Wildfire Rent-Gouging Case Dismissed In Sonoma County Court

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A rent gouging during a declared emergency case filed against a couple who owned a Rohnert Park home was dismissed in Friday in Sonoma County Superior Court in Santa Rosa. Marjie Moulana, 54, and Fourouzan Moulana, 61, were charged with misdemeanor price gouging immediately after the Oct. 9, 2017 wildfires.

The complaint alleged they raised the $2,650 rental price of a home at 963 Eileen Court in Rohnert Park before the declared emergency to $3,500 — a 32-percent increase — after the declared emergency by Gov. Jerry Brown. The misdemeanor price-gouging charge prohibits an increase of more than 10 percent.

The Moulanas agreed to a diversion program requiring them to pay fines and restitution to resolve the case.

Marjie Moulana agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and Fourouzan Moulana agreed to pay $500, Deputy District Attorney Caroline Fowler said.

They also revised the lease to comply with the price gouging statute and agreed to pay $7,888 restitution to the tenants' insurance company, which paid the rent under the terms of the tenants' home insurance policy.

There were no additional complaints against the Moulanas during their 12-month diversion period, and they will not have a misdemeanor conviction as part of the diversion agreement, Fowler said.

The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office investigated several rent price-gouging complaints in the wake of the wildfires. There are at least two still pending resolutions in court, Fowler said.

— Bay City News Service