSOOC #CLUE #TUA