A Southern California real estate agent and landlord are facing charges for price gouging after allegedly overcharging a wildfire evacuee for a rental home, officials announced.
The charges stem from a complaint filed with the California Department of Justice by a victim who attempted to rent a home in Hermosa Beach after evacuating from the Eaton Fire in Altadena.
According to the complaint, the defendants raised the rental price by 36% after the state issued an Emergency Order, violating California’s price gouging law. Under Penal Code Section 396, sellers cannot increase prices by more than 10% during a state of emergency.
For items or services introduced after an emergency is declared, price increases are capped at 50%. This law applies to food, emergency supplies, medical necessities, building materials, gasoline, and housing rentals. The only exception is if a business can prove that its own costs have risen.
If convicted, the defendants could face a maximum fine of $10,000 and up to a year in jail. California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office has already issued more than 700 warning letters to hotels and landlords accused of similar violations and is actively investigating several other price gouging cases.
Freddie Escobar, president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles County (UFLAC), criticized Los Angeles leaders for neglecting the city’s fire department, contributing to challenges in combating massive wildfires like the Palisades Fire.
The fire has burned 24,000 acres, with another 14,000 acres scorched by the Eaton Fire, exposing severe resource and staffing shortages within the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
Escobar stated that the department lacks critical personnel and equipment, with an urgent need for 62 new stations, 100 additional firefighters and medics, and more engines and trucks.
“The LAFD has been neglected by its leaders for decades,” Escobar told Breitbart News. He noted that limited resources hampered the department’s ability to respond effectively to the Palisades Fire, exacerbated by high winds.
