ROBINSON RANCHERIA ? Five former residents evicted from Robinson Rancheria on Tuesday will meet Thursday afternoon with Lake County Publishing staff to share “their side of the story.”
Another dozen people who say they face the same fate also plan to speak out, according to Attorney Joseph L. Kitto, Esq.
On Tuesday law enforcement officers of the Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California evicted people who were alleged to be illegally occupying five tribal homes owned by the tribe located on the Robinson Indian Rancheria Reservation. A press release submitted by Tribal Attorney Lester Marston stated the Tribal Court ordered the tenants who failed to pay, to move out more than a year ago, but they refused to leave.
Kitto alleged on Wednesday in a prepared statement that the evictions “have little to do with unpaid administrative fees and more to do with tribal politics empowered by legal representatives that are willing to engage in the most questionable behavior of devising malevolent legal schemes without regard for the elderly, disabled or infirmed.”
Those evicted are Karen Ramos, Inez Sands, Christina and Alan Harrison, Robert Quitiquit, Reuben Want and his wife Rosalie.
Kitto said they were long-term residents living in the same homes for nearly or more than 20 years under a Mutual Help and Occupancy Agreement (MHOA) through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
“The MHOAs were originally managed by Northern Circle, but the Tribe sought and received the assignment of the agreements in 2001. Shortly thereafter, all the residents met and were told that the tribe would be giving them deeds to their homes and would be providing services. Relying on this representation, the residents began paying for services, but no deeds were ever issued,” Kitto said.
Kitto alleges that residents collectively, including now Chairperson Tracy Avila, refused to continue paying since they were not assured of the status of their homes and since the services were sporadic.
He said the tribe has been cited several times by HUD in the past for violations of the MHOA.
Kitto stated, “One example of the failure to provide services is the fact that when Ms. Inez Sands had a fire in her home, the tribe denied having insurance to repair it as required under the MHOA. To this day, Ms. Sands” home continues to be damaged from the fire.”
He said that after the residents were disenrolled, they continued to live in their homes, but many were still refusing to pay until the alleged promise of deeds was fulfilled. He said “these five were singled out.”
Kitto said because the five residents made it known that they opposed the Tribal Business Committee they were essentially targeted. He said he provided his statement to Lake County Publishing, “being fully aware that the Tribal Business Committee and its legal representatives will, undoubtedly, seek revenge by attacking me personally and professionally. It will occur because that is the nature of malicious, evil intent. They simply cannot help themselves.”
“These five have been terminated from their jobs with the tribe, they have had their financial assistance taken away and lost their membership. As the number of members opposed to the current Business Committee grows, the acts of revenge have increased. For example, active members like Bernadine Trip and Clayton Duncan have had their per capita shares, elders” assistance and other financial assistance taken by an act of the Chairperson without notice, explanation or basis in tribal law or policy. Now that Ms. Tripp has lost her ability to pay for administrative services, the Tribe has notified her of their intent to evict,” Kitto alleges.
He called the Tribal Court “less than credible,” and said it was only authorized for evictions and trespassing cases.
Kitto alleges that the residents were awoken in the early morning without knowing eviction was imminent.
“I, as their attorney, should have been, but was not notified … The possessions of the evicted residents were taken by the tribe to an off-Rancheria storage facility … They were not given an inventory of their possessions seized and now they have been barred, not just from their homes, but from the Rancheria itself,” Kitto said. “I cannot in good conscience allow the public to be fed the outrageous falsehoods that have been reported. These are not squatting near-do-wells who have been living off the tribe for free. These are blood relatives who were removed due to a technicality for greed and vengeance. When a government, any government, intentionally and discriminately takes away the food, medicine, clothing and housing from its elders, I don”t believe that is a ?good example” of anything but corruption that has lost its purpose, which should be to care for its citizens. Shame on those who do so and those who help them,” Kitto said in closing.
Robinson Rancheria Housing Director Stephanie Rodriguez said, “These folks have refused to pay for years. They only had to pay $175 dollars a month. They were given multiple notices that they were delinquent. We offered them repayment plans. They refused to enter into the agreements. We held hearings to allow them to explain why they didn”t make their payments. They didn”t even show up for the hearings. So, finally, it went to Tribal Court and the Court ordered eviction orders. After all that, the Tribe was still willing to settle with them if they agreed to move out. They refused.”
“We did everything we could to ensure that the situation was handled properly. Despite the fact that they owe thousands of dollars in back payments, until today they received free sewer, home insurance, and garbage collection service, at a cost of thousands of dollars a year to the tribe,” added Rodriguez. “Meanwhile, we have eligible, low-income tribal members forced to live in housing that they can”t afford, who have been prevented from occupying tribal housing, because the evicted tenants refused to vacate.”
