Defend OneFam “The Last One Standing” from Gentrification

"In West Oakland, a lot of conversations could start with that phrase: "It was once ..."

Decades ago, before freeways, BART and a sprawling post office complex shattered what was already a fragile neighborhood, Seventh Street boasted clubs that drew the biggest names in jazz and blues. You can see hints of that history in the faded Esther's Orbit Room and in Slim Jenkins Court, an affordable housing complex named after the owner of a long-gone Seventh Street supper club.

West Oakland has never fully recovered." — Source

C'mon Oakland I know we can do it. You all showed up at Lake Merritt for BBQing While Black. I know you can do the same for OneFam. Read below for OneFam's History or Ctrl + F for "Next Steps" if you want to just skip to the solidarity aspect.

What is OneFam?

OneFam, located in West Oakland, is a community-based organization that utilizes a series of for-profit social enterprise businesses to support its non-profit mission. OneFam started years ago with Bikes 4 Life. It has since grown to include the other units on the property: the 7th Street Rev Cafe, and other land to be subleased for possible gardening projects. The goals of OneFam are as follows:

• Inspire community members to take part in politics by building a social justice movement with a diverse mix of artists and activists
• Raise the consciousness of young people and turn them into local leaders by creating a space for education and awareness about the issues of their community.

OneFam has roots in the Oscar Grant movement. Many meetings happened in OneFam spaces. OneFam is an amazing community organization. Unfortunately it has a troubled history with its property owners.

Who is Tony Coleman?

Tony Coleman, the man himself.

• Executive Director of OneFam, http://www.onefam.org/
• OneFam has been in the building for about 10 years. OneFam started with Bikes 4 Life and then, at the request of Lucy, expanded to include Rev Cafe and the rest of the parcel.

If you have any questions and want to join the fight to save OneFam, Tony can be reached at admin@onefam.org. He is on Twitter and Facebook.

Parcel History: What's going to happen to the Building, Relationship with Landlord

Parcel address: 707 Peralta Street, Oakland, CA 94607

Parcel #: 6-3-18

Description: Store on 1st Floor, with offices, apartments and lofts on the 2nd & 3rd Floor.

Summary

Arnold "Arnie" L. Fields is the current sole owner of the parcel (707 Peralta Street, Oakland, CA 94607, Parcel #: 6-3-18) but this wasn't always the case. Arnie and his ex-wife used to co-own the building until divorce proceedings left the building in Arnie's hands.

Property Timeline

• 1995: Lucy Fields/Lequin helped convince the city to create a historic district around several properties she owns on the block of Seventh between Peralta and Campbell streets. Source.
• 2014: Initial Cafe was shut down by the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD) for labor violations. Arnie never went to the necessary hearings to respond to EDD. Source (also substantiated by documents in Tony's possession).
• 2015, then building co-owner Lucy Fields (now Lucy Lequin) sought a buyer for the building because it wasn't profitable enough, and negotiated with Tony to rent the Cafe, and offered a 15 year lease on Bikes 4 Life. Article. Tony describes trouble beginning here, as the Cafe was a substantial additional cost in money and labor and it hasn't yet been within OneFam's capacity to make it profitable. (Taking time to reach breaking even isn't uncommon in the food and beverage service industry).
• 2017: the costs of total property's rent got ahead of OneFam, and OneFam fell somewhat behind on rent. At this time, Tony was paying a property manager, SLMP Property Management.
• December 2017: Arnie and Lucy finalize their divorce. As part of divorce proceedings, Arnie became the sole owner; SLMP no longer manages the property.
• No one tells OneFam that Arnie is now sole owner. In December 2017, SLMP refuses OneFam's rent payment — the only notification OneFam receives.
• Around that time Employment Development Department (EDD) contacts Tony, informing that there is a $120,000+ Levy on Arnie and his former Cafe business, for labor violations. The EDD instructs Tony to pay rent to them rather than to Arnie. Tony does not do this because he does not trust this will assure OneFam can remain in the space.
• December 2017 to February 2018: A number of building repairs are necessary, including a major leak in the roof. Additionally, while it had been the landlord's responsibility to pay for garbage, Arnie's absenteeism left this cost in OneFams lap. Tony: The lease says that the owner is responsible for garbage, but Arnie let it lapse so they put it in Tony's name. Also the roof is very leaky and it gets wet inside when it rains.
• February 2018: Arnie makes first contact with Tony, asking for rent payments in cash and also back rent. Arnie asks for back rent in excess of what Tony believes is fair, and asks for rent to be paid in cash Tony begins receiving 3 Day Notices to Pay or Quit, but doesn't take these seriously because Arnie accepts rent payments.
• March 2018: Arnie continues accepting rent.
• April 20, 2018, Arnie arrives asking Tony to pay the back rent, which Tony does not. Arnie repeats an offer that he had madea number of times previously — if Tony will give up the residential unit, all backrent will be forgiven. Tony sees this as a wedge to break OneFam apart, because residential tenants have more rights than commercial tenants. Tony does not to agree to this offer. Arnie goes and comes back, serving a Masking of Unlawful Detainer, but not the Summons and Complaint of Unlawful Detainer itself — which is not a proper way to serve an Unlawful Detainer. Also not proper — because there are several units rented, OneFam should receive a Summons for each unit. Tony subsequently receives a paper in mail alleging proof by mail service.
• May 1, 2018: Sheriffs serve OneFam the Notice to Vacate. Having not been properly notified of the Unlawful Detainer, Tony hadn't know how or when to respond. This allowed Arnie to have obtain an eviction ruling against OneFam, in their absence.
• May 5, 2018: "Stays of Execution" are granted to all but one of the units, the OneFam event space — the exception due to clerical error. This means OneFam has, for the other three units, until June 7th to build up public pressure, legal support, and finances, to fight the evictions, and get back the event space.

