Can I Sue a Hotel for Bedbugs?

To whom it may concern,

I lived in an apartment like motel for six months. They do not rent nightly rooms.There is mostly families there. I recently saw a bug in my bed which I thought was a baby cockroach or a gnat. I researched it on the internet and found out it was bed bugs, as I had never seen one before. I notified the office on 2-18 and was told I had to move in two hours. According to the California. Gov site I was a tenant there. They would have had to give me 30 days notice. I told them I was not prepared for this. This was my home. I lived there everyday for six months. It is not like I just checked in to a motel. They said they would refund my rent money. Although, their policy is to not issue refunds. They did not ask if I needed medical attention.They were charging me bed tax for an unsanitary bed. I said I do not want to move, at this time, just give me another room and take care of the problem. They refused. They said I needed to move because they had to quarantine the room. I said you can not quarantine the room, because bugs travel. unless you have some kind of special building structure that I am not aware of.This problem probably occurred because recently they were having ten people a day move out, as I was told by the maid.That spreads the problem to other rooms. I used their linens and vacuum. The maid carries insecticide treatment on her cart that is specically made for bed bugs. The office said that was for preventive treatment. I said why was I never given preventive treatment? They said how do you know you weren’t? I said because I was there each time the maid came. They have in house extermination by maintenance, specifically designed for bed bugs. They would not let me see the manager nor give me corporates number. So, I started sending the manager notes. I kept refusing to move and continued to ask for the matter to be taken care of. I kept asking for the room to be treated for which they kept refusing. For the first two days the only thing they would keep saying is your moving out.They had me staying in inhumane conditions, in an untreated room, that was uninhabitable for three days. I informed them that I was not able to move because of their infestation. I was not going to possibly take their infestation elsewhere. I did not want to move until it was detemined that there was no more bed bugs. Finally, three days later maintenance came and sprayed the room. The people that lived above me told me they exterminated their room, as well. They did not inform them why they were doing that. The office informed me I did not have to move until I wanted to. So, they let me pay the rent again. I informed them that I looked up their reviews and found one that was the exact same situation as mine. It was posted three months prior to me moving in. This is the way they try to cover up their problem by making people move that discover the problem. Maintenance and his wife live there, as do most of the staff. He told me that when he does his extermination for this he puts everything in the dryer to kill it. His wife, the desk clerk, said it may or may not work. She also said that the problem used to be cockroaches and now it’s bed bugs. They have room inspections that I guess do not incorporate the detection of these kinds of problems. I still kept trying to meet with the manager, that also lives on site. I always keep my place clean and clutter free. Also, I always pay my rent in advance. I used their linens and their vacuum. I kept telling them I cannot live with bed bugs. I explained by not taking care of it they were endangering the health and wellbeing of the other families that live there. I said to them there is a baby living next door.They caused me a great deal of emotional distress. I could not eat nor sleep. I was nauseated, woozy and had headaches. My heart was racing. I broke up with my boyfriend, via text. I have had nightmares. They made my life a living nightmare. It makes me fearful to lay on a bed now. I do not know how long it will take me to feel comfortable in my own bed. I do not know if I ever will. It was their duty to warn me and others of their problem before I moved in on August 20th. On 3-1 I informed them that I had seen one dead bud and one that looked like it was going to die. So, I asked them when they were going to treat the room, again? Because, they told me after the first extermination they were going to be in five days later to do it again which they never happened. The front desk manager said he would ask maintenance and let me know. On 3-2 I went to pay the rent a day in advance, as I always do. They said they would not accept it. They said they had me scheduled to move. I said I was not notified of that. They said they were going to call the police. I said that was a good idea because then they would be made aware of the problem and make a report. Also, contact the appropriate heath officials. I waited for the police to come, for hours. Instead of the police coming the office showed up acting very aggitated and said they were there to move me out themselves. They said they were going to do this with or without my permission. I said I am not moving until I get to talk with the police. They said this is not a police matter. They started throwing open my dresser draws. So, I asked a friend to call the police. Then the police came and said that the office was possibly going to make a citizens arrest for trespassing because my rent wasn’t paid. I said that’s because they will not let me pay it. The police said they were not able to arrest me themselves. I said I am not trespassing. I am a registered guest. I have never been arrested in my life. So, I was not going to risk scaring my perfect record. I was not going to go to jail for the first time in my life because they have a bed bug problem. I think it should be the other way around. I like to keep myself and my record clean. So, I said okay I’ll move. I asked the office if I could have a day to move out. I was asking for this so I could take all possible precautionary measures for the move. Such as, laundering and getting everything wrapped tightly in plastic bags, purchasing bed bug insectide, etc. They said yes. But, they said I would have to pay for it. I said I am not giving you one more dime. Because, you are not letting me pay my rent for the sole purpose to try and arrest me for trespassing. And because you knowingly let bed bugs crawl on my body and bite me. Also, I feared for my safety. Because, of the way the office was acting.  So, a few minutes later maintenance came and helped me move out. I asked for a police report because of the injury I have sustained on their property from bed bug bites. Also, to state the office was threating to arrest me for trespassing. For which I was not doing. The police denied me a report. They said all they could do is give me an incident number. Does that violate my civil rights? Now, each day I need to use insecticide and have to be exposed to harmful chemicals, because of their doings.

Please contact me via telephone 323 574 3745.

Regards, Debbie