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Non-Profit Rent Scam Going On
Corruption In Oakland's Rental Housing Market Has No Bound's, And Is Seeping Into The World Of The Non-Profit Sector. Oakland Renter's Wonder Who The Good Guy's Are!
Non-Profit Rent Scam Going On
By Lynda Carson 2/13/02
Oakland Ca-In spite of all the recent publicity over Oakland rent law's, and the lawless landlord's who evict for profit, the scams continue unabated. Doctor Davida Coady a well known anti-Propositon 36 foe, has been challenged by a renter who refuses to comply with a botched unlawful eviction notice recently served to her in Oakland. Long time Oakland resident Druella Martin was not fooled by the shenanigan's of Davida Coady and her sidekick henchman Tom Gorham
who served her a 30 Day Notice for alleged-renovation's to be done at 5121 West St,
in North Oakland. According to Oakland's Code Compliance Inspector Jame's Watkin's, no permit is on file to renovate the property where Druella Martin reside's, nor has a conditional use permit been obtained to turn the residence into a halfway house.
During the past week Oakland Code Compliance Inspector James Watkin's cited Davida Coady/Option's Recovery Service a non-profit organization, with numerous code violation's, and had to call in the County Vector Control to remedy the unhabitable condition's due to rodent infestation at the property.
Davida Coady the founder and director of Option's Recovery Service, a non-profit Berkeley drug rehab program, has quietly been buying Oakland residential
properties for use as halfway house's after displacing the existing renter's to make room for local substance abuse outpatient's who need housing. County records
reveal that Ms. Coady also own's a residential property at 1053 59th St, in North Oakland that contain's six rental unit's. This too has been turned into a halfway house after displacing the existing renter's beforehand.
Proponent's of Proposition 36, a law meant to mandate treatment over incarceration, estimated that as many as 36,000 drug offender's per year would enter treatment
center's in California and would need housing instead of jail cell's. Treatment center's are desperately in search of residential properties to house their patient's for up to 12-18 month's during treatment period's. The lack of affordable housing is pitting long term renter's against the need's of the Substance Abuse Treatment Industry, and presently the battle is happening in Oakland due to cheaper rent's compared to other bay area cities.
Druella Martin state's that she smelled a rat when Tom Gorham who publicly claim's to have been arrested over 400 time's, claimed to be the new property manager of 5121 West St, where she resides. Record's reveal that Tom Gorham who used to live under an Oakland Freeway, is actualy an outreach coordinator and case manager for Doctor Davida Coady's-Option's Recovery Service, with little to no experience in the world of property management.
According to Druella Martin she received a suspect eviction notice on December 31, 2001, and knew something was wrong when it became clear that no one was offering information regarding who the actual owner of the property is, or why the eviction's were occuring. After residing in the same place as a renter since 1994, Ms. Martin stuck it out and refused to budge. Other renter's who resided in the same building Ms. Martin reside's in quickly panicked and ran when faced with their 30 Day Notice's, and were quickly replaced within hour's by the new renter's placed there by Davida Coady. No renovation's or clean up was done in the evicted unit's before the new tenant's moved in say's Druella Martin, and she also say's that the eviction's were not registered with Oakland's Rent Arbitration Program. Oakland has a Moratorium
on rent increases after eviction's that is still in place, and landlord's are required to register the name's of the evictee's with the City of Oakland.
To make matter's even more confusing, Laina Casillas a realtor with Prudential California Realty out of El Cerrito, showed up on the scene to replace Tom Gorham while claiming to be a friend of the new owner Davida Coady. Casillas tried to trick Druella Martin into giving up her right's to reside there, and threatened her with another eviction notice. Druella Martin still refused to budge in the face of the harassment by this latest contender sent by Doctor Davida Coady.
After making a call to Option's Recovery Service in my search for Doctor Davida Coady to get to the bottom of this story, I was told that Ms. Coady was busy but that someone would contact me if I left my name and number. Moment's later I received a call from
Laina Casillas from her realty office of Prudential California Realty at 10240 San Pablo Ave, in El Cerrito, who claimed to represent Davida Coady, and was willing to be interviewed for this story.
