‘Brass Rail Long Term Stay — with a QUICK EXIT’: Residents Unsure of Where to Go After Landlord Gives Them Short Notice
The day the landlord, Mac Bagby, gave notice is under dispute. He says that he “gave notice on Monday or maybe over the weekend.”
Melodie Bobo the manager of the Brass Rail until she was fired by Bagby this week, said he gave a three-day notice.
In any case, the residents argue they weren’t given a long enough legal notice to vacate the premises. Danika Roe, who says she starts work at a local inn next week and her husband who works at Dazey’s Supply, say they’ve paid for their room until the 22nd which was longer than the three-day notice. It isn’t fair for them to be forced to leave when they’ve already paid and the landlord has not offered to refund their money, she argues.
Also, she believes that the residents should have been given a written 30-day eviction notice under California law.
Roe, who is pregnant, and her husband have been searching for housing anyway and now are desperately looking for a place to live but haven’t been able to find anything.
“It’s so hard to get housing here,” she explained. “I’ve been on waiting lists for housing but no apartments are open as of right now.”
Roe says she has been paying $1200 a month for a room with no kitchen and has been there about two months while searching for more long term housing.
The landlord, Mac Bagby, says he “hasn’t seen the books” so he doesn’t know if some people have paid for longer than the Friday notice but he does say that he will reimburse people if they have paid for a longer time.
Citing safety and management issues, Bagby said that the Brass Rail Long Term Stay formerly known as the Brass Rail Inn in Redway will reopen in eight weeks under new management.
“Our tenants have basically been noticed that we are going to shut it down,” he explained. “We just want to fix it up.”
Bagby said he doesn’t know what the future status of the Brass Rail will be. “We haven’t really decided whether we will be long term or not,” he said.
The former manager Melody Bobo, who also lives on the premises and has worked there for 19 years, believes that the owner is not telling the whole story about why he is attempting to evict the tenants. She said that Bagby hasn’t been making payments to the former owner Fred Davis. “[Bagby] came here to the motel and told me Fred is started to foreclose on him for the motel,” she wrote us.
Calling her former place of employment, “Brass Rail Long Term Stay — with a QUICK EXIT,” Bobo said that Bagby told her that he would be turning off the water and electricity. “Everyone who lives here is paid up…[i]n full,” she told us. “I have a 70 yr. Old Lady who thinks she’s gonna be homeless…And a young mother who has a 1 yr. Old…[and] a 2 week old baby….. [T]his is so messed up.”
Roe said that the people in the Brass Rail are being subjected to an unreasonably short eviction time. “We’re all human beings,” she said. “We shouldn’t be treated like we’re scumbags. We’re not… It is so heartless.”
Note: As we were getting ready to post this, Theresa Hall Hatcher, a tenant informed us that the owner has put locks on the laundry room which contain the hot water heaters to the rooms this morning. “We can’t get to any bathroom supplies,” Hatcher said. This also includes linens, towels, and cleaning supplies.
Note 2: The Brass Rail Bar is owned by different people than the Brass Rail Long Term Stay.
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I do believe that this is illegal. these folks need to talk to a lawyer, and bring it to court. The landlord can’t kick them out while court hearings are pending. If the owner is being foreclosed on, I would also urge them to bring this matter to the previous owner who is foreclosing on the place. Might also help to research foreclosure laws etc.
The standard eviction time in california has been changed to 60 days. If the rooms are being rented as ‘long term’ then standard california rental laws apply.
This landlord is probably bagging up as much money as he can and getting ready to run.
I believe under California Law, it is illegal. It could take months to legally evict someone.
I love the “bleacher barrister” comments by the “resident law experts”! Screwed over your landlord much? Thinking you know law is like thinking you can drive while high! Poorly advised…
This is a simple matter of an investor buying a motel on one of those Humboldt County ” owner holds the paper” real estate deals… Now the current “owner” hasn’t paid the payments, and you are all out in the really nice smoky weather!
Suck it up, move on! It’s just that Humboldt County Lowlife Paradigm come back to haunt you.
Go home to your mom, move in with, someone, get a new short term plan. No big deal.
Hey, start a “go fund me”! Why not! Everyone else does!
HCLP! Have a nice day!
