CALIFORNIA CONDO OWNERS!

Are you the victim of a “constructive eviction”? I didn’t think it was possible either — because I owned my condominium. But in California, a non-judicial foreclosure can take your home before you even realize what’s happening. And if your complex is run by a shady property management company and a non-existent board of directors, bad things can happen. Really bad things.

One of the biggest red flags is control over your basic utilities. I paid my bill, but because management runs everything through their “bulk account,” they can manipulate, deny, and disconnect cable and Internet services at will. Once your WiFi goes down, it sets off a debilitating cycle:

You can’t work.

You can’t access legal resources.

You can’t even communicate with advocates or family.

And when your car is sabotaged, dead battery, flat tires, all under the full view of stadium lights and surveillance cameras, you can’t even get to the library or a safe public space to resolve anything.

That’s how constructive eviction works. It’s not always a sheriff at your door with papers. Sometimes it’s slow, relentless pressure — cutting off your lifelines, blocking every attempt you make to stand up for yourself — until you’re left with no choice but to leave.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. What’s happening to me has happened to others, and the more we recognize it, the harder it becomes for them to hide it.