The Orange County Superior Court has ordered Councilmember Jessie Lopez to pay her former landlord $35,000 in response to a civil complaint as recompense for legal fees, delayed escrow fees and “continued, nonstop, unacceptable harassment and neglect” by Lopez, stemming from her refusal to vacate the room she was renting.
Hector Orellana owned a 4-bedroom house on Fruit Street in Santa Ana, in District 3. He rented out bedrooms to tenants – one of whom was Lopez’s mother, Myriam Rodriguez, who began renting in January 2017.
“All was well until Myriam asked me to allow Jessie Lopez to stay for a few months,” Orellana states in his complaint, in which he basically acted as his own attorney with support from a paralegal.
“The harassment began right after I let Jessie Lopez know that I was putting the property up for sale,” stated Orellana in his civil complaint
Orellana informed his tenants they would have to leave because he had sold the house, even giving them a month of free rent. The tenants – including Lopez’s mother – moved out on time.
Except for Councilwoman Lopez – who was having none of it.
“The harassment began right after I let Jessie Lopez know that I was putting the property up for sale,” Orellana states in his suit.
“Jessie Lopez purposefully and maliciously began to hide and throw away my US mail without my consent,” he writes. “She created different plumbing issues.”
Orellana states he had agreed to rent a room to a friend of Lopez’s named Ruben Palacios – to his regret.
“Jessie Lopez referred Ruben Palacios to rent another room and planned to overstay after I notified them of the move-out day,” Orellana asserts. “I was not able to close the sell [sic] of the property in February 2022 because of Mrs. [sic] Lopez and Ruben Palacio overstayed and I had to pay for Unlawful Detainer services fees and unnecessary close of escrow extensions.”
As Orellana had struggled with bankruptcy back in 2011, judging from documents in his legal filings, it’s reasonable to assume he was under some financial strain and needed to sell the house.
Not that Councilmember Lopez cared.
As OC Independent reported exclusively on May 4, 2022, Lopez’s refusal to leave prompted a desperate Orellana to go to City Hall and request their help in getting the councilmember to leave. He also e-mailed her council colleagues, noting Lopez’s squatting was putting the sale of his home in jeopardy:
“My name is Hector Orellana, resident and taxpayer on the 1702 E. Fruit St in the city of Sana Ana,” began the March 17, 2022 e-mail from Orellana to two members of the Santa Ana City Council.
“I would like to bring an issue to your attention in regard with one of your colleague Mrs. Jessie Lopez which happened to be living in my house renting a bedroom,” continued Orellana, who noted he was also renting a bedroom to Miriam Rodriguez, whom he identified as Lopez’s mother. He said his rental agreement with the mother, not Lopez.
“Mrs. Rodriguez was notified verbally in January 2022 that [I] was selling my house and that I need her to vacate the room that she was renting.” In his e-mail, Orellana said he waived Mrs. Rodriquez’ February rent on the condition she vacate the room by March 2 but “Mrs. Lopez that she refuse to leave.”
“I’m now forced to make an eviction for non-payments and with risk of losing the sale of my house due to this issue,” complained Orellana.
“I understand Ms. Lopez is a member of the City Council as well as a member of the Democratic Party and with this action shows the lack of respect to their constituents and Taxpayers and reflect very poorly the leadership to represent the Democratic Party,” Orellana concluded.
Lopez stopped paying rent. So did her friend Ruben Palacios. On February 28, Palacios was served with a 3-day notice to pay his $525 rent for February or leave the house.
Lopez obstinacy and attempts to throw a monkey wrench in the sale of her landlord’s home is taking place while she publicly declaims on the need to protect tenants from greedy landlords and votes to impose the most draconian rent control and just cause evictions ordinances in the state.
Orellana had finally dislodged Lopez by the time OC Independent learned of the incident and reported on it. OC Independent called Mr. Orellana on April 19 to ask about the issue. After confirming that Lopez had moved out at some point after his March contacts with the city, he declined to discuss the matter further.
However, five days after OC Independent reported on the matter, Mr. Orellana filed his civil complaint against Lopez.
Why Didn’t Lopez Contest The Complaint?
Lopez did not contest Orellana’s complaint. Indeed, she made no attempt to refute Orellana’s charges regarding her conduct – or take any steps to defend herself.
Which seems strange, until one considers what that would entail for Lopez.
Lopez could have contested the judgment amount on the basis that she cannot afford to pay it. After all, according to her annual Form 700 financial disclosures, she is – at best – intermittently employed and has relied almost entirely on her $1,000 a month council stipend.
Contesting the judgment amount in court would have required Lopez to provide her financials, which would then become public documents. That could well raise other questions – such as how Lopez is able to pay market rate rent (as she is legally obligated to do) for the bedroom she rents from Chicanos Unidos founder Albert Castillo.
READ: Man Who Filed Lawsuit To Stop Jessie Lopez Recall Is Her Landlord & Political Supporter
Castillo later filed a lawsuit seeking to derail the recall attempt against Lopez.
Lopez Refused To Move While Deliberating On Rent Control/Just Eviction
While Lopez was sabotaging Orellana’s attempt to sell his house, she and her council colleagues virtually simultaneously deliberating on the most draconian rent control.
Unfortunately for Lopez, her allies, then-Mayor Vicente Sarmiento and Councilmember Thai Viet Phan, pushed to exempt single-family home rentals from the ordinance. Coincidentally or not, Sarmiento was/is owner of several such rental properties and therefore his tenants were excluded from the ordinance’s protections.
Due to the Sarmiento/Phan carve out, Lopez was ineligible for additional relocation assistance – three months rent – the ordinance imposed on all other rental units.
Earlier this year, now-Supervisor Sarmiento gave Lopez a job on his staff.
A few months ago, Lopez voted to place before voters a ballot measure giving councilmembers an astronomical pay raise of 650%, taking it from $12,000 a year to $78,698 a year. If it passes, she might be able to pay the $35,000 judgment.
OCIndependent.com has reached out to Councilmember Lopez for comment. She has never responded to any of our previous requests for comment, but this article will be updated accordingly should she do so now.
