Help Felice & Joe Survive 388+ Days of Manufactured Homelessness Caused by Crime

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By The Accountability Project

Organization campaign Keep it all Los Angeles, CA, US Report

We're Not Okay. We're Still Fighting. We Need Help to Survive.

388+ Days Homeless Because of a Crime. Two Felonies and a Misdemeanor on Record. Still No Arrest.

⚠️ THE REALITY NO ONE WANTS TO BELIEVE

January 7, 2025: We were illegally locked out of our home in California while sick from mold poisoning.

388+ days later, we're still homeless. Still fighting. Still not okay.

There are days we don't know how much more we can take.

Days where the weight of what's been done to us feels unsurvivable.

We keep going anyway. Not because we're strong. Because stopping means they win.

The landlord changed the locks. Everything we own is still inside:

Professional clothes and shoes (can't go to job interviews)
$70K everything we own (family photos, dishes, clothes, equipment, documents)
Joe's blood pressure medications (he needs this daily)
Basic hygiene items (toiletries, professional clothing, dignity)
Stella's belongings (bed, toys, food, medical supplies—
she's suffering from mold poisoning too, with respiratory and emotional distress)
Documents, tools, everything that makes life possible

We've been living in hotel rooms and friends' sofas/spare beds for 388+ days. We wake up in pain every morning from mold exposure. We're trying to work—but without our equipment and resources, we can't bridge the gap between what we're able to earn in crisis mode and what we need to survive while fighting this case. Hotel homelessness isn't sustainable—we need stability to have any chance of justice.

Felice produced a 40-person choir at the San Diego Convention Center in February 2025—

in the only pairs of shoes she still had in her possession.

That's not success. That's survival.

If you can help us survive the next 3 months, donate $10, $27, or $50 below.

CONTRIBUTE NOW

🚫 Why We Don't Have Our Belongings:

In January 2025, we evacuated temporarily for medical safety: Doctors confirmed mold poisoning was causing pneumonia and ordered us to leave immediately. We also had no heat—living in 30-40°F temperatures while it snowed outside in the mountains. We thought we'd be back in a few days, maybe two weeks tops—once the landlord remediated the mold, fixed the heating, or paid for relocation (as legally required).

We packed for a SHORT evacuation—toiletries, a few clothes, essentials.

Then the landlord changed the locks.

Now everything we own—$70,000+ worth of belongings—is locked inside:

Family photos, documents, my grandmother's ashes
$20K+ recording equipment (our livelihood)
Clothes, dishes, furniture
EVERYTHING

We can't just "go get our stuff" because:

1. The landlord is legally required to pay moving costs(CA Civil Code 1941.1, 1942.4). Retrieving belongings ourselves = waiving our tenant rights under CC 789.3 (protection from lockouts).

2. The lockout itself is a crime:

PC 418 (Forcible Entry): Changing locks without court order = illegal "self-help eviction"
PC 487 (Grand Theft): Detaining $70K+ of property = theft on police report

3. Police treated us like criminals instead of crime victims from day one—we feared for our physical safety attempting to access our own residence.

This photo was taken before the illegal lockout. This photo was taken before the illegal lockout. Now even Joe's service animal, Stella, is sick from mold poisoning.

Kern County Sheriff's Office has one of the highest rates of police killings per capita in the United States.In 2015, they killed more people per capita than any other U.S. county. Between 2013-2023, they killed 31 people—81% more killings per arrest than most departments nationwide. Only 7% of civilian complaints against KCSO are ruled in favor of civilians. KCSO is currently under a state-mandated reform agreement (overseen by an independent monitor) due to a pattern of excessive force, civil rights violations, and inadequate oversight.

So no—we were NOT going to risk "breaking back in" to our own home, even though we had every legal right to as tenants. The last thing we needed was to give a historically violent police force an excuse to escalate against Black and Latino, disabled tenants.

We filed complaints with Internal Affairs, the Attorney General, the Civil Rights Department, and the DOJ. None of the institutions that should have protected us did anything.

This is why:

Felice was left with one pair of sneakers and Joe was left with two pairs of sneakers
We can't access professional equipment ($20K+ locked away)
Work is scarce—lack of stability makes it impossible to pursue contracts consistently. When gigs do come, we're underpaid (i.e. $1K for work that should pay $5K) or asked to work upfront without payment.
We need $45K to survive while the case proceeds

The defendant's crime manufactured our homelessness. Now we need help fighting the case to escape the trap.

