Mass Evictions At Barrington Plaza Resume (And Other Headlines)

In May, we reported that tenants living at Barrington Plaza in West L.A. were told they had to move out, but that they weren’t going without a fight. Now, an L.A. Superior Court judge has denied a request to postpone the evictions.

Some of the largest-ever evictions

What does this decision mean? This will effectively allow real estate investment company Douglas Emmett Inc. to proceed with mass evictions at the 712-unit high-rise apartment complex, leaving tenants with less than a month to pack up their things.

“We are not surprised that Judge Chalfant has denied the preliminary injunction motion requested by the Barrington Plaza Tenants Association, as we are in compliance with the Ellis Act and California State law,” said Eric Rose, a spokesperson for Douglas Emmett in an email following the ruling.

The tenant association alleges that Emmett is abusing the state’s Ellis Act — a law that allows landlords to remove tenants in order to exit the rental business.

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The situation represents one of the city’s largest-ever evictions. Hundreds of residents in rent-controlled units are now scrambling to find housing in an expensive rental market with tight tenant screening and a severe shortage of affordable homes.

Learn more about renting in Los Angeles:

• To Live And Rent In LA: Your Guide To Renting In This Complicated — And Expensive — Place
• As Landlords Intensify Tenant Background Checks, Some Lawmakers Want New Limits On Screening 
• LA Loses Much More Affordable Housing Than It Gains
• LA Shields Many Tenants From Rent Hikes. But Not Those Who Live In Affordable Housing

More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

Updates on the Hollywood strikes:

• One unseen aspect of the twin strikes in Hollywood is how they could affect intimacy coordinators. They're the point people for anything that would have to do with nudity or sex scenes in movies.
• Even under the umbrella of the dual strikes in Hollywood, some actors are being allowed to take on or finish up projects. This has led to some tension.
• There's some tentative optimism from the side of SAG-AFTRA that the AMPTP might be moving closer to discussing actors' demands. This perspective came from none other than the lead negotiator for the actors union.

Other news:

• It's been two years since Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, fell back into the control of the Taliban. That forced the exodus of tens of thousands of Afghans, many of whom ended up in Southern California. We check in with how some of them have been doing.
• Here’s one (of course subjective) list of the 10 best boba shops in L.A. if you want a cold beverage during this week’s heatwave, with special emphasis on “natural options built on individually-brewed teas, fresh-cut fruits, and homemade delicacies.” (LA Taco)
• Some dueling between the state and local school districts over LGBTQ policies has left many California teachers at an impasse: possibly lose their job, or possibly antagonize the federal government?
• People who live in areas sensitive to wildfires can actually aid in firefighting efforts by prepping their homes to offer water access through pools and water tanks.

Wait! One More Thing ...

A whole new world for casting

Actor Robin Williams is recognized by Bob Iger, CEO of Walt Disney Co.,and Mickey Mouse for Williams' work in "Aladdin," "Good Morning, Vietnam" and "Dead Poets Society" in a presentation announcing the D23 Expo September 10, 2009 in Anaheim, California.

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Adam Larkey

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Disney-ABC Television Group via Getty Images

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Being your stereotypical millennial, I grew up watching a lot of Disney movies. But one movie holds a special place for me: Aladdin.

I remember watching it on my very long plane ride from the Philippines to Los Angeles and comparing the plane to the magic carpet. But I also loved watching Genie’s antics, played by the late Robin Williams.

This story delves into the impact of casting Williams and how it changed animated films moving forward.

And if you want to go even more in-depth on the polarizing world of casting in Hollywood, there’s a whole podcast from LAist Studios about it. (Full disclosure: I have listened to it and learned so much from it.)

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