A smooth talker, Ms. Casillas spent nearly twenty minute's trying to convince me that she believed that Davida Coady is not a bad landlord. In her own word's, Ms. Casillas claimed that Davida Coady is as close to a contemporary saint as one could ever get, and that Ms. Coady even went as far as to hock her own home to buy the property where Druella Martin reside's. When questioned about the existance of Oakland rent
law's in place to protect the right's of Druella Martin and others from unlawful eviction's, Ms. Casillas did her best to convince me that Druella Martin was a bad tenant and had no right to defy the demand's of Davida Coady who want's her to just go away. Laina Casillas then went on to state that Druella Martin owed her back rent from January of 2002, and that she could send it to her in a check to her office at Prudential California
Realty of El Cerrito. I immediately asked Laina Casillas if she was the acting agent for Davida Coady and if she collect's the rent's from the other renter's at the property where Druella Martin reside's. Suddenly there was a deep silence, and Laina Casillas claimed that
she was not an acting agent to collect the rent's for Davida Coady, but was just a friend. At that point I asked to speak to Laina Casillas' supervisor, and Ms. Casillas quickly hung up to end the interview.
Moment's later I dialed star 69 to reach the office of Prudential California Realty, and asked to speak to Laina Casillas' supervisor. Marsha Shwartz turned out to be the supervisor of Laina Casillas, and she confirmed that the residential property at 5121
West St, was SOLD to Davida Coady by her office in El Cerrito, but that Laina Casillas is NOT an agent for Davida Coady, rent's are not allowed to be sent to her office, and that Laina Casillas is not allowed to collect the rent's for Ms. Coady.
Druella Martin's instinct's were right when she said she smelled at rat in this funny business going on to trick her out of her housing, and it appear's that Davida Coady has no respect for the law's of Oakland regarding the right's of renter's that she tries to evict to make room for her halfway houses. In Oakland's de-regulated rental market, landlord's attempt to get away with the worst sort of mischief in order to make a profit, and Doctor Davida Coady is no exception.
In a quote from Shawna Martin the daughter of Druella Martin, she say's; I am all for the rehabilitation of substance abusers, but not at the cost of making her mother homeless. Shawna Martin went on to say that she hope's that the City of Oakland look's into the activitie's of Doctor Davida Coady, and find's out why halfway houses are being set up in Oakland without first obtaining permits to locate in residential areas.
According to Laina Casillas of Prudential California Realty, she states that is is cheaper to buy residential properties in Oakland for the new halfway houses being set up. But even so Laina Casillas claimed that Davida Coady refused to comply with Oakland rent law's, and raised the rent's in the evicted rental unit's in order to pay off the monthly payment's for the new mortgage.
Rob Rooke of the Campaign For Renter's Right's who has been supporting Druella Martin through her ordeal of an unlawful eviction, state's that; over twenty thousand Oaklander's were evicted last year, and that we want to make Oakland an Eviction Free Zone. Mr. Rooke states that it was a shame that the other renter's in Druella Martin's building were coerced out of their housing at 5121 West Street, and that these sort's of
unlawful evictions occur on a daily basis in Oakland.
The corrupt system of Oakland's lawless landlords have crept into the world of the non-profit's in Berkeley, and it's hard to tell who the good guy's are anymore. Other situation's going on in Oakland at the moment reveal that Option's Recovery Service is not the only non-profit organization getting down and dirty with Oakland renter's. Until Oakland City Official's stop looking the other way while landlord's evict for profit, many casualties more are expected to arise out of the greed that has been unleashed by the administration of Mayor Jerry Brown in his effort's to turn Oakland into one large garage sale for the highest bidder's. Let's hope that the Mayor's Office and the Council Member's
investigate the situation that Druella Martin face's, and comes to her aid to prevent another solid citizen of Oakland from becoming another victim of the eviction for profit system. Druella Martin may be found at 5121 West Street, in North Oakland.
The Campaign For Renter's Right's, who came to the aid of Druella Martin during her time of need may be reached at 510/ 595-5545.
