Legal fees for L.A. writer who reported on Airbnbs

Hi,

My name is Lisa and I am a freelance writer and reporter based in Los Angeles, CA. I enjoy writing reported features and interviewing experts to provide new perspectives on underlying consumption or public issues; I'm really proud of the work that I've produced as a result of my resolve to help make L.A. a more livable city. This often also means that my work can put me in precarious situations in regards to housing issues, especially when it comes to the state of Airbnbs in our city.

On April 25, 2021, local progressive newsroom Knock LA published my story on illegally operated Airbnbs after an alliance of tenants approached me about discrimination and harassment they were facing amidst growing Airbnb units in their buildings. You can find this story HERE. I stand by this report as well as the tenants who shared their accounts. I knew that I had watertight evidence with reason to believe every individual who shared their accounts and suspicions about illegally operated Airbnbs in their buildings.

On April 25, 2022, the landlord identified in my story filed a lawsuit against me for defamation. This became a two year-long fight, from securing an attorney to filing an Anti-SLAPP motion (a way to dismiss meritless lawsuits filed against the defendant for exercising their First Amendment rights) with substantial declarations to rest that my reporting was solid. Then in January 2024, shortly before we were ready to go to court and fight, the plaintiff sought a settlement. On January 29, 2024, I received a fully executed agreement that dismissed the charges with prejudice and let me keep my story up on Knock.

Today I am left with $10,760.58 in legal and court fees because of a lawsuit that the landlord did not want to see through after I provided my Anti-SLAPP. I have reached out to Knock to see if they could support my legal fee recovery with a contribution, but they let me know that they will not offer financial assistance at this time.

Unfortunately, as freelancers, we run into situations where our work cannot get the protection it needs. This is particularly true when their reports challenge various powers that govern (and worsen) our housing market. Landlords and management companies can be litigious upon gaining any exposure, but they have the money and means to silence both tenants and those who take on stories about them. Those on the defending end are often not as well-equipped without newsrooms that can support them in concrete ways.

This was one of the most isolating things I endured as a freelancer working in this challenging industry. If you are also in a similar field, I hope that you do not feel alone when you choose to take on stories that are important to you and your community.

I turn to my friends, family, community, and anyone else who this reaches for any help you could offer to help with my legal fee recovery. All donations from this GoFundMe will go solely to paying my attorney. Transparently, I do not have the pressure of paying back these fees in a short time, but I do worry about a future where these debts loom over my head.

Thank you Matthew, Shakeer, NOlympics LA, Richard, Kim, Annie, Maylin, and all my dear friends who shared a meal with me as I wondered whether freelance reporting is viable for me. I still don't know...but I've found that my own insatiable wish for housing justice in L.A. is clearer than ever.