CRR Pickets Landlord's Home

http://www.SanLeandrotimes.com

Blake McGreevy (kneeling), Richard Mellor, Allyson Hollingsworth, Dianne Eastmead, Donna Fernandes, Rob Rooke and Doris Stancil picketed outside the home of landlord Richard Thomas in San Leandro Saturday. They are part of Campaign for Renters Rights, which alleges that Thomas owes security deposits totaling more than $25,000 to his former tenants.

Tenants Picket Landlord's Home
Reported by: Linda Sandsmark : 1/2/03

A landlord was picketed at his San Leandro home on Saturday by 15 previous tenants and members of a group called Campaign for Renters Rights (CRR).
The demonstration was the second held against Richard E. Thomas of Environment & Land Management, Inc. by CRR. The first occurred at Oakland City Hall in November.

"We believe he has a systematic strategy of keeping security deposits from his renters," says CRR's Richard Mellor. "There's $20,000 to $25,000 that we know of, but it could be as high as $50,000."

Thomas owns some 200 rental units, mostly in Oakland. "We also think he does unfair evictions," says Mellor. "Now we have a direct action group where we've organized the tenants. As we pursued it, more and more tenants came out of the woodwork to join in."
Thomas disagrees that he's unfair. "I will not speak badly about any tenant," he says. "Everybody I rent to is a quality person, and I try to treat them that way. These people are out there trying to agitate certain tenants. I don't know why.

"These same people came ringing doorbells in my multi-tenant buildings, basically saying I never give deposits back, which is completely false. Even my tenants say these people really have an agenda."
One former tenant, bank employee Joseph Johnson, said that when he moved out Oct. 5, he hired a maid service to clean his apartment. He then videotaped and photographed it. Johnson says he's still waiting for $925 to be returned from his security deposit.

"There's no rhyme or reason to it," says Johnson. "He charged me for pre-existing conditions. When I moved in, there was damage to one countertop. He said he was going to fix it, but it never got done. When I moved out, he charged me for it."

Thomas says that he and Johnson had some communication problems regarding whether or not he was moving. Thomas says he prefers to do his business in writing, and let the paperwork tell the story.

"You can't hire a maid for $150, as a bachelor, after two years in an apartment and have them clean it all up," says Thomas. In a letter to the Times, Thomas said, "Residents are encouraged to thoroughly clean their premises before leaving, to get the largest portion of their security deposit as possible returned to them.
"Joseph Johnson, as all tenants, received a detailed report stating what defections (sic) are known and estimating cost to correct."

A copy of the report was included, stating that the countertop defect was previously unknown to Thomas.
Between storms on Saturday, picketers marched in Thomas' Cowell Street neighborhood distributing flyers to homes along the block.

"We are in your neighborhood today to protest at the home of your neighbor, Richard E. Thomas," the flyers read. "We do regret that we are in your neighborhood for these reasons and hope you will understand our anger."
Thomas himself did not make an appearance, though the group stood in the street below his house.

"My husband and I were his resident managers on one of his properties for three years," said one picketer who declined to be named in print. "We noticed he was withholding a great deal of security deposit money."
The former manager says she believes Thomas targets people who can't fight back, like single mothers.
"He uses an overwhelming volume of correspondence to intimidate and make it difficult to defend yourself," she said. "It's like a part-time job. I think he likes to go to court."

According to court documents, Thomas has been in court often enough that in 1994 he was declared a "vexatious litigant" by Alameda County Judge Leo Dorato (Case #74674). Vexatious litigants are not allowed to file lawsuits in propria persona (in person) without prior consent of the presiding judge.

"He countersues everyone," says Mellor. "He's very uncooperative," adds previous renter Dianne Eastmead. "This is an ongoing tactic he uses to extort money from his tenants."

Thomas says he believes mediation will eventually work to resolve the situation with Johnson, but he still believes CRR's information is deceptive and counterproductive.

"Mr. Johnson is a wonderful guy," he says. "We both have different points of view. When there is a dispute, people come together and say, 'Here's my point of view, what's your point of view?' Until that happens they have pent-up bad feelings. I hope there will be a free exchange. That's how things get resolved."