Pregnancy leads to eviction
for Culver City couple
By Brett Callwood
A Culver City couple reached a settlement with their former landlord, actress Frieda Rentie, after Rentie allegedly asked them to move out of an apartment when she found out that they were expecting their second child.
Michael and Karen Pitts originally sued Rentie, who had a role in “The Poseidon Adventure,” alleging that she wrongfully ended their lease just before Christmas 2015. According to patch.com, they alleged housing discrimination and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The Pitts moved into the apartment in 2009. When Karen Pitts became pregnant in the middle of 2015, other residents allegedly warned her not to tell Rentie, as she would be risking getting kicked out.
When Rentie did find out, she gave them 60 days to leave. In a prepared statement, Karen Pitts said,
“It was so stressful to have to look for a new apartment around Christmas time… We were away visiting family for several weeks and all I could think about was, `Where are we going to be living when I deliver our baby in a couple of months?”’
Michael Pitts said that the couple previously got along with Rentie, and it was only when the pregnancy was discovered did things turn sour.
Karen Pitts gave birth two months prior to the expected date by Caesarian section. According to Patch, in July of this year the court approved a settlement of $1,000 from Rentie to the couple’s minor daughter. On Sept. 15, the couple filed papers asking for the case to be dismissed.