By Melanie Pearce
An Unlawful Detainer action was filed on May 15, 2026 by our client’s landlord based on a 30-Day Notice to Vacate.
Community Legal Aid SoCal Housing Unit client Vanessa Scavino (fictitious name) is a 59-year-old single woman who had lived on the property for about 4 ½ years, paying $1,100 a month in rent. She received the eviction notice on or about March 21, 2026 because “Code [E]nforcement does not allow [Plaintiff] to keep anybody living on the premises.”
Ms. Scavino filed her Answer on May 29, 2026. Her defenses included uninhabitability, defective notice, estoppel, retaliation, and discrimination. Upon interviewing her, we discovered she and her adult son lived in an unpermitted unit located in the garage with faulty electricals, no heating, no fire alarms, lack of ventilation/broken windows, and poor plumbing. Ms. Scavino’s goal was to move off the property but she needed help doing so.
The outcome
We filed a Motion for Summary Judgment on behalf of Ms. Scavino because the plaintiff/landlord failed to provide a proper 60-day notice of termination in violation of California Civil Code § 1946.1 since she lived on the property for more than one year. Prior to the hearing, the parties agreed on a settlement wherein she would move out in 30 days and the plaintiff/landlord would pay relocation of $7,000.00.
Further, Ms. Scavino did not waive her rights to future claims against the plaintiff/landlord.
