Thanks to The City of Solvang and good-hearted landlords and shame to greedy landlords!
Op-Ed:
By Solvang Retailers Association
Dear Mayor, City Council Members and City Staff:
We are very grateful for your extraordinary work for the Solvang Business Community and feel your hard work deserves much credit.
Most of the small business owner applicants have already received their emergency $5K loan checks (total 50 applicants) from Solvang’s Emergency Funds, which was “a life kiss”.
Those who claimed EDD unemployment by March 23rd must wait until April 28th to receive their first checks. For some reason, EDD is still asking questions that were already answered online, but this time by postal mail such as: “why can’t you work?”, etc., as though they are unaware of what is happening all around us. That does not help us at all.
The Solvang Tenant Eviction Ban ordinance is also working out better than the Governor’s Order and is outperforming other city ordinances. The Solvang eviction ban has some significant differences – especially for our City – from the Governor’s blanket order. Solvang is protecting both residential and commercial/business tenants, while the State order only applies to residences. Solvang provides for a specific payback period of six (6) months, for deferred rent, while the State order does not address that issue. And, Solvang provides twenty (20) days for a tenant to advise the landlord that they will be unable to pay, while the State only provides for seven (7) days’ notice. Solvang recognizes that some are seeking loans and other financial assistance, and therefore might be able to pay if given additional time.” Additionally, the community is grateful for the continued residential and commercial water and sewer service, along with relief given to unpaid bills.
GOD BLESS AND THANK YOU GOD HEARTED LANDLORDS!
Regarding the City’s Temporary Tenant Moratorium on deferred rents ordinance: we would like to share with you that some landlords went beyond and offered free rents, some offered 50 % discounts, and some others offered very long extended payment options to their tenants and still, others did not even bother asking rent from their tenants whose stores were shut down. We all appreciate and are thankful and God Bless to those good-hearted landlords trying to help and understand and support their tenants.
SHAME TO GREEDY OPPORTUNIST LANDLORDS!
However, some of the greedy landlords and their property management are unfortunately acting like nothing happened, and pretending the City’s Emergency tenant Moratorium ordinance does not exist and keep bothering/insisting/pushing/forcing to be paid April rent from some our retail community commercial tenant members.
Basically they’re saying “your April rent is due now! Pay it now or if you can’t pay then leave it”, offering an exit from long-standing leases. They refuse to accept our payment plan within existing moratorium terms. However, according to the City’s Emergency 60 Days Rent Moratorium Ordinance, deferred rent starts to be paid once an emergency term expires and then must be paid in 6 months. However, that is not acceptable to them and they insisting we start paying rent now.
We hope The City Administration can give a stronger message to those greedy landlords about the City’s Emergency Moratorium Ordinance meaning and conditions.