June 7th: Sheriffs will come if we haven't won by then. Eviction ensues.

Who is Arnold "Arnie" L. Fields

Slumlord extraordinare.

As of December 2017, Arnie is the mostly absentee landlord of 707 Peralta Street. He owns and has owned many properties throughout Oakland but uses a PO Box (PO Box 27528 Oakland, CA) as his mailing address.

Tony describes Arnie as an authoritarian attention-seeker and an inefficient manager, that took over the cafe from Arnie's friend Andy when it began to become successful. Arnie then ran it into the ground by, among other things, treating the Cafe's income as a slush fund. At this point Arnie began stealing his workers wages.

In 2010, Arnie told various publications that he was running for mayor, but he never actually filed to run:

A search for "Fields" brings this up.

His localwiki is here.

Other articles on Arnie:

• https://blog.sfgate.com/abraham/2010/11/02/oakland-mayors-race-arnie-fields-hates-jerry-brown/

Lucy Lequin, Formerly Lucy Fields

• Under Lucy's co-ownership, 707 Peralta had been part of a Historical Preservation project for 7th Street, one of several properties in the project. Articles about this are in the research document.
• Lucy was generally interested in and committed to OneFam's work
• Arnie holds it against Tony that Tony continued working with Lucy after the divorce process began, in particular feeling that it wasn't Tony's place to rent the Cafe.

Articles quoting Lucy Lequin

1998:

• https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Blaze-Hits-Historic-Oakland-Building-Heater-2970735.php

2011:

• https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2011/09/13/cohen-out-as-head-of-oakland-economic-development-agency/
• https://oaklandnorth.net/2011/09/14/ceda-officials-respond-to-grand-jury-findings-promise-improvements/

2015:

• https://www.kqed.org/news/10649760/west-oakland-activist-wants-to-create-a-cafe-for-everyone

Next Steps or How You Can Help

Ongoing, until June 4:

• Call Arnie, using the script, which is here.
• Donate and Sign the petition: As of 5/26 we have $1,051 raised and 96 signatures! Our goal is $10,000 and 200 signatures.
• Follow and share everything from OneFam's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, this YouTube video. Retweet and share. Share this post. Use the hashtag #OneFam.
• Share/Retweet this and this. Print this out and ask your friends to call Arnie and put pressure on him. Need a script? Here you go.
• Look out: for the East Bay Express article with Darwin Bondgraham about OneFam's eviction, and share.
• Contact any public figures you have connections to, and asking for them to amplify the fight!

June 7th: Sheriffs will come if we haven't won by then. Eviction ensues.

If you skipped through most of this all you need to know is this: OneFam is a vital community space with a rich history. Please share with your networks to keep it alive. #OneFam #Resist