April 8th: City of Vernon Enacts Eviction Moratorium on Commercial Properties

Eviction Relief.

On Tuesday, April 7th, the Vernon City Council voted to enact a temporary emergency moratorium on commercial properties. The “safe harbor” would apply to evictions of commercial tenants in the following situations:

  • For commercial or nonprofit properties, no landlord shall endeavor to evict a commercial or nonprofit tenant for non-payment of rent if a commercial or nonprofit tenant is unable to pay rent due to financial impacts related to COVID-19;
     
  • During this moratorium, a commercial or nonprofit tenant shall also be waived any obligation for payment on late fee assessments related to electric, water, fiber, and gas utility charges and service shall not be shut off due to non-payment;
     
  • The moratorium would remain in effect for the period of time set forth in State Executive Order No. 28-20, and may be extended from time to time, unless sooner terminated or repealed by the City Council. Consistent with the Executive Order, the Emergency Ordinance defines “financial impacts related to COVID-19” for commercial tenants as including, but not limited to, loss of business income from full or partial closure of the business (either voluntarily or by mandate) to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Nothing in the Emergency Ordinance relieves the tenant of liability for the unpaid rent, which the landlord may seek after expiration of the local emergency and the tenant must pay within six (6) months of the expiration of the local emergency. 

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