On September 9, Father Rob Wenzinger from St. Anthony of Padua and six other clergy members from PICO affiliate Faith in Community in Fresno, California, joined the Cruz family in confronting management of their apartment complex and forcing them to rescind an illegal 30-day eviction notice.   

"I will wait here as long as I need to and will remind management of the REAL law," said Pastor Bill Knezovich, Pastor of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church and President of Faith in Community.  "If we hadn't found out this notice was invalid, the Cruz family would have been forced to leave their home of five years. How many other families were given illegal notices and forced to leave?"

In addition to illegal eviction notices, the managers of College Manor Apartments created and posted an illegal curfew for both children and adults, and used a dog to enforce the law.  The only legal curfew in Fresno is 10 p.m. for children under the age of 18.  One tenant asked, "Why do adults need to be inside before the children?  I feel like I am living in a concentration camp."

In August, tenants were again subject to management's maltreatment when they locked the laundry room and confiscated everyone's key, saying "you can only do laundry during office hours."

"We would ask for the key and were told it was not office hours even though it was 1 or 2 p.m.," explains Mrs. Cruz, "We had to wash outside the complex with our young children crying because of the heat.  My husband and I went to work sometimes wearing dirty clothes." 

"We DEMAND respect" said a sign at the action in front of the apartments.  With copies of tenant law handed to both management and the owners – J.D. Home Rentals – the demand has been heard and tenants are ready to enforce it.    

Media Coverage

Allegations of Illegal Evictions at Fresno Apartment Complex