Landlord To Evict for Jaye Crawford Because of Political Activity?

OOHA Member Jaye Crawford is known throughout Atlanta as an organizer of all things anti-GMO. For years she has campaigned tirelessly for the labeling of genetically modified foods and food security in general. Jaye and her daughter have lived in their studio apartment for 13 years. Jaye runs her personal fitness business out of her live/work studio. Her home is her livelihood. Since she has lived there she has made extensive repairs and improvements to the unit, always paid her rent on time and in full, and never broken any terms of her lease.

This is why it came as a surprise when in March her landlord told her that he would not be renewing her lease. Jaye immediately started working through American Friends Service Committee and Occupy Our Homes Atlanta to have a sit down meeting with her landlord to figure out what she could do to renew her lease, as her home is her livelihood. If she were forced to move not only would her daughter likely have to switch schools, but her small business would also take a massive hit. When her landlord Hugh Trotti was unresponsive to simple requests to sit down and talk, OOHA escalated the campaign. Jaye launched an online petition, we held candlelight vigils outside of Hugh Trotti’s house, we orchestrated call in days to the property owner’s private cell phone. Still no response from Jaye’s landlord. He was perfectly silent until today.

 Today Jaye had her first court hearing against Hugh Trotti. Two months after Jaye’s lease officially ended Hugh Trotti and his lawyer finally filed eviction papers. At today’s hearing in dispossessory court Hugh Trotti and his lawyer again gave no reason as to why they were trying to push Jaye out. The judge ordered that Jaye pay her rent into the court, and set a trial date for Friday September 20th at 9:30AM in the Dekalb County courthouse.

 While this is a temporary victory for Jaye (the alternative was that she would be told to move out completely within seven days or face eviction) the fight still isn’t over. Hopefully this hearing on September 20th will not only bring to light Hugh Trotti’s motives for displacing a single mother who has played by all of the rules and highlight the instances in which Hugh Trotti has ignored lease violations from other residents and targeted Jaye, but also result in a victory where Jaye get’s to stay in her home of 13 years.

Join us at the courthouse to support Jaye and call out Hugh Trotti for targeting a single mother because she’s politically active and vocal about what she believes in!

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Sign the online petition

Rally for Jaye in Her Community of 20 years!

Jaye Crawford has been a visible, vibrant and active member of the Candler Park / Lake Claire / Kirkwood communities for more than 20 years.

As a small business owner, Personal Fitness Professional and Candler Park Boot Camp instructor, Jaye has touched the lives of many in the community, serving hundreds of clients over 15 years. Folks who know Jaye know she is dedicated to to serving her community. Jaye is also a veteran of the United States Army Reserve. She is loved by many for her wide-range of community service, involvement and contributions.

This past Friday the community came together for a rally for Jaye at the Candler Park retail district to increase visibility and awareness about Jaye's Occupy Our Homes Atlanta Housing Justice campaign.

The rally received a lot of supportive honks and thumbs up from folks driving and walking by.

 The rally was followed by "Community Power! A Community Discussion" at Jaye's Warehouse Lofts home. We explored tenant / landlord issues, shared stories about how evictions have touched our lives.

More about Jaye’s Story:

Occupy Our Homes Atlanta member and community activist Jaye Crawford has lived in her zoned-commercial unit for 14 years, which serves as both a living and work space for her personal training studio. When Jaye took a neighbor to court over incessant noise violations (and WON) property owner Henry Finkbeiner and manager Hugh Trotti refused to renew her lease. Mr. Trotti’s stated his reason: “No one reason in particular.” Mr. Finkbeiner nor Mr. Trotti has yet to address the law-breaking tenants. We want Henry Finkbeiner and Hugh Trotti to renew Jaye’s lease, immediately.

Should Jaye be forced to move, she will lose her business and income, and her straight A student daughter may be forced to change schools. Jaye and her daughter deserve to stay in the place they call home. Landlords shouldn't be arbitrarily throwing their most-loyal renters onto the streets like trash.

Sign Jaye's petition.

Single Mother Facing Eviction In The 11th Hour

Warehouse Lofts tenant Jaye Crawford's lease ends on Sunday, June 30. Even with a three month Occupy Our Homes Atlanta campaign, Warehouse Lofts owner Henry Finkbeiner and manager Hugh Trotti are still refusing to renew Jaye's lease. They have refused numerous requests to meet with a number of organizations that volunteered to mediate a peaceable solution including American Friends Service Committee, and Rainbow PUSH. Both times Hugh Trotti and Henry Finkneiner refused not only to meet, but also to simply provide a reason they plan to push Jaye out of her home of almost 15 years. Just because Jaye spoke up about her neighbor's noise violations, the Warehouse team wants to evict her and her daughter.

This past Friday, we decided to visit Warehouse Lofts owner Henry Finkbeiner's home. We hope to show The Warehouse Lofts owner Henry Finkbeiner and his property manager Hugh Trotti that the community will not sit back while he moves to displace a single mom, Jaye Crawford, and her daughter.

We continue to hope that Warehouse Lofts will change their minds and move to do the right thing, but if they don’t, we will continue to organize around Jaye’s campaign for justice. We will not allow abusive land lords to go unchecked in our community.

Please sign Jaye's petition.

Landlord Plans To Evict Single Mother For No Apparent Reason

Today I met with Jaye and her friend(who's a local landlord as well) Nina Roark to discuss next steps to keep her landlord, Hugh Trotti, from moving forward with evicting Jaye and her young daughter from the place they have called home for almost 15 years.

So far Jaye has requested a meeting with Hugh Trotti, I have respectfully requested a meeting with Hugh Trotti, which he refused. After his refusal we had a few hundred people call and request a meeting with Hugh Trotti, there have been two candle light vigils in front of the Trotti residence, the Trotti's community was canvassed by a few dozen people all urging Hugh Trotti to work with Jaye. There has been an online petition for Jaye launched, a very large eviction free cookout at Jaye's home, and even professional yard signs encouraging Hugh Trotti to do the right thing.

Moving forward there has been plans made to continue to organize a candlelight vigils in front of the landlords home, and picket the future investment properties currently being built by the same owner.

Despite all of this Hugh Trotti has refused to speak with Jaye or even explain why he wants to evict Jaye and her daughter.

Today it became clear that the kind of energy being put into this campaign is unprecedented for this type of fight. We decided to simply attempt to have a conversation with Warehouse Lofts management and try to present them with Jaye's rent a few days early. Management refused the money and did not commit to sit down and talk. We left our number and asked them to call us in the next few hours, they never did.