Today Occupy Our Homes Atlanta and American Friends Service
Committee held a candlelight vigil in front of Warehouse Lofts landlord Hugh
Trotti’s home in Decatur.
There was a number of
current and former tenants on hand to call out Mr. Trotti’s troubling pattern
of evicting tenants whenever legitimate complaints are lodged. There was also
several Atlanta landlords speaking out against abusive practices.
Most recently Mr. Trotti has moved forward with putting
single mother Jaye Crawford out of her home of almost 15 years. Jaye has been
told by her landlord that her lease ending June 30 will not be renewed. She 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) Hugh Trotti refused to renew
her lease. Mr. Trotti’s stated reason: “No one reason in particular.” Mr.
Trotti has yet to address the law-breaking tenants, and has refused numerous
requests for a sit-down meeting resolving this problem. We want Hugh Trotti to
renew Jaye’s lease, immediately.
Should she be forced to move, she will lose her business,
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.
In addition to the candlelight vigil, community members
canvassed Mr. Trotti’s neighborhood so that his community knows how he treats his
tenant. Yard signs were set out around
the neighborhood that read, “Hugh Trotti, do the right thing!"
Occupy Our Homes Atlanta continues to get calls and emails
from tenants under the thumb of abusive landlords. Today we want to make it
clear to Atlanta landlords that abusive practices will not be tolerated.
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