SOLEDAD — Monterey County District Attorney’s Office’s Consumer Protection Unit has resolved a case against Mi Tierra Linda LLC, the owner of an apartment building located at 150 Encinal Road in Soledad.
According to a Jan. 9 news release, the settlement resolves multiple violations of law, including violations of California’s Tenant Protection Act, failure to maintain workers compensation insurance, failure to test for asbestos prior to disturbing potentially asbestos-containing materials, and hiring unlicensed contractors to perform renovation work.
As part of the settlement, the landlord will pay $30,000 in civil penalties and is subject to an injunction prohibiting further violations.
California’s Tenant Protection Act creates statewide protections against excessive rent increases and safeguards tenants who have lived in their homes for more than 12 months by requiring landlords to have “just cause” before terminating a lease. The law prohibits evictions intended to unlawfully increase rent beyond legal limits, or based on sham renovation claims, among other things. Landlords and tenants are encouraged to review the Tenant Protection Act to understand what constitutes “just cause,” and what does not.
In this case, the District Attorney’s Office received information that the landlord had issued termination notices in February 2025 to tenants at the Soledad apartment complex without just cause. After being contacted by the DA’s Office, the landlord rescinded the notices, allowing tenants to remain in their homes.
“This investigation also uncovered additional violations of law,” stated the DA’s Office. “The landlord had performed work on some apartments using unlicensed contractors, failed to maintain required workers compensation insurance, and did not test suspect building materials, such as drywall, for asbestos prior to disturbing such materials during renovation work.”
This case was investigated by the Consumer Protection Division of the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. Consumers may submit complaints related to unlawful business activities by calling 831-647-7770 or visiting tinyurl.com/4y7xpddb.
