Mechanic shop workers in Salinas claim they’re being harassed by ‘thugs’ to move out

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Mechanic shop workers who have their auto shops along Chinatown say they were given 'inadequate' notice to vacate the warehouse building on Bridge Street by January 31. An immigration attorney is now involved because some tenants said someone has been harassing them to move before their deadline.

Attorney Blanca Zarazua headed to the building on Friday to talk to the business owners and workers.

"We don't believe the notice was appropriate and it was defective," said Zarazua.

A property owner can give a tenant 30-day notice to vacate and for people who have occupied the property longer, 60 days. However,

The wife of a Mechanic, who we are only identifying as Margarita, said they were being harassed.

KION checked with the Monterey County assessor's office and the owner is listed as Best Box Salinas California Bridge, LLC out of Missouri.

"This is another example of how things can either escalate or deescalate -- we're de-escalating. I assured the owner that I am not a rebel rouser - I'm a problem solver. I'm trying to solve the problem that has risen on this site," said Zarazua.

One of the problems has also been the water and electricity that were disconnected while workers are trying to carry out the last of their business.

There is no communication between the two and Zarazua said she was assured by the owner that a better move-out date could be negotiated and everyone involved would be treated respectfully.

A previous photo has been changed to replace an unrelated image that had been pulled from the station archive.