A California state senator has co-authored new emergency legislation that would keep small businesses in California from being evicted because of not paying rent due to the coronavirus safety precautions.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, has joined with Long Beach-based state Sen. Lena Gonzalez to craft a bill that would allow small businesses to close to help fight the spread of coronavirus without the fear of being evicted.
“This will also help businesses focus first and foremost on supporting employees and payroll, instead of focusing on rent,” the senators said in a joint statement Saturday. “Prohibiting commercial evictions of small businesses during this health emergency will protect small businesses, protect workers, protect our economy and protect public health by removing the fear that closing down will result in permanent loss of a business’ commercial space.”
The two senators are also asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to issue an executive order to put this new law into effect. “We need fast action by both branches of government on this critical issue,” they said in the joint statement.
Ok.
Pass the law, businesses close, no rent is paid.
A few weeks later and the health emergency is over and the landlord want his rent.
Who’s gonna pay that rent?
Ideally they’d know that there would be no rent to collect, and would expect rent when there was enough time after reopening for there to be rent.
So will the bank not require me to make the mortgage payment that I have to make that I use the renters payment to make ?
As a small business owner I don’t see how this will help. The rent is still owed. If I don’t pay my rent due to the crisis now I will be in arrears.
Can we just close down everything besides hospitals and grocery stores and have forgiveness for unpaid bills during this time? I work face to face with people all day and feel strongly at risk doing so and hate being required to still go to work. I have an elderly family member who lives with us, so I see all of these people then go home and put him at risk.