Read Books Eagle Rock closes

Read Books, a used bookstore on Eagle Rock Boulevard in Los Angeles, is closing after its owners said a new landlord raised the rent by 133%, according to local reports published in March, April and May. The shop’s co-owners, Jeremy Kaplan and Debbie Kaplan, said the increase followed the sale of the building that houses the store. The bookstore has operated in Eagle Rock since 2007, according to interviews Kaplan gave to The Occidental, LAist and KCRW. KCRW reported on April 23 that the store planned to close on June 1. ### How large was the rent increase? The rent for Read Books rose from $1,200 a month to $2,805 a month, according to Jeremy Kaplan’s account to The Occidental and LAist. Both outlets described that as an increase of more than 130%, and The Occidental put the jump at more than 133% for the roughly 600- to 700-square-foot store. (theoccidentalnews.com) February 17 was the date Kaplan told The Occidental he learned the building had been sold, when a representative for the new owner’s property manager delivered a letter. Kaplan said the letter gave the couple a choice: sign a three- to five-year lease at the higher rent or leave by March 30. ### Who owns the store, and how long has it been there? (theoccidentalnews.com) Jeremy Kaplan and Debbie Kaplan, a husband-and-wife team, co-own Read Books, according to The Occidental. Kaplan told The Occidental the general-interest used bookstore opened on Eagle Rock Boulevard in 2007 and had operated under a month-to-month lease. LAist and KCRW each described the store as a neighborhood fixture of about 19 years. (theoccidentalnews.com) Eagle Rock residents knew the shop for its used-book inventory and for Florence, the store dog, according to LAist. Kaplan told LAist that one of the rewards of running the store was seeing former child customers return as college students. ### Did the owners challenge the notice? California Senate Bill 1103 became part of the dispute after Kaplan said the original notice period was too short. (theoccidentalnews.com) Kaplan told The Occidental and LAist that the owners were first given 30 days, then pushed back and obtained a 90-day notice, which LAist said state law requires for rent increases above 10% for businesses with five or fewer employees. (laist.com) Systems Real Estate, identified by The Occidental as the property manager, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment, LAist reported. LAist also cited Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at Bet Tzedek, saying California law does not allow rent control for commercial tenancies. (theoccidentalnews.com) ### Is this only about one bookstore? KCRW reported on April 23 that Kaplan was using the store’s final weeks to organize around small-business displacement in Los Angeles. Kaplan told KCRW the issue was not limited to Eagle Rock and said it was happening across Los Angeles. Other tenants in the same building also saw rent increases, according to Kaplan’s accounts to The Occidental. (theoccidentalnews.com) He said Jennifer Montgomery Child Therapy’s rent rose from $1,600 to $2,255, while Owl Talk, a clothing boutique, saw its rent more than double from $1,200 to $2,450. ### What happens next for Read Books? (kcrw.com) June 1 is the closure date KCRW reported for Read Books. LAist reported in March that Kaplan was looking for a new location while forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups, and The Occidental reported in April that the owners had until June 1 to find a new space for about 30,000 books. (theoccidentalnews.com) April coverage also showed the store’s owners framing the closure as a relocation effort rather than the end of the business. MyNewsLA reported on April 11 that the owners were seeking a new location after the proposed rent increase. (mynewsla.com) (theoccidentalnews.com)