Updated: Mass Evictions At Oakland's Empyrean Towers

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Link to image of Empyrean Towers formerly Hotel Menlo

http://tinyurl.com/pcbbjrt

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(Updated Story Below)

Mass Evictions At Oakland's Empyrean Towers

By Lynda Carson - November 29, 2014

Oakland -- Many of the residents of Empyrean Towers are being bullied
and tossed out of their housing with eviction notices served by the
management company called Innovistech Realty Co.

The Empyrean Towers located downtown Oakland at 344 13th Street used
to be known as the Hotel Menlo and was owned by wealthy millionaire
Tiburon resident Richard Singer. Singer landed in prison a few years
ago after getting caught by the FBI in a sting operation for trying to
hire an arsonist to burn down the occupied hotel as part of an
insurance scam.

During August of 2011, Singer was sentenced to 27 months in prison,
was fined $60,000 and received three years probation after his release
from prison for the attempted arson scam. It was an employee of Singer
named Samuel Manning who worked with the FBI in a sting operation to
nail Singer for the arson scam, after Manning faced charges for
embezzling the Girl Scouts out of more than $50,000. Manning sought
reduced charges against himself in return for helping the feds go
after Singer for the arson scam.

Before going to prison building owner Richard Singer and the company
that used to manage the hotel known as RMD Services were also sued by
many of the residents because of slum-like conditions at the hotel.
Singer has already been released from prison for the arson scam, and
is back in business buying and selling properties.

Fast forward a few years later, and the Hotel Menlo has allegedly been
renovated in the past few years, was renamed the Empyrean Towers and
the owner/managers have been renting out rooms for $79.00 a night to a
variety of people from all walks of life.

Others reside there as full time month to month residents, and
according to tenants facing eviction it is the long term month to
month tenants that are being run out of the building with evictions
recently. Perhaps 20 residents or more have been facing eviction after
a fire occurred in the building last July from a lit cigarette,
according to the tenants in the building.

Additionally, according to public records with "corporation wiki"
their records reveal that Richard Singer has partnered with real
estate broker Alice Tse to own and manage the building through
Empyrean Towers LLC, and Innovistech Realty Co.

As a real estate broker Alice Tse has been buying properties for
Singer for a number of years and she called me a few times back around
the beginning of 2014.

Over the phone Alice Tse stated a few times that she was buying
properties for Singer, and that she was very concerned about Singer's
activities at times. Then on Feb. 21, 2014, I received a strange email
from Alice Tse (alicetsesf [at] gmail.com) that said, "I have a new fraud
case committed by Richard Singer who attempted to burn down the Menlo.
Please call me at 650/526-2968 -- Alice." I tried calling a few times
but Alice did not respond to my call, and I wondered what happened.
Only lately did I learn that she is partners at the Empyrean Towers
with Richard Singer.

Recently evicted tenant Andrea Polega told me that among the problems she
faced living there is that the sink in her room that did not have a “U pipe”
beneath the sink, and she had to keep a bucket under the sink to catch the
water overtime she used it. She had to pay $210 a week to stay there until
management forced her out of her housing.

It was as recent as November 25 that I was contacted by Andrea Polega
of the Empyrean Towers. Andrea said, “I am a tenant at Empyrean who is being kicked at
this very second after having a money order returned to me that was in their
possession for more that 24 hrs. They returned it at 11 am telling me to be out by
noon. This is directly following my physical incapacitation in the form of a
ruptured achilles tendon which was directly caused by their negligence. I am on crutches
in a 6 story walkup and cannot go up/down the stairs unassisted, let alone move my
belongings t his way. At 2 pm they returned with police. I will be charged with
trespassing if I do not leave. I have nowhere to go. I would be more than happy to go
on record for any future articles against these bastards, or any other media outlets
to gain justice.”

On November 26, I was advised by the Eviction Defense Center that they
were assisting Andrea and have had extensive interaction with her while she was being
evicted from her housing, and that Andrea is currently safe.

According to Don Fisher he said, “The male resident manager, named
Royce, beat up Andrea’s boyfriend Donald because he was sleeping in
the lobby waiting for someone to come and get him and his girlfriend.
I believe you are aware of the couple that Luis May kicked out, right
after refusing to accept their rent payment.”

