A $200,000 settlement has been reached in a lawsuit between landlord David Kantz and the son of woman Kantz evicted to “make way for redevelopment of his California Drive property.” The evicted woman was Marie Hatch and she filed the lawsuit against Kantz after he evicted her from her “longtime Burlingame home.” Unfortunately, she passed away at the age of 97 in 2016, leaving her son Gary to take her place in the financial elder abuse case.
A $200,000 settlement has been reached in a lawsuit between landlord David Kantz and the son of a woman Kantz evicted to “make way for redevelopment of his California Drive property.” The evicted woman was Marie Hatch and she filed the lawsuit against Kantz after he served her with an eviction notice, kicking her out of her “longtime Burlingame home.” Unfortunately, she passed away at the age of 97 in 2016, leaving her son Gary to take her place in the financial elder abuse case.
The settlement was agreed to almost two years after Kantz informed Hatch that she was being evicted. When commenting on the lawsuit and the court proceedings, attorney Joe Cotchett, whose firm represented the Hatch family, argued the “eviction violated a verbal agreement with the previous property owner and ultimately played a part in Marie Hatch’s death.” He added:
“In my opinion, the behavior certainly contributed to her death. They served an eviction notice to a 97-year-old. How would you like to be 97 years old and be told that you have 30 to 60 days to leave?”
Prior to being served the eviction notice, Hatch “had lived in her two-bedroom home near the corner of Oak Grove Avenue and California Drive for 66 years.” According to her family, she had planned on staying in her home “until she died, under the promise she claimed was granted by her former landlord and friend.”
Kantz decided to issue the eviction notice to Hatch and her roommate, Georgia Rothrock because he claimed the home “needed to be sold for redevelopment to satisfy terms of a trust agreement.” Since evicting Hatch and Rothrock, Kantz submitted an application to rebuild the property and plan on constructing a “26-unit project spanning four stories at the site.” While his building plans have been reviewed by planning commissioners, Kantz is still awaiting a decision regarding his project.
Soon after Hatch was evicted back in 2015, news about her ordeal spread around the world and many began pointing to the “issue as a prime example of the struggle Bay Area renters face amidst the ongoing housing crisis.” Hatch’s attorney Nanci Nishimura also chimed in about the “larger implications of the eviction and ultimate settlement.” She said:
“The legacy of the Marie Hatch is to open the eyes of property owners and developers and others who are in the position to give something back to seniors or to help make accommodations for them and not forget who they are. Because they were the ones who were here early on to make it the wonderful community that it is today.”
Nishimura also added that the settlement may allow Hatch’s son to move on and find peace. She said:
“This means the Hatch family can move on. Marie Hatch’s survivor is Gary Hatch. He was devoted to his mother. He was her only son. He wanted to do the right thing for his mother’s memory.”
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