By Lynda Carson 2/13/02
Oakland Ca-In spite of all the recent publicity over Oakland rent law's, and the lawless landlord's who evict for profit, the scams continue unabated. Doctor Davida Coady a well known anti-Propositon 36 foe, has been challenged by a renter who refuses to comply with a botched unlawful eviction notice recently served to her in Oakland. Long time Oakland resident Druella Martin was not fooled by the shenanigan's of Davida Coady and her sidekick henchman Tom Gorham
who served her a 30 Day Notice for alleged-renovation's to be done at 5121 West St,
in North Oakland. According to Oakland's Code Compliance Inspector Jame's Watkin's, no permit is on file to renovate the property where Druella Martin reside's, nor has a conditional use permit been obtained to turn the residence into a halfway house.
During the past week Oakland Code Compliance Inspector James Watkin's cited Davida Coady/Option's Recovery Service a non-profit organization, with numerous code violation's, and had to call in the County Vector Control to remedy the unhabitable condition's due to rodent infestation at the property.
Davida Coady the founder and director of Option's Recovery Service, a non-profit Berkeley drug rehab program, has quietly been buying Oakland residential
properties for use as halfway house's after displacing the existing renter's to make room for local substance abuse outpatient's who need housing. County records
reveal that Ms. Coady also own's a residential property at 1053 59th St, in North Oakland that contain's six rental unit's. This too has been turned into a halfway house after displacing the existing renter's beforehand.
Proponent's of Proposition 36, a law meant to mandate treatment over incarceration, estimated that as many as 36,000 drug offender's per year would enter treatment
center's in California and would need housing instead of jail cell's. Treatment center's are desperately in search of residential properties to house their patient's for up to 12-18 month's during treatment period's. The lack of affordable housing is pitting long term renter's against the need's of the Substance Abuse Treatment Industry, and presently the battle is happening in Oakland due to cheaper rent's compared to other bay area cities.
Druella Martin state's that she smelled a rat when Tom Gorham who publicly claim's to have been arrested over 400 time's, claimed to be the new property manager of 5121 West St, where she resides. Record's reveal that Tom Gorham who used to live under an Oakland Freeway, is actualy an outreach coordinator and case manager for Doctor Davida Coady's-Option's Recovery Service, with little to no experience in the world of property management.
According to Druella Martin she received a suspect eviction notice on December 31, 2001, and knew something was wrong when it became clear that no one was offering information regarding who the actual owner of the property is, or why the eviction's were occuring. After residing in the same place as a renter since 1994, Ms. Martin stuck it out and refused to budge. Other renter's who resided in the same building Ms. Martin reside's in quickly panicked and ran when faced with their 30 Day Notice's, and were quickly replaced within hour's by the new renter's placed there by Davida Coady. No renovation's or clean up was done in the evicted unit's before the new tenant's moved in say's Druella Martin, and she also say's that the eviction's were not registered with Oakland's Rent Arbitration Program. Oakland has a Moratorium
on rent increases after eviction's that is still in place, and landlord's are required to register the name's of the evictee's with the City of Oakland.
To make matter's even more confusing, Laina Casillas a realtor with Prudential California Realty out of El Cerrito, showed up on the scene to replace Tom Gorham while claiming to be a friend of the new owner Davida Coady. Casillas tried to trick Druella Martin into giving up her right's to reside there, and threatened her with another eviction notice. Druella Martin still refused to budge in the face of the harassment by this latest contender sent by Doctor Davida Coady.
After making a call to Option's Recovery Service in my search for Doctor Davida Coady to get to the bottom of this story, I was told that Ms. Coady was busy but that someone would contact me if I left my name and number. Moment's later I received a call from
Laina Casillas from her realty office of Prudential California Realty at 10240 San Pablo Ave, in El Cerrito, who claimed to represent Davida Coady, and was willing to be interviewed for this story.
