Boy Awarded $10,000 in Eviction Case

HAYWARD, Calif. —  A 10-year-old Hayward boy who was forced to give up his pet dog when his family was evicted from their apartment has won $10,000 in damages as part of an out-of-court settlement with his previous landlord, an attorney said.

The lawsuit alleging illegal eviction by landlord Molly Kitajima was filed in Alameda County Superior Court by Kimberly Steinbach and her son, Shaun. Joining in the suit were two other families that were evicted: Karen and Anthony Lacentra, their two children, and Terry Horowitch and her 9-year-old son. The total settlement reached last week for the three families totaled $100,000, attorney Dennis Woodruff said.

Kitajima’s attorney, William Haskell, said his client admitted no wrongdoing. Each of the children in the lawsuit received $5,000, except for Shaun. He received additional money for the emotional distress of losing his dog, which was not allowed in the family’s new apartment.