Your pretty rude !!!!
I don’t have a 100 hoops full of weed to make my bank account a $1,000,000,000.000
I work for a living and follow the laws. And live from pay check to pay check….this is people’s lives. The struggle is real dude !
I know, I stay up nights stressing about it… I don’t grow either, and, if you have been paying attention, you would know that I moved here to work at your filthy nasty little brokeass backstreet hospital.
Life goes on, it just keeps on changing till you move to the next plane. But: change makes personal growth, and if you stop learning, you will be lost. Get a mission, focus on the immediate present.
Deal with it, there’s lots of options and plenty of opportunity!
Here is some free advice: Go forward, take responsibility, no fear! If that doesn’t work, make a nice pot of soup. Soup makes you happy and strong!
As the Beach Boys sang ” Grit your teeth, don’t back down”.
Have a swell day!
Bagby is way wrong and no sheriff will enforce eviction under those terms. It is against the law to turn off utilities among other things. People, stay strong and call law enforcement now. Bobo probably also has a strong case for wrongful termination.
I believe it is also against the law to evict someone who is pregnant or has an infant under the age of 1.
No – isn’t.
$1200 a month for a room with no kitchen? Yeah, I’d say there’s a housing crisis in SoHum.
It’s not a housing shortage, it’s a shortage of people who can afford local homes. There are lots of more affordable places to live, go there…
Also, tie up this awful landlord in court. He is not a decent person.
Yay, only pot growers who drive duallies deserve to live in the forest of northern California. People outside the industry, the disabled, the elderly, they can all go fuck themselves right? Jacked up rent in the middle of no where that only industry workers can afford is supper ethical, how dare these low income people try to live in a beautiful place. Don’t they know pot growers need multiple properties and even to leave many houses empty all winter because they only want the land for weed $ is the right of the pot growers!!!!
You are off the beam. I don’t drive a pickup, don’t grow pot either.
OK then, your just a weirdo with Dually in your name but no dually and your still almighty enough to tell others where to live. Bow down!
This is funny. Last Tues. He said… “Fred started to foreclose on the motel. And everyone needs to be out on friday. We are Exterminating for bugs” !!!!!!!! We don’t have bugs !!!!!!
HE ALSO SAID HE WAS GOING TO DO A COMPLETE MAKE OVER IN EVERY ROOM. AND HE ALSO SAID WE WERE GOING TO GET OUR OWN SIGN ——- TWO YEARS AGO.
Yeah… Bugs are the metaphor for the Tenants… soooo yeah… You do have bugs.
That place has been a blight on the community for decades, with drug dealers and other unsavory people living and doing business there. I will be glad to see it gone, as I am sure the nice folks at the Brass Rail Bar and Grill will be too. Not long ago they put up a fence between their property and the inn because of all the problems. However, the landlord should act properly and legally, giving the residents adequate notice, or if he needs a quick solution to problems there, then call the sheriff. We can only hope that if it does re-open it will be a lot more upscale and worthy of our community and attract tourists and decent people. I hope the Lone Pine and Johnson’s in G’ville can go in that direction too.
He cannot turn off the utilities, especially if children are involved!
Cut the lock with bolt cutters. It’s illegal to turn off hot water.
i am a landlord and this sounds illegal and plain wrong. call law enforcement and contact a lawyer or housing advocate. proper written notice must be given. the time depends on the contract so if you have a month to month then it is 30 days. by the week and you only get 7 days notice. if you have been staying there more than a year it doubles at least, as far as i know.
It depends on the rental period. If they are paying daily/weekly, they are under different laws to do with hotels and motels. The owner may be charging and paying the transient occupancy taxes. From the article it didn’t sound like they are paying monthly rates. It is a motel after all and that is why there is no kitchen.
If you paid mo. 6 or more mo’s your a resendent. Owner needs to evicit you by unlawful detainer. Counter sue in small claims court. Up to t
5000. In emotioal deteress .etc etc. People project .com. Cop watch. Can further help all of u. Every tenent should file small claims suit now. I have good experence wining Geting unlawdetainers throwna out. Neglance of landlord. Im old lady livin in my car. Paidfor my 3 ex landlords i won over in court. Go for it.. Now. Fee waver waves all fees . good luck. 707 616-3231 cat
Hope they signed a lease of some sort, other wise they are out of luck. It sounds like it’s not a true rental agreement more of a hotel policy type of thing. Obviously this is not compassionate and sounds like slum lord situation.
