UPDATED: Lawsuit claims landlord let apartment fall apart, threatened deportation

UPDATE: Ali Golchin was awarded more than $2,000 in rent and $9,000 in attorney fees in an eviction case. As of this writing, he still faces a lawsuit alleging civil rights violations. That case currently is in the discovery phase. We will post further updates as developments happen.

On 06/05/2013 inZnews has received an email directly from Ali Golchin saying:
"Dear Sir/Madam:

I hereby request that you either remove this outdated posting or update it base on its original source. 

The channel 10 news legal department advised channel 10 news to remove the defamatory video from its site. As you can see the link to the video has been removed from their site and only an updated article remains.  The person claiming to be the tenant in the story is a known local oceanside, ca. gang leader.  He and his mother were ordered to vacate the property and were ordered to pay over $11,000.00 in rent and attorneys fees.  The gang member Apelonio Paul Rosas' civil case will soon be over. 

Under the defamation law the person rebroadcasting a defamatory video is also equally liable and the original broadcaster. I hereby am placing you on notice to review your facts and our source and to remove the video both from your site and from your YouTube page. 

Please let me know when you have removed it. 

Sincerely,

Ali Golchin, Esq.

Golchin and Associates, APC"

What I say to that is, I thank you for your update on this article. I have updated it as you requested in the first portion of your email, but I will not remove it as in the last portion of your email. For an attorney, you are contradicting yourself. How are you going to give me the option to update and then end by saying remove? The video will remain but will be updated within the description as well as the annotations.

Coincidentally, someone posting a comment, as the first commenter I might add, used the same initials "ag"

I would like to add how funny it is that someone seems to be frantically scrambling to individually contact so many who have posted items with your name. I am not a direct news source, I find news that seems interesting and I re-share it for the world. I do not watch that article or information so that I can update my findings periodically. If someone wanted to inform me of a change or update, I thank them and welcome it. But for one to "update" me and then threaten deformation is silly.

Unable to see video? CLICK HERE

OCEANSIDE, Calif. - A local couple is at the center of a lawsuit that claims they abused their power as landlords.

Two tenants have filed suit, claiming they are living in a rundown apartment and were threatened with deportation.

In the back of a bedroom closet, Apolonio Rosas showed Team 10 a wall filled with what he said is mold. He also showed Team 10 what he said are taped-up mouse holes, along with photos showing rodent droppings.

Against the living room wall is a broken heater, and Rosas said the sinks are often clogged. Additionally, Rosas said the screen to the front door is ripped, the living room windows don't lock and many outlets don't work.

Rosas and his mother pay $1,250 a month in rent.

"I feel exploited and a bit agitated," said Rosas.

Rosas said things got bad a year and a half ago when they got their new landlords -- attorney Ali Golchin and his wife, Mahshid Hamidi, a doctor of family medicine.

In a just-filed lawsuit, Rosas said his landlords have let the apartment become uninhabitable, and when Rosas started withholding rent, he said he got a text from Golchin that read, "It is in your best interest not (to) get the courts or sheriff involved. They sometimes call immigration."

"They're taking advantage of my client's immigration status to rent them a piece of filth," said Rosas' attorney Dan Gilleon.

On the phone, Golchin told Team 10 the text was "not a threat. I was helping them out by giving them information. The idea of a threat is appalling."

Golchin added, "I've made $10,000 in repairs. I've asked them to move out so we could make more repairs and they refused."

It's a request Rosas claims didn't happen. While he said some repairs have been made, he said it's far from enough.

"Nobody should have to live like this. Nobody," said Rosas.

Rosas said he and his mother plan to move out within the next two months.

Golchin vows to vigorously fight the lawsuit.

source: http://www.10news.com

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