Since joining the fight to stop their evictions, many of the liveaboard tenants at Pete’s Harbor have experienced harassment and deception from the harbor landlord Paula Uccelli, harbormaster Giorgio Garilli, and other members of Uccelli’s hired staff.
One liveaboard tenant is a lady who was away from her boat at the harbor because she was going through chemotherapy. Although she had provided the harbor with her contact information before leaving, she came back to find her boat padlocked, stripped of valuable items, and for sale.
Below is a chronicle of interactions that harbor tenants had with Uccelli’s staff in October alone. The list of interactions show that Paula Uccelli’s hired workers have little to no sympathy for the tenants whose rents were funding their livelihood.
Almost all of the harbor tenants listed below are referred to by letters as opposed to their actual names. The fear of retaliation is so strong among many tenants that they have no wish to name themselves publicly.
- Occupy Redwood City
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Monday, 8 October:
Harbor staff Jill and Manuel photograph harbor residents entering and attending the City Council Meeting and write down their names. They are referred to below as liveaboards A through P.
Wednesday, 10 October:
Harbormaster Giorgio Garilli yells at liveaboard A, telling him to clean off his boats.
Wednesday or Thursday, 10 or 11 October:
Harbor staff Manuel and Timo are confirmed walking around G Dock, checking out the water supply next to the boats.
RV resident Alison Madden says that trucks have been slowly and regularly driving around her Airstream. One black truck stopped right in front of where she usually parks and idled for a minute.
Giorgio says to liveaboard B, “I like you, B. You should stay away from these [Save Pete's Harbor] people. They are doing this the wrong way.”
Thursday, 11 October:
Giorgio calls liveaboard C, yells at him, tells him that his shut-off valve to the water supply is a modification that cannot be made. But liveaboard C walks the docks and discovers that other residents have done the exact same thing.
Sunday, 14 October:
Giorgio tells RV resident D that “those that are fighting this are going to pay dearly.”
Monday, 15 October:
Giorgio asks liveaboard E if he has found a place to put his boat yet.
Wednesday, 17 October:
Following the 10/16/2012 Planning Commission meeting at which tenant F spoke, Giorgio leaves a voicemail message for subletting liveaboard F saying that he is not a tenant, that G and H (who own the boat) are the tenants, and that Giorgio will have to make this clear at the 10/30/2012 Planning Commission meeting. Note that a subtenant is a tenant legally and it was an approved situation, so the same force should be given to tenant F’s viewpoint and experience as to any other tenant’s.
Thursday, 18 October:
RV resident Alison Madden, one of the tenants at the forefront of the Save Pete’s Harbor fight, suddenly has internet connectivity issues.
Friday, 19 October:
Non-liveaboard I says that Giorgio called him and told him he had to move his boat. He says that Giorgio told him, “Paula’s shutting down the thing.”
Giorgio calls non-liveaboard J and tells him he needs to move his boat ASAP.
Giorgio calls liveaboard K and asks if she “has a place to go yet.” He tells her he has a list of marinas and she should come and get it. When she asks how soon, he tells her she should hurry.
Harbor staff Jill sees liveaboard L (her husband M had a boat at the harbor for over thirty years) in the parking lot and tells her that she is “not taking this seriously” and that they “should look for a place to live.”
Harbor staff places yellow caution tape around empty slips, something that has never done before based on the recollection of the long-term tenants.
Monday, 22 October:
When liveaboard K calls the office about rent, harbor staff Jill asks if she has called Pillar Point Harbor yet, says that Pillar Point said she hadn’t called them, and that “you better hurry up before the crab boats get back.”
Harbor staff places yellow caution tape around additional empty slips. When liveaboard N asks harbor staff Manuel and Timo what the tape is for, Manuel says, “it’s just tape.” When liveaboard O asks about the tape, Giorgio tells him it’s to show where empty slips are.
Liveaboard B discovers his automobile has a large dent NOT made by a vehicle, in the left back panel. He feels strongly it is the result of his being quoted in a recent article about the harbor.
Tuesday, 23 October:
When liveaboard K went to pay the rent, Giorgio asked, “Have you found a place to go, K?” and she responded, “We were going to wait until the sale is signed.” Giorgio then said under his breath, “I was afraid of that.”
Saturday, 27 October:
RV resident Alison Madden notices two new large dents in her Airstream. No vehicles are authorized to be near the space where the dents would have been made.
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