“Donald went to the hospital and Royce went to jail. If you can
assist, I need to know who to contact to get a restraining order or
similar relief to get this manager out of the hotel. Many people are
now worried about being treated in the same manner.”

“There was blood from the floors to the doors from this and Royces
wife/girlfriend made threatening overtures to Maria. Maria asked why
Royce simply did not call OPD and I had to intervene,” Don Fisher
said.

Management of the Empyrean Towers have declined to reply to my
requests for an interview in regards to the violence and evictions
involving management at the building.

Additional information reveals how hard it is for the residents of
Empyrean Towers. According to the website for Empyrean Towers, it states that there is
no guarantee that the elevator of the seven story building is available to the
residents. The residents all have to pay in advance online before moving into the building and
do not know what they are getting into until they move into the premises.

Tenant’s Don Fisher and Maria Anast moved into the Empyrean Towers on
December 16, 2013 after being hit by hard times in a tough economy.
They lost their footing in the world of the middle class in America,
and moved from San Francisco to Oakland for cheaper housing.

Now they are both on a fixed income, are very poor and receive around
$300 a month each from general assistance. They also receive food
stamp assistance to help get by. But by the third week of the month,
they are both pretty much broke and are getting hungry. "We only get
around $4 dollars a day to live on from food stamps and thats not
nearly enough to survive in Oakland," said Maria.

They live in a small room with a bed, a TV, small refridgerator,
microwave and a hot plate. They are lucky enough to have their own
bathroom in comparison to many others who have shared bathrooms in the
old seven story building.

"Life is very hard on us now, and we do not feel safe living in this
building. There are drug dealers, crack heads, and prostitutes living
on the upper floors. The cops are here all the time. The locks are
flimsy on our doors, and we keep a baseball bat handy just in case
someone breaks our door down to enter our apartment. There is no heat.
They do not allow the tenants to use the elevator. The building has
bed bugs, rats, and is loaded with flies and nats from the garbage
piled up at the property. Our toilet does not work, the shower barely
drips any water out of it when we try to take a shower, and the
building lacks smoke detectors in most of the apartments," Maria and
Don both explained in exasperated tones.

"We have been good tenants since moving in, are quiet, have payed our
rent on time and we were SHOCKED to find an eviction notice posted on
our door recently after management refused to accept our rent
anymore," they said.

Don and Maria filed a response as a way to fight against the eviction,
and they need to find an attorney. Others facing eviction from the
Empyrean Towers have sought assistance at the Eviction Defense Center
near 16th and Telegraph Ave.

Don and Maria said, "Around 20 people or more are facing eviction
recently because management wants to bring in higher income tenants
willing to pay $79.00 a night to stay at this building."

Don used to be an officer in the Navy, and worked in the tech industry
for years after getting out of the Navy. Maria spent many years
happily working in the hospitality industry. They are in their 50s,
and they raised two kids who became adults including a son who entered
the Navy recently, and a daughter who lives in Santa Cruz.

"We don't know what we will do if we get evicted," said Maria. "We are
thinking about buying a van but we are too broke to do so. We are also
thinking about buying a tent if we lose our housing but, we do not
know where people camp out when they are made homeless in Oakland,''
Maria said.

According to the Eviction Defense Center they are representing at
least five residents from various units facing eviction at the
Empyrean Towers, in addition to Don and Maria who have sought legal
assistance to fight their eviction.

Attorney Andrew Wolff will be assisting the Eviction Defense Center in
defending the tenants from being evicted from their housing.

Management at Empyrean Towers did not respond to my request for
information about the evictions taking place at the hotel. The phone
number for Innovistech Realty Co., reached the Sweden Hotel in San
Francisco and the staff at the Sweden Hotel claim that Alice Tse sold
the property.

And during a call to Patricia Singer, Richard Singers wife, she stated
that she is divorced from Richard and does not want to comment on his
activities regarding Empyrean Towers. She also declined to pass on his
phone number.

Eviction attorney Johanna Kwasniewski stated that she had no comment
regarding my many questions about 20 tenants or more allegedly facing
eviction by Richard Singer and Alice Tse. Then she reconsidered and
said that she would contact Empyrean Towers LLC to see if she were
allowed to make any comments. I have not heard from her since that
discussion days ago.

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

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