National Lodge - Oakland

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Oakland Wiki Taxonomy

this was a major prostitution hub that was finally shut down in August, 2012.

http://oaklandnorth.net/2012/03/02/final-arguments-wrap-up-in-national-lodge-trial/

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/06/01/judge-shuts-prostitution-plagued-oakland-motels/

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=8685526

http://blog.sfgate.com/inoakland/2012/03/02/final-arguments-wrap-up-in-national-lodge-trial/

http://www.npr.org/2011/09/19/140291208/calif-community-takes-action-against-sex-trafficking

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/turnstyle/trafficked-oakland-parent_b_970519.html

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_20754909/judge-orders-two-east-oakland-motels-close-pay

FINAL JUDGMENT National Lodge 8 21 12.pdf

The National Lodge opened in .... On Dec 21, 2010 the City of Oakland sued to close the hotel because of years of arrests of prostitutes including child prostitutes as young as 14, "pimping and pandering; rapes; the shooting of a minister trying to help a prostitute escape her pimp; and assaults on women involving fists, lighters and whips."⁵ The complaint against the Economy Inn, at 122 E. 12th St., included five reported rapes, including three involving minors. The complaint against the National Lodge, at 1711 International Blvd., cites numerous police reports for prostitution involving undercover officers -- including one involving an underage girl.

The National Lodge was owned by the Patel family who bought the hotel in the mid-2000s. Hiral Patel, the manager (son of the owner), lived in an apartment attached to the hotel and said that it wasn't fair to blame the Patels and the hotel for prostitution in "The Track" as they were one hotel and he was one person and that they couldn't stop prostitution.¹

In 2010, the city sued the lodge and the Economy Inn at 122 East 12th Street and the National Lodge was forced to install security cameras. The city pressed for closure, however, since the camera measure (instituted in October, 2011)³ was supposed to help curb prostitution but the city did not have resources to monitor the cameras.²Rules about places of prohibition are laid out in OMC 9.08.260. E (it's not clear about the video cameras).

On July 26, 2012 the court declared the National Lodge a nusiance (PC 11225(a)). An order of abatement was issued that said the hotel must close by July 31, 2012 and that the hotel could not be used for any purpose for a year.

The East Bay Asian Youth Center, Oakland Community Organizations and the San Antonio Merchants Association were involved in getting the motel closed. The process took place while both John Russo and Barbara Parker were City Attorney. Russo filed the original suit and the hotels were closed on Parker's watch.

In August, 2013 Enoch Shin and Bruce Van Vuong purchased the property under the condition that the property would not be used as a hotel.⁴