Lincoln Place Tenants Ass'n v. City of Los Angeles

Appellants Lincoln Place Tenants Association (LPTA) and Ingrid Mueller (Mueller) appeal from judgment (1) denying their petition for writ of mandate to compel the City of Los Angeles (City) and its agencies to enforce mitigation measures imposed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq.) contained in a vesting tentative tract map the City’s agency issued to AIMCO Venezia, LLC (AIMCO) concerning the redevelopment of Lincoln Place Garden Apartments, and (2) refusing to enjoin AIMCO from proceeding with Ellis Act evictions and unlawful detainer actions on the remaining tenants of Lincoln Place. The principal issues on appeal are whether the Ellis Act permits AIMCO to evict the tenants without complying with the mitigation provisions, and whether writ relief was properly denied in any event because the tenants could assert their claims AIMCO had failed to comply with the mitigation conditions as defenses to the unlawful detainer proceedings. We reverse.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The Lincoln Place Garden Apartments, built between 1949 and 1951, is a large 38-acre garden-style complex located in Venice.…