You don’t know what you are yammering on about. No lease required to have Tennant’s rights. Rental period will have some weight, but folks who’ve been there many months or years, despite period of rent (daily, weekly etc) will have a leg to stand on.
I think it’s 30 days notice for tenants. It used to be.and isn’t it 2 weeks for work? It’s sad anyway because it feels like he wants those folks out.more people without a home.awful.😣
The length of time required to give tenants notice depends on the type of rental agreement and what it says in the rental agreement (if there is a written one).
2 weeks notice for employers/employees is a curtesy and not law.
Oh the joys of living in Sohum
California law dictates that a tenant who has lived in a rental for 30 days, or more, must be given 30-days notice. If they have been there a year, it’s a 60-day notice. Period. The end. The only exception is a 3-day pay or quit if rents have not been met.
This.
I was looking it up recently as a landlord, and the state of CA has a tenancy info website that makes it pretty clear.
3-day if tenant is violating terms of lease, creating nuisance, other good cause
What are all those campaign promises we hear every season? Ah yes.
I vow to:
Create more affordable housing. (yes ideed, for the owls and frogs).
Feed the hungry. (yes, indeed, the corrupt money hungry political system).
Create more jobs. (yes, indeed, there are move government jobs than people created jobs).
Save the planet. (by spreading hate and democracy into every corner of the earth so that the new Lincoln’s kingdom will be a global kingdom).
Your tax dollars hard at work.
What the hell???
Yeah blame the prez, the truth be told the homeless problem
and drug problems have been going on for years.
Attacking your fellow citizens because they have a different opinion is
wrong.
Why don’t our communities pitch in and help out the less fortunate
???
BTW ;17 trillion tax payer $$ to bail out the the banks etc.-Obama policy
and he also spent 20 trillion more and we have homeless disaster in
addition countless $$ spent on wars during his tenure.
But I am not calling out my neighbors and saying bad things because they are of a different opinion.
Get a grip, isn’t this the USofA where we elect our prez?
WOW. Good flipping luck with that eviction Bagby. You seem to have an elementary school knowledge of landlord-tenant law to think this is even legal. You just became the Floyd Squires of SoHum. And $1200 a month for a room with no kitchen? I don’t think even that is legal.
Definitely illegal.
You cant just cut off hot water, its literally against the law.
Theres a huge housing crisis all over the county, and in particular redway/garberville.
Maybe this article will help people understand that folks with jobs are sleeping in tents, how can anyone afford that even on a 10-15$ wage, you’d need 2 people per room with full time work just to survive.
This guy sounds like he’s in trouble and i bet he flees the country, the sheriffs ought to pick him up.
He implicated himself just in what he told his tenants. He doesnt see the books so he doesnt know who paid for what time period??? WTF?
This is classic example of why those tenant rights laws were passed in the first place!!!
Ok everyone bitching about homeless people, heres your chance to not create more! Help these folks keep their home &/or find new ones.
Thank you
Your SO POINT ON !!!!
I’ve never seen a “hot water heater”, why would you want to heat hot water?
Hmm. Finally I find someone who knows that it’s a water heater not a hot water heater. Yes
Fair enough but…it is a common term.
I have seen warm water heaters, and seen boiling water heaters (no need to use the kettle!) , so it makes sense to label the level of heat it’s putting out. Also helps to distinguish from the in-flooring heater water heater.
There are plenty of apartments open in lower redway, they are just moving in certain people that are not even on the list, and they’re low income so if anyone needs a place be sure to hassle danco on why people off the list are getting moved in. I think 4 are open.
It means they didn’t meet the full requirements to move in. You have to earn 3x the rent$ to qualify even though it’s low income. If your rent is $900, you have to make $2700 or more a month. Just cause your on a list, it doesn’t guarantee you get a place.
There’s beachfront property free for the taking at the confluence of bear creek and south fork of eel! I hear it’s quite pleasant in the fall.
There’s even a village ripe for plunder just a short walk away. With little to no enforcement by the man, it’s essentially utopian living for the disenfranchised.