A smooth talker, Ms. Casillas spent nearly twenty minute's trying to convince me that she believed that Davida Coady is not a bad landlord. In her own word's, Ms. Casillas claimed that Davida Coady is as close to a contemporary saint as one could ever get, and that Ms. Coady even went as far as to hock her own home to buy the property where Druella Martin reside's. When questioned about the existance of Oakland rent
law's in place to protect the right's of Druella Martin and others from unlawful eviction's, Ms. Casillas did her best to convince me that Druella Martin was a bad tenant and had no right to defy the demand's of Davida Coady who want's her to just go away. Laina Casillas then went on to state that Druella Martin owed her back rent from January of 2002, and that she could send it to her in a check to her office at Prudential California
Realty of El Cerrito. I immediately asked Laina Casillas if she was the acting agent for Davida Coady and if she collect's the rent's from the other renter's at the property where Druella Martin reside's. Suddenly there was a deep silence, and Laina Casillas claimed that
she was not an acting agent to collect the rent's for Davida Coady, but was just a friend. At that point I asked to speak to Laina Casillas' supervisor, and Ms. Casillas quickly hung up to end the interview.
Moment's later I dialed star 69 to reach the office of Prudential California Realty, and asked to speak to Laina Casillas' supervisor. Marsha Shwartz turned out to be the supervisor of Laina Casillas, and she confirmed that the residential property at 5121
West St, was SOLD to Davida Coady by her office in El Cerrito, but that Laina Casillas is NOT an agent for Davida Coady, rent's are not allowed to be sent to her office, and that Laina Casillas is not allowed to collect the rent's for Ms. Coady.
Druella Martin's instinct's were right when she said she smelled at rat in this funny business going on to trick her out of her housing, and it appear's that Davida Coady has no respect for the law's of Oakland regarding the right's of renter's that she tries to evict to make room for her halfway houses. In Oakland's de-regulated rental market, landlord's attempt to get away with the worst sort of mischief in order to make a profit, and Doctor Davida Coady is no exception.
In a quote from Shawna Martin the daughter of Druella Martin, she say's; I am all for the rehabilitation of substance abusers, but not at the cost of making her mother homeless. Shawna Martin went on to say that she hope's that the City of Oakland look's into the activitie's of Doctor Davida Coady, and find's out why halfway houses are being set up in Oakland without first obtaining permits to locate in residential areas.
According to Laina Casillas of Prudential California Realty, she states that is is cheaper to buy residential properties in Oakland for the new halfway houses being set up. But even so Laina Casillas claimed that Davida Coady refused to comply with Oakland rent law's, and raised the rent's in the evicted rental unit's in order to pay off the monthly payment's for the new mortgage.
Rob Rooke of the Campaign For Renter's Right's who has been supporting Druella Martin through her ordeal of an unlawful eviction, state's that; over twenty thousand Oaklander's were evicted last year, and that we want to make Oakland an Eviction Free Zone. Mr. Rooke states that it was a shame that the other renter's in Druella Martin's building were coerced out of their housing at 5121 West Street, and that these sort's of
unlawful evictions occur on a daily basis in Oakland.
The corrupt system of Oakland's lawless landlords have crept into the world of the non-profit's in Berkeley, and it's hard to tell who the good guy's are anymore. Other situation's going on in Oakland at the moment reveal that Option's Recovery Service is not the only non-profit organization getting down and dirty with Oakland renter's. Until Oakland City Official's stop looking the other way while landlord's evict for profit, many casualties more are expected to arise out of the greed that has been unleashed by the administration of Mayor Jerry Brown in his effort's to turn Oakland into one large garage sale for the highest bidder's. Let's hope that the Mayor's Office and the Council Member's
investigate the situation that Druella Martin face's, and comes to her aid to prevent another solid citizen of Oakland from becoming another victim of the eviction for profit system. Druella Martin may be found at 5121 West Street, in North Oakland.
The Campaign For Renter's Right's, who came to the aid of Druella Martin during her time of need may be reached at 510/ 595-5545.
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Options Recovery Services is a Berkeley non-profit founded by long time activists. Dr. Davida Coady, whose character Lynda Carson attempts to assassinate, has worked for decades providing assistance to people fighting for justice in Chiapas, El Salvador, Palestine, Nicaragua and Cuba. She now struggles to assist low-income, homeless and underprivileged people here in the US.
Options operates a drug treatment program in Berkeley which accepts referrals from the Berkeley Courts so offenders can stay out of jail. The program includes innovative aspects like acupuncture and meditation.
