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| PASADENA STAR NEWS • February 19, 2004 |
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Dear Caltrans Tenants:
The following is an article in the Pasadena Star News today. It is concerning the sale of the Caltrans houses and in particular, Pasadena Caltrans tenant Harry Nickelson's home. Harry has been denied his rights to buy his house under the provisions of the Roberti Bill. We believe those rights were denied in a manner that is against the intent of the Roberti Bill. We also believe that the way in which his negotiations were dealt with and the Caltrans employees in charge of these negotiations are also not in agreement with the Roberti Bill. Harry is committed to make sure his rights are protected and has sought legal advise for his future. Harry is very important to all the rest of the tenants because we believe that if Caltrans is successful in denying home ownership to him it impacts the future home ownership for the rest of us who may qualify under the Roberti Bill.
We have followed Harry's situation over the last year and are very alarmed over his out come.
Chip Jacobs, investigative reported for the Pasadena Weekly, wrote an in-depth story on Harry February 18, 2004.
Yesterday, February 18, a group of the tenants staged a picket in front of Harry's house to protest Caltrans' treatment of him. After Caltrans denied Harry's rights to homeownership, they then required him to show his house to nonprofit affordable housing groups, with the intent to have the groups bid on his house. The showing was yesterday. We called the press and the Pasadena Star News showed up resulting in today's story.
Assemblyperson Carol Liu has requested an audit of Caltrans and how they sell the houses on the 710 under the Roberti Bill. She has used Harry as an example of why the audit should be conducted.
We will keep you updated. We may also be sending alerts to you in the future for tenant support on this important issue.
Renters protest sale of Caltrans houses
By Mary Bender , Staff Writer
People who rent Caltrans-owned homes staged a small protest Thursday as the state agency which is selling 12 properties in the proposed 710 Freeway corridor held an open house for prospective buyers.
The picketers marched in front of the longtime Pasadena home of Harry Nickelson, who has rented the one-story house at 1200 S. Pasadena Ave. for 11 years.
The state Department of Transportation bought numerous homes in the path of the proposed Long Beach (710) Freeway extension, in the event the 4.5- mile highway is ever built. For decades, the city of South Pasadena has battled the project, which would also go through El Sereno and Pasadena.
In recent years, Caltrans declared many of the homes surplus to their freeway-building needs, and last month announced they would put 12 properties in Pasadena and South Pasadena up for sale to qualified public or private housing entities.
Nickelson's rental house is one of those on the "for sale' list. Caltrans has set a minimum sale price of $360,000 on the three-bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom house, which was built in 1915 and measures 2,762 square feet.
Under state law known as the Roberti Bill Caltrans must give current tenants and past owners of the surplus properties the first crack at buying them. Nickelson said his negotiations to purchase the house fell apart in late 2003.
"Caltrans, instead of helping me to purchase my house, as is their job and obligation, has only hindered and obstructed that process,' Nickelson said in a written statement. "They have twisted and stretched all of the guidelines, as laid out in the Roberti Bill, to their advantage.'
Deborah Harris, a spokeswoman for Caltrans, said that's not the case.
"The (purchase) program is for moderate- to low-income residents, and his income doesn't meet the eligibility requirements,' Harris said.
'Eligibility is based on his current income,' Harris said, noting that Caltrans looks at the previous 12 months and a projection of the coming 12 months.
"If reality doesn't meet the projections, then the person doesn't qualify,' Harris said.
On Thursday, four Southern California-based housing entities including the city of Pasadena toured Nickelson's home during a four-hour open house, Harris said.
"It was an open house for housing entities interested in responding to the Request For Proposals,' she said, referring to a 25-page document, soliciting bids on the properties, posted on Caltrans Web site.
"They want to see the property before they submit a bid,' Harris said. "They needed to see (the house) and have some idea what type of repairs would be needed. We've mailed close to 100 RFP packages.'
Open houses were held on the other 11 properties on Feb. 10 and 11, and a second round is scheduled for March 2 and 3 at all 12 properties, Harris said. Prospective buyers have until March 31 to submit bids.
The dozen sites, which include one apartment building, are being offered for sale because "the previous owner or the current tenant either didn't qualify (to purchase a home) or wasn't interested in the property,' Harris said.
The 14-member committee, composed of state senators and assembly members, has been scheduled for Feb. 24, Reed said.
• Mary Bender can be reached at (626) 578-6300, Ext. 4456 or by e-mail at mary.schubert@sgvn.com.
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