As two rental properties discovered with the filing of a class action lawsuit, San Francisco and the State of California have passed laws that prevent landlords from violating the rights of tenants.
Harcourt Group LLC and Sojourn Properties Inc recently settled a class action lawsuit alleging the two rental companies forced tenants to move out of units before the tenants could exercise their rights under California tenant right statutes.
Lead plaintiffs Eric Boice, Vinetta Boice, Yowie Stromberg, and Jennifer Hawkins filed the Harcourt class action lawsuit to seek financial damages caused by the defendants illegally requiring certain tenants to relocate without enjoying due process under California landlord-tenant law. The primary plaintiffs claimed the defendants also violated the Health and Safety Code, as well as the San Francisco Rent Ordinance. The defendants allegedly failed to pay the relocations costs incurred by tenants who were forced to move.
Terms of the class action settlement requires the two defendants to set up a $300,000 fund to compensate eligible class members. The class action settlement fund provides an incentive award for each of the four primary plaintiffs. Money also goes towards paying court costs and attorney fees.
Both Harcourt Group and Sojourn Properties continue to deny the allegations made in the class action lawsuit. However, the defendants agreed to settle the case to avoid the uncertain outcome of a civil trial.
What You Need To Know About The Harcourt Hotel Housing Class Action Settlement
According to court documents, eligible class members of the Harcourt class action settlement include “individuals who stayed at the Harcourt Hotel and were required to move, check out or reregister, before the expiration of 30 days of occupancy, between June 18, 2011 and June 17, 2014.” Class members have until November 14, 2017 to opt out of the class action settlement or dispute any of the agreement provisions. As of September 27, 2017, the court has not determined the amount of the potential award. Class members must confirm under the penalty of perjury that they lived in a unit at the Harcourt Hotel during the designated class period. They also must provide their Social Security numbers to report the income earned from the settlement.
Qualifying class members must submit a valid claim form by November 14, 2017. The judge who granted preliminary approval of the class action settlement case Boice, et al. v. Harcourt Group LLC, et al., Case No. GCG-14-539994, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Francisco has scheduled the final hearing on November 20, 2017. To find out what happened at the final hearing, access the class action settlement website http://HooshmandLawGroup.com/Class-Action-Lawsuit-Hartcourt-Hotel. The class action settlement website also presents the list of attorneys representing the class and defense counsels, as well as updates concerning the potential award.
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