Options and Dr. Coady know that their clients, most of whom are homeless, need HOUSING, not just a drug program, to kick their drug habits and get their lives back together Options has pursued a number of different creative methods of finding decent, subsidized, affordable (and even free) housing for these people.
Lynda Carson’s article repeatedly accuses the subjects of her “article” of attempting to make a “profit.” This is a total, boldfaced lie. There is no profit motive, and no one has made, or will make, a profit. The property discussed in the article is the first property to be purchased directly by Options to provide low income housing.
Similarly, Lynda Carson’s accusations that Options has established “halfway houses” is a lie, and Ms. Carson knows it. Presumably Ms. Carson considers any affordable housing provided to formerly homeless people a “halfway house”? This is exactly the type of anti-homeless bias that one would assume Ms. Carson and this website would have moved beyond by now. How are the homeless ever to find homes if people like Ms. Carson call in the city to shut down any transitional housing provided to formerly homeless people?
Lynda Carson doesn’t care about the facts, and she doesn’t care about the homeless or ending homelessness. She only wants to promote her own name and her own brand of attack-dog “journalism” which sacrifices truth and the facts to make a story sound good. Ms. Carson’s “article” tries to make something sound suspicious when people tell her, with all honestly, that they are acting as friends to Dr. Coady or volunteers to Options. What’s wrong with people volunteering or acting as friends, Lynda? A lot of Lynda’s “article” just consists of things she makes up and twists out of shape, like paragraphs about Prudential Realty’s role (which includes their address -- why?).
Options doesn’t seek to displace anyone in their mission to provide transitional housing for formerly homeless people. In fact, more people will be housed at 5121 West Street after it is changed to transitional housing than before its purchase by Options from a private landlord (who did, by the way, make a profit on the property when he was the landlord there.) Options offered the tenant discussed in the article a generous cash payment to move, as well as a period of free rent, and sufficient time to move and find other housing. The tenant agreed to this offer, and then refused to leave at the last minute. This situation is regrettable for everyone involved. However, contrary to the wild allegations in Lynda Carson’s article, Options has always acted within the law and in good faith, in a spirit of fairness to the tenant.
The above article is inaccurate.
The cat was out of the bag and the Doctor had to cover her ass before the shit hit the fan...Even the renters suddenly disappeared that moved into the place only minutes after the old renters were coereced out of there with 30 Day Notices. Making people homeless to find housing for the homeless is a contradiction of good intentions, and it's madness to believe otherwise.
Furthermore;
Based upon some of the quotes that I've read from other articles, I personaly would not ever want the likes of Doctor Davida Coady get her Frankenstein Gestapo Type Tactics to take control of my life.
I do not even want to know how many poor bastards that may have been cornered by this Doctor and her dirty bag of tricks behind the closed doors of some local torture chamber.
Theres enough control freaks running loose in life, and if my story puts the Doctor on notice that the LAW also applies to her, then that is a good thing. It is my pleasure to share some of the research for the readers, so that they may make up their own minds.
Next time that Options tries to trick Oakland renters out of their housing with some low brow shady tricks,
I would like to hear from those renters also...
Druella Martin has the full rights and priveledges of
all Oakland renters no matter what the Doctor believes.
******************************************
http://www.sfbg.com/News/35/04/04ogpr36.html
"To work effectively with substance abusers, we should increase the resources for something that works, rather than trying something we know will fail," said Santa Clara County Judge Stephen Manley, who heads the California Association of Drug Court Professionals.
The proposed law allows judges to impose jail or prison time only after a subject has flunked out of two treatment programs or committed a nondrug offense.
"It would tie judges' hands," said Dr. Davida Coady, an M.D. with Berkeley's drug court. "The problem with a badly addicted person is you have to get their attention. If you don't have the threat of incarceration, it's been well documented that you lose two-thirds of the people who you could get clean and sober.
************************************************
Disaray in drug court #2/Quotes....
After a detox center in Richmond closed about eight months ago, clients have either been detoxing in San Mateo County or entering a shelter in Berkeley where Coady gives them a prescription for Librium and antiseizure medications if they're having DTs. "There's nobody watching them at night, but it's the best we can do," she says. "We breathalyze them in the morning, and if they're negative," they can be admitted into Options Plus. At Options Plus, a staff of volunteers teaches classes in yoga, anger management, and budgeting money.