If this is happening to us—and we know how to assert tenant rights—imagine how many thousands don't even realize they're being criminally violated.

HELP US SURVIVE

🚫 EVERY AGENCY THAT SHOULD HAVE HELPED — FAILED (The Material Reality)

Police documented THREE crimes + signed a probable cause declaration for landlord's arrest:

→ Forcible entry and detainer (PC 418 - Misdemeanor)
→ Grand theft (PC 487 - Felony)
→ Extortion (PC 518 - Felony)

Still no arrest. 388+ days later.

→ Attorney General has a mandate to prosecute illegal lockouts. Ignored our complaint.
→ Victim compensation fund exists for exactly this. Denied us — while sitting on $47+ million surplus.
→ Legal aid for tenants told us: "We can't take your case due to the current administration."

The system isn't broken. It's working exactly as designed. Designed to exhaust people until they disappear.

We refused to disappear. So we taught ourselves federal litigation. Pro se. While homeless.

Nothing rejected. Everything on record. Federal Magistrate Judge acknowledged our state claims have merit.

But we haven't won yet. We need to survive long enough to finish this.

HELP US FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

💔 WHY WE NEED HELP (The Material Reality)

🏩 What "Hotel" Really Means:

People hear "hotel" and assume we're fine. We're not.

We're in Canada because crimes destroyed our ability to secure housing in the U.S.:

Illegal lockout + cascade of past victimization = ruined credit
Can't qualify for U.S. rentals (credit checks fail)
Preparing for UK relocation (work opportunities + affordable mycotoxin treatment)

This extended-stay is the same price as U.S. "transitional housing"—the kind that's the last stop before street homelessness, first stop after jail or domestic violence shelters. We chose Canada because it's safer and closer to our UK relocation goal.

But we're still homeless:

No permanent residential address (can't qualify for credit, rental cars, most services needed to exist in America)
Week-to-week/day-to-day survival (if we can't pay Saturday, we're on the street)
All belongings in storage (living out of suitcases for 388+ days)
No HOME—just temporary survival

This is homelessness with a roof. It's still homelessness.

388+ days without stability. 388+ days unable to say "this is home."

That's what "hotel" really means.

🏥 The Mold Poisoning (This Isn't Abstract)

We wake up in pain. Every day.

Mold exposure doesn't go away just because you leave the building. It's in your body. It affects:

Breathing (constant respiratory issues)
Brain function (cognitive fog, memory problems—worse for Joe's existing brain injury)
Immune system (constant illness)
Energy (we're exhausted trying to survive)

We need treatment. UK has NHS (affordable healthcare via Immigration Health Surcharge). Canada doesn't cover mold toxicity treatment the way UK does.

This is why we need to relocate—not for luxury, for HEALTH.

Stella has been with us through everything—now she's suffering from mold poisoning too. Her bed, toys, and supplies are locked away with everything else we own.

💰 What $45,000 Actually Does

This is survival AND resistance.

$45K keeps us alive while we fight a federal case that will set precedent for every tenant, disabled person, and crime victim abandoned by the system.

We're not fundraising from a place of strength. We're fundraising from survival.

$63 = one more night
$441 = one more week
$1,764 = one more month

Every dollar extends how long we can keep fighting.

UK Relocation & Healthcare ($32,000-$39,000):

Visa & Immigration (2 people, 12 months):

Visa fees: $5,200-$6,300
NHS Healthcare Surcharge (mandatory): $1,300-$2,700
Subtotal: $6,500-$9,000

Travel:

Flights Canada → UK: $1,100-$2,200

Emergency Housing:

First month rent + deposit: $6,000-$10,800
(We need stability to HEAL and WORK)

3-Month Recovery Cushion:

Living expenses (food, utilities, medicine): $14,400-$21,600
Joe's medication (daily requirement)
Mold treatment protocols
Basic dignity items (shower products, clothes, hygiene)

Why 3 months? Because mold recovery requires REST in a SAFE environment. We can't heal while fighting for survival every single day.

Federal Case Completion ($10,000):

Yes, we're fighting a $39M case. AND we can't afford to finish it.

Court travel (hearings in California—we're in Canada)
Expert witnesses (testimony isn't free)
Evidence organization (300+ pages need professional formatting)
Filing fees (courts don't waive everything)

The defendant's crime made us homeless. Now we need money to fight the case about being made homeless. See the problem?

