Court slows pace of
Kawamoto’s evictions

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Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calilf. -- A billionaire landlord who wanted to evict hundreds of renters on a month's notice will let tenants in 420 homes stay for up to two extra weeks, until a court hearing can be held.

At the hearing, set for March 20, Judge Loren McMaster will consider a motion by a tenant and an activist group to stop the evictions by Gensiro Kawamoto.

Kawamoto, a reclusive Japanese billionaire with investments in California and Hawaii, issued eviction notices in Sacramento and Santa Rosa early this month, most giving tenants 30 days to move out. He has said in a statement that he plans to sell the property to raise the money for other investments.

Kawamoto bought and built the California houses during the 1980s, as he also was buying houses in Hawaii. He is resurrecting a 900-home real estate project on Maui, while also building a home on 100 acres on Oahu.

The ruling does not affect an additional 150 houses in Santa Rosa. Kawamoto is also attempting to remove tenants from homes in Hawaii.

The motion to halt the evictions was filed by a Kawamoto renter and a national community organizing group, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).