Days after a devastating inferno swept through the Pacific Palisades, Maya Lieberman is facing a desperate search for a new place to call home. However, she is encountering challenges as some landlords are taking advantage of the situation by significantly increasing rental prices.
“The price gouging is out of control, it’s outrageous,” the 50-year-old stylist lamented to AFP. “I am struggling to find a suitable place for us to relocate.”
The recent fires that have ravaged Los Angeles since Tuesday have left entire neighborhoods in ruins, reducing vast areas of the city to ashes. Over 105,000 individuals have been mandated to evacuate their residences, with an additional 87,000 receiving evacuation alerts, all in an effort to prevent further casualties which already stand at 16. On Sunday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna disclosed that law enforcement has received reports of 16 missing persons since the fires ignited last week, with expectations of this number rising.
One of the blazes decimated the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood, once home to celebrities such as Billy Crystal and Kate Beckinsale, which had been considered some of the most coveted real estate in the United States until now. Even those fortunate enough to have their homes spared by the inferno are required to vacate the area due to a mandatory evacuation order.
The forced exodus of residents with above-average incomes from Pacific Palisades has seemingly attracted opportunists seeking to exploit the upheaval for financial gain. “We applied for a house… that was listed at $17,000 per month, and they demanded $30,000, or else we would lose the opportunity,” Lieberman shared. “They mentioned they have other interested parties willing to pay more and in cash. It’s truly unbelievable.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a stern warning against price gouging, looting, and other fraudulent activities in a press conference on Saturday, promising accountability for anyone looking to prey on the wildfire victims. In his address, Bonta highlighted that unscrupulous individuals were already attempting to profit from the distress and turmoil caused by the fires. “We have observed businesses and landlords… raising prices exorbitantly,” Bonta emphasized during the briefing. “This is price gouging. It is illegal. It is a crime carrying penalties of up to a year in jail and fines.”
In economic news, Jamie Dimon discusses the current state of the economy while a hidden passage from the Renaissance Era reopens in Florence. Additionally, firefighting crews are actively combating flare-ups from the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon.
