2010 Hall of Shame Inductees
The following landlords are Official Members for the Landlord Hall of Shame. They were nominated to the Landlord Hall of Shame by tenants across California and elected by members of Tenants Together. To learn more about the voting process click here.
David Taran / Page Mill Properties
East Palo Alto
David Taran, through his company Page Mill Properties, orchestrated and executed a scheme to evict thousands of rent controlled tenants in the city of East Palo Alto (EPA). After acquiring more than half of the rent controlled housing in EPA, this landlord soon began imposing exorbitant rent hikes and aggressively displacing tenants from their homes. Within a few years, the scheme imploded with all units going into foreclosure in 2010, but not before an estimated 1500 tenants lost their homes, according to research by the Fair Rent Coalition of East Palo Alto.
Donald Sterling
Los Angeles
Donald Sterling, LA Clippers owner and LA-area mega landlord, has been involved in a number of out-of-court settlements in discrimination cases. In 2009, Sterling paid the Department of Justice (DOJ) the largest settlement ever involving a housing discrimination case. According to the DOJ, Sterling "engaged in a pattern or practice of discriminating on the basis of race, national origin, and family status." The DOJ stated that Sterling "refused to rent to African Americans and that his conduct was willful." In 2006, the Housing Rights Center in Los Angeles sued Sterling for discrimination, a case that Sterling settled for an undisclosed amount that included over $5 million in fees. Sterling has also been sued for harassment and employment discrimination based on race by NBA legend and former Clippers General Manager Elgin Baylor.