If Coady had her way, how would she spend the Prop. 36 money? "I'd take the $120 million and triple it. I would sign a law to develop more Drug Courts, because I think they really work. I would require that anyone who has an addiction get treatment, in or out of jail, under court supervision. They'd have to sit in a room and listen and listen until they got it." The best part? In Coady's experience, eventually "just about everybody does get it. I've seen severely retarded people get it, and mentally ill people get it. It takes a lot more treatment, a lot more sitting in the room, but they do get it. I've seen very violent people become very nice people through the program. That's what I'd do with the money."
*****************************************************
Homeless commission and Davida Coady
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/homeless/2001homeless/minutes/111401M25.htm
***************************************************
Superior Court Judge Carol Brosnahan, who has been in charge of Berkeley's drug court since March, worries Proposition 36 will give the addict control of the ...
http://journalism.berkeley.edu/ngn/berkeley/102700 .... found in: ( Google:1 ) [ Translate ]
drug court program office
drug court program office
http://www.zeeglers.com/agecheck/drug-court-progra .... found in: ( Lycos:1 ) [ Translate ]
East Bay Express : eastbayexpress.com : News : Cityside
Alternative Weekly News with local news coverage, dining guide and event listings
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ found in: ( Overture:1 ) [ Translate ]
North Gate News -- Berkeley
... Fifteen days ago, Judge Carol Brosnahan of the Berkeley Drug Court, ordered Brenda, a cocaine and heroine addict for 30 years, to detox in a residential drug ...
http://journalism.berkeley.edu/ngn/berkeley/101800 .... found in: ( Google:2 ) [ Translate ]
Subject: [] Disarray In Drug Court
Subject: [] Disarray In Drug Court Pubdate: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 Source: East Bay Express (CA) Section: Cover Story Copyright: 2001 Express Publishing Company LLC Contact: letters [at] eastbayexpress.com Addre
http://www.drugtext.org/press/webster/jan01/%5b%5d .... found in: ( Lycos:2 ) [ Translate ]
SFBG News : October 25, 2000 : Prop. 36 backers push drug reform
SUBhEAD SUBhEAD SUBhEAD SUBhEAD SUBhEAD
http://www.sfbayguardian.com/ found in: ( Overture:2 ) [ Translate ]
Press Release - Superior Court
... In 1997, Judge Greenberg created the Berkeley Drug Court program for substance abusers facing felony possession charges. The program identifies disposition ...
http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/courts/news/2000/pr000 .... found in: ( Google:3 ) [ Translate ]
US CA: Disarray In Drug Court, Part 2 of 2
To enter most drug treatment programs, Coady says, clients need to have been clean for a week. This has presented a problem, because Alameda County has no detox programs. "That's what I call a Catch-2
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n128/a04.html found in: ( Lycos:3 ) [ Translate ]
UC Berkeley Extension -- Behavioral & Health Sciences
BEHAVIORAL & HEALTH SCIENCES UC Berkeley Extension / Summer 2001 FREE PUBLIC PROGRAM Decriminalizing Drug Addiction: Will California's Experiment Work? Proposition 36--passed by more than 60 percent of California voters in November 2000-- changes
http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/ found in: ( Overture:3 ) [ Translate ]
Meeting 01/17/01 Notes - Community Focus - Superior Court
Judges assign people to treatment within 7 days/evaluation monthly/Treatment plan within 30 days/12 mo. Treatment program
http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/courts/superior/ComFoc .... found in: ( Google:4 Lycos:10 ) [ Translate ]
************************************************
Options has given the City a way to fake that they are doing something good for those in need while putting our most at risk through a never ending ringer of jailings and roach infested non-programs being run by people who were smoking crack a few months before and have no credentials whatsoever.
It's a sweet little scam for the right kind of sociopath.
Ask about Kevin Freeman.
The people singing her praises are usually those who she has by the short hairs of probation or pols that are pretending they are doing something, when in reality, Options is their hammer on the poor.