Apparently we have a housing problem in California.

A one Mister Daniel Bader ran an ad on Craigslist trying rent out the lovely 430-square-foot empty space he had available above his own 1300-square-foot apartment. The ad he placed read “this space would be well-suited for 1 or 2 professional adults.” At first read one might breeze right past the very subtle injustice. But this, my friends, is discrimination rearing its ugly head. What about kids? What about the elderly? Mister Bader apparently didn’t consider the entire population of Los Angeles County when he wrote up his little ad… He obviously neglected the handicapped. Mister Bader only wanted “professional adults” living in his 430-square-foot space.

At least that’s what the Fair Housing Council seemed to think. Yes, it’s true. California really is mad as a hatter. This crazy council has not only come after Mister Bader, saying, “when he says well suited for two professional adults, it sort of implies an indication that this would be for older people, two professional people, and it leans in that direction,” but it wants to be reimbursed the roughly $4000 it says it spent investigating the claim (which included posting fliers in the neighborhood on proper rental-ad language). I’m curious, why did it investigate the claim to begin with? Did someone tip them off to a crazy racket at the Bader residence involving an “adults only” rental program? I mean c’mon. This stuff can’t be for real. Oh, but it is. And the council wants Bader to enroll in classes, at his expense, on fair housing procedures for landlords which proves it.

Yet it doesn’t end there. The Fair Housing Council had to take it one step further. They advanced the case to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing who then AGREED with the Fair Housing Council that the ad was discriminatory. So this is how these councils spend their time - debating the language of ads on Craigslist. And who exactly did this ad offend? I guess maybe people with children, or maybe teenagers… I still haven’t quite figured that one out. So then the Department of Fair Employment and Housing asked Bader to produce a written policy about discrimination and give it to anyone involved in rentals with him. So when I move into Bader’s 430-square-foot space I get a lease and a discrimination policy. They also asked that he attend training classes (along with the classes on fair housing procedures) and that he post notices “in conspicuous locations” in his rental unit that acknowledge he violated housing laws. How many conspicuous spaces do you think there are in a 430-square-foot space? And who would really live in that space without taking those notices down as soon as he or she moved in?

Oh, but we’re not done. The state continued to demand the $4000 which, of course, Mister Bader refused to pay. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t to tell you this has been going on for six months. Yes, the state has been demanding he cough up this four grand for six full months without budging a bit.

So last week, Bader decided he’d had enough. He royally upped the ante. The two sides were scheduled for a hearing before the state Fair Employment and Housing Commission, but Bader, in grand splendor, opted out in favor of a jury trial.

I say Bader, go for it. Get your jurors and see what they think about that $4000 in fliers.

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