Dozens of tenants can’t be wrong.
I gotta say, I wouldn’t have let those people rent from me.
People, impressions count.
If you want sympathy [edit]
Don’t throw middle fingers up at the camera.
Don’t include underage drinking in pics.
[edit]
Try harder. No sympathy yet. Good luck.
They are NOT all tweakers and thieves!!! The guy in the front of the group shot wearing the baseball cap is neither of those things. He is a genuinely nice guy who just also happens to be very disabled. DON’T judge a book by it’s cover. In fact, don’t judge at all. You’re not GOD and only HE can judge. If you’re so perfect, let me see you walk on water!!
There are 5 empty apartments in redway right now. Try and talk to somebody about getting in.
Okay but if all the Riff Raff isn’t going to be congregating at The Brass Rail then where are they going to be? I hope and they better hope it isn’t my front yard
I would think the free county legal help dept should be able to deal with this. It’s pretty clearly illegal, especially with the hot water locked up. The landlord doesn’t even know when he gave notice- it seems very sloppy. It also seems possible the landlord may be collecting the transient occupancy tax but not paying it, which might help the tenant’s standing as well.
What may be more important than Ca motel law is the sales transaction. If it reverts back to the previous owner- what else did it say? how was it written? It would be good for Melody to talk to the previous owner and see if she or he can put some sort of “stop action” on evictions until it reverts.
& yeah… $1200 a month for those rooms is criminally insane. Then not paying the mortgage? Dude sounds like a flight risk. Rumor has it this is not the only property he is scr*wing around with.
I would be real surprised if there are any leases. I tried to get some one in there once and Melody was very clear about only renting the room for 3 days, stating that other wise she would have to use an eviction process to get someone out.
She was also very unpleasant to (attempt) to work with.
As for “not being able to turn of the Hot Water if there is a child under one,” I’d be interested to know where that information came. PG&E does it all the time when there are unpaid bills. It takes them a while and send plenty of notices to pay, but they turn do the power off unless you have a Medical Baseline, < 1 year old or not.
Maybe we will get the real story some day. From way outside looking in, I'd say there may be many issues brewing here.
Yes. My former boss had a 3 day policy in place. And for very good reasons… and it just shows I follow directions very well. And communication is a wonderful thing to achieve. Sounds like I nailed it.
Sorry if I seem rough. And to the point… kinda how I am.
Sorry to the folks featured in this story –
I was real nasty in my opinions and judgements about you all for no fair reason, I see it.
Not fair of me. Sorry.
I hope you find justice.
I would kindly recommend a new and more classy group photo for the press, and public.
Hey, those apts in Redway are for the elderly-low income, and the disabled. Just because you want to live in Redway does not mean that you are entitled! $1200/month is only $40/night! If you wanted an apartment, why did you stay in a Motel?
SoHum is not for everyone! Redway is actually an EXCLUSIVE neighborhood! And Goobsterdam? You have to have MONEY to live there, preferably cash! Not for the plebeians!
We like it this way! Go live somewhere else, like Rio Dell or friggin Willits! Good luck, as you look like a scary bunch of landlord-fuckers!
Take your babies and your welfare checks, and move to Yuba City or Rio Linda! You will be welcome there!
I bet your a real joy to be around. Every comment you make seems like someone pissed in your cornflakes.
Amen…
Actually, I worked over 40 years for what I have, still working at 65. I am proud to say that I go where I want, and live where I want.
If you work and invest, you might get to the same point. Complaining about your misfortune gets you nowhere. If you can’t afford one place, go somewhere else. That’s what everyone does. AND, the one with the gold, makes the rules. Tough, but reality.
Whiners never win.
I’m glad you’ve worked for what you have. That’s pretty standard issue, but good for you. I don’t see where they are saying they “can’t afford” a place. They were affording to live there. The issue is being evicted without enough time to find another place and the fact they can’t find another place. Im not sure this falls under “complaining”. You should hope your reality doesn’t change. Shit happens, even to the ones with gold.
I know a couple that is trying hard to get by. They are good people with a new family. They are in the same situation as I was just a couple months ago. It took me almost 6 years to find a home. Have your house burn down and then tell me you wouldn’t do anything it took to keep a roof over you family’s head. Including moving into a shitty, run-down motel.
