Veronica knew her landlord had sold her Fruitvale rental home of 20 years this spring. So when her husband got a call in early May from the new owner, it wasn’t a surprise.
It’s what the new landlord, Darrick Chavis, said on the call, and in text messages he sent afterward, that sent them into a panic.
Chavis told Veronica’s husband that the family — their 16-year-old grandson lives with them — would need to move out in 30 days. He offered them $5,000 to do so, according to Veronica. She spoke with The Oaklandside in her apartment last week, requesting that we do not publish her last name and her husband’s name due to safety concerns. At the time of the call, Veronica’s husband, who’s a handyman, was at work, so he told Chavis he had to hang up.
Soon after, a text arrived from the landlord:…