From a lifetime local.
People used to feather the nest; get prepared to support a family BEFORE you make one! You can’t make money when you are sitting home crying about everything.
Wow. Big words for someone hiding behind a fake name. Very coward like if you ask me?
Oooooh! Now I’m VERY hurt!
Ooops, I still own three homes!
Well good for you. That makes you much more of a human. Stand tall and puff out that chest. Are they paid off?
Oh, there not paid off? You don’t own shit. Being a slave to debt sucks. Oops, have fun with that.
There is nothing wrong with staying at a motel, just don’t expect the California landlord/tenant laws to apply to your stay.
Wrong.
Run Forrest Run to the nearest link to support your one word opinion. lol
The question here, is can you afford to fight?
Jayne Butler Morris
If they ran it as a motel they may not need to give 30 days notice to evict.
And, BTW, [edit] SATIRE! (Hint: Redway is an EXCLUSIVE neighborhood)
AND: following many years of being a landlord, when I tried to rent out a house in Redway, I was completely unable to locate a single person possessing sufficient documented income (not black market) to qualify. I can’t find a buyer who is finance-able either.
You need new friends.
Like you? Awwwwwwww…
Or like someone who wants to pay half of my asking price and have me hold the mortgage?
Must have a real shit hole. Land and houses are hot commodity right now. I could sell my place in a matter of days.
Motel laws are quite different. The saving grace for these ppl is that it says ‘long term rentals’ , I think. Get online and research it or go to avvo.com for free law advice from lawyers.
Here’s a number for the CA Department of Consumer Affairs: (800) 952-5210. They are now the go-to for questions by both tenants and landlords. They know the law. I wish all of you luck with this travesty, and Consumer Affairs can and will help you.
I don’t appreciate my comment being edited. I’m next door everyday [edit] I speak the truth.
Natalie, you may know what you say to be true but I don’t nor is your accusation something that has facts that I can check. I don’t allow accusations unless there is proof.
If you’re going to censor me then please just delete my entire comment. :/
As a long time Redway resident The Brass Rail has been a blight for a long time I can’t blame mr. Bagby for wanting to shut the Brass Rail down and refurbish it it’s long past needing it The Brass Rail is a business and mr. Bagby as the owner can do what he pleases with the business including closing it I feel for some of the tenants there but things like this happen having owned rental property then eviction will only put off the inevitable for 30 days and I don’t think that’s going to affect what’s happening much everyone will still be gone as for mrs. Bobo too bad people lose their job everyday it looks to me like if she’s been doing a better job no one would be in the position they are now I think after 19 years she should have a better handle on things redoing
the Brass Rail will improve Redway no one likes to see it the way it is now
There is no eviction process from a motel. The contract is for that period only. Don’t let the name fool you this is a motel not an apartment so housing laws do not apply. This guy must be the squires of sohum. Just because he is a peice of shit doesn’t mean he is breaking the law or his renters have any special rights because long term is in the name it’s a motel
Not up to me to do improvements !!!!!!!!! If it was…would have been done long time ago. That isn’t right of you to say. And I was wrongfully fired !!!! Is all we are stating.
No. Getting rid of tweeker trash around here is like trying to kill a starfish by chopping it in half….
That young mother with the baby just showed up from whitethorn . Not a long term tenant [edit]
Wow…. SHE is a long term resident !!! And she has paid her rent… that makes her a tenant! Just wow.
I say from the things I’ve heard go on there…..its best they all go and redo the place. With higher income people whom have credit and good rental history.
It’s pretty hard to find persons with good credit, high income and good rental history that desire to live in a crappy motel room in Redway! I would say that owners of this property just don’t want long term tenants who get high 100% of the time, don’t work, and make babies they can’t support, and then mob up, get ugly and bitch about everything in public while refusing to pay rent or leave…
Nice people don’t live in a shit-hole motel in Redway permanently. Sorry kids the 24/7 drug party is OVER! OH and this sort of stuff happens all over Humboldt County all the time! DON”T think the landlord is not prepared to do battle in court! Humboldt County already has a huge segment of it’s population living in substandard housing, travel trailers and out in the forest.
AND, California is full up with folks like the tenants in this story, which is why there are large low-income housing facilities in places like Redding, Red Bluff, Chico, Yuba City, Marysville, Oroville, etc. Redway is NOT a place to breed a bunch of kids and screw over you landlord, while affecting the loser druggie lifestyle.
Either move to a place prepared to house you and yours, or go back home to your mommies!
Good luck! Bye!
Disabled folk, folks just starting out in life, the elderly, folks with medical issues all need low-income housing. Moving them away from their support systems, folks who can drive them to the doctor, babysit the kids, come over and visit, will only exacerbate the slide into needing more and more public assistance.
While I agree with you, that there are reasons for everything, it does not replace the fact that people need to take some responsibility.
This landlord is not very nice, but he also has reasons, and possession of a Motel. He has the right to do as he pleases with this property, within the limits of tenant law.
Fussing in public does not functionally change the situation.
The disabled, women with children, drug addicts, all need a support system. SoHum is deficient in services to support absolutely everyone, and there are better environments in California which are prepared to serve these populations. Many persons who have special needs locate within communities better suited to their requirements. I suggest that people locate the services and facilities best suited to help them, but I also recommend that people be as responsible for themselves as possible.
Shouldn’t we extrapolate from the idea that people should be as responsible for themselves as possible to the idea that communities should be as responsible for their populations as possible? All communities have disabled, mentally ill, elderly, and low-income. Why do we want to ship these folks all off to Eureka, Redding, and San Francisco?
Low income is one thing. Low income because you value a druggy lifestyle over working and taking care of yourself is another.
I only interviewed one person but her husband is working at Dazey’s and she starts this week at an Inn….How does this mean she is valuing a “druggy lifestyle over working and taking care of yourself.”
My apologies. I wasn’t referring to the lady in the article or anyone else directly. You made a comment about helping people in your community. I wanted to make a distinction between the the two.
Drug and alcohol addictions are a mental health issue in my opinion. I’d like to see some help for those in our community, too.
Without assuming anything, it may be that the motel was seen as a short term solution, which just sort of evolved into a longer term for some. We all have to move on sometimes, and rather that export our problems, it may be at least constructive, compassionate even, to make some gentle suggestions.
I don’t have any available alternatives to house these folks, but maybe someone else does?? Thanks!
I wonder if the foreclosure went thru and he is trying to get cash for keys from the note holder?
Listen,if there’s children involved he can’t kick you out. And turning off heat,water is ILLEGAL. We were landlords it sucks.you almost don’t have rights.it took over 6 months to get a tenant out for not paying,we had to go to court,costs money plus 6 months of no money,then the judge gives them 30 to 60 days to get out ,no rent and they trash the place,costs more money.DONT EVER BE A LAND LORD!!
Mr GMAS:
Been a landlord 30 years. You just have to screen your tenants carefully, and then watch over them.
All tenants are not bad. Never had to evict anyone.
OH, and up at Jerold Phelp’s beautiful filthy backstreet hospital-like facility in Goobsterdam, they hand out FREE CONDOMS! Also available from: Trinity Hospital Clinic, Kimaw Medical Center, Humboldt County Family Planning, Planned Parenthood, and many more locations statewide!
Try being responsible for a change! If you need to go to rehab:
St Helena Hospital
Singing Trees
Duffy’s Napa
Many others.
There ARE choices in life that don’t include growing pot, dealing drugs, being a sex worker, and living in a shit-hole motel in Redway!
Get busy, have a life! Much love!
Wow… if I had a drug addicted problem that would be the answer !!! But I DON’T. And I don’t have a drinking addiction. I also work a legal job. And don’t grow pot. So whatever your getting at, your barking up the wrong tree. And my sexuality is not a problem, nor do I need condoms… as far as living in Redway… whatever!!!!!
I love this little town.
We did everything right. The tenant lied on their app.and yes we checked it and them out.we ended up taking them to court.they paid us nothing,after destroying our house.but we got them out. We sold everything!
I hope the people judging these people face hardship one day so they can learn compassion.
AMEN !
I hope they don’t call on the So Hum Locals on Patrol to remove them. They suit up for trespass anything. Park, camp, motel?
WOW !!!
He knows better. Guilt by association, and all.