JOIN THE COALITION

STRETCH GOALS (If We Exceed $25K):

$35,000:Extended litigation support through Q2 2026 + professional trial counsel
$50,000: Full POJ Oracle platform launch + 3 additional pro se plaintiff case studies
$75,000: National expansion (documentation templates for all 50 states)

Updates: Monthly progress reports through The Accountability Project newsletter.

MULTIPLE WAYS TO SUPPORT:

If You Can Contribute:

Every dollar directly funds:

Precedent-setting litigation (accountability that scales)
Survival while building (can't help others if we're dead)
POJ Oracle infrastructure (permanent platform for all plaintiffs)

This isn't charity. This is coalition-building for systemic change.

🎯 We're Not Asking You To Fix Injustice. We're Asking You To Help Two Humans Survive.

We don't need you to believe the system is broken.

We need you to believe:

Two people are living in hotels with one pair of shoes
Mold poisoning causes daily physical pain
$70,000 in stolen property means we can't access our work tools
UK healthcare can treat mold toxicity (Canada/US can't affordably)
$45K funds 3 months of HEALING so we can finish the federal case

That's it. That's the whole ask.

📊 Where We Are Now

75+ supporters have raised nearly $9,000 since February 2025.
($3,700 from early supporters before this campaign + $5,200+ on FundRazr)

That's hard-earned. That's proof people see us. That's community saying "don't give up."

We're deeply grateful. And we're still not okay.

We need to raise $45,000 to survive through the federal case and relocate to the UK for healthcare. We're 11% of the way there.

This fight could set precedent for how illegal lockouts are prosecuted in California. But only if we survive it.

If you're reading this and thinking:

"I don't know anyone with brain injury, but I care about justice"
"I've experienced medical gaslighting or chronic illness invisibility"
"I understand what it's like when no one believes you're suffering"
"I want to help people who are trying to change a broken system"

This is your invitation to join.

We're building a coalition. Whether you give $10, $27, or $50—your donation becomes part of a movement.

CONTRIBUTE NOW

Joe and Stella have been inseparable since adopting her after his stroke in 2016. She's not just a service animal—she's his lifeline. Now she's sick too, and we can't afford to lose her.

Q: What about Stella?

A: Stella is Joe's registered service dog (he survived a hemorrhagic stroke in 2016). She's been exposed to the same toxic mold—vets confirmed respiratory issues and emotional distress. Her belongings (bed, toys, medical supplies) are locked in the property. Even our service dog is a victim of this crisis.

❓ FAQ (The Hard Questions)

Q: Can't you just get your stuff from the property?

A: No. For multiple reasons:

It would validate the illegal lockout. The $70K in stolen property is EVIDENCE in our federal case. Retrieving it on their terms = waiving our tenant rights.
We can't afford to. Moving $70K worth of belongings requires money we don't have — movers, storage, transportation. The crime that made us homeless also made us unable to afford recovery from the crime.
Their "offer" to let us retrieve belongings was the extortion. "Abandon the property and come pick up your stuff" — that threat is PC 518 extortion, documented on the police report. They're holding our belongings hostage to force us to give up our legal rights.

This is a coercive control pattern — the same tactic used in intimate partner abuse. Abusers hold belongings, documents, medications hostage to maintain power over victims. That's what's happening here.

We can't access our belongings until the case resolves — or until they're forced to comply.

Q: Can't you work?

A: We're trying. In February 2025, I produced a 40-person choir at the San Diego Convention Center—in the only pair of shoes I still have. In October 2025, I did remote work worth $5,000 but was paid $1,000 because we're desperate. Joe applied for Instacart, DoorDash, Uber, all gig work—waitlists are 6-12 months. Our professional equipment ($20K+) is locked in the property. We're working in pain from mold poisoning every day, but the system makes it nearly impossible.

Q: Why UK instead of staying in Canada?

A: Canada doesn't cover mold toxicity treatment affordably. UK's NHS does (via Immigration Health Surcharge). Plus Joe has work opportunities in UK disability advocacy sector. We're not running away—we're accessing healthcare + work while fighting our US federal case.

Q: What's the timeline for the federal case?

A: Federal cases move slowly, but we're making real progress:

→ September 2025: Filed federal civil rights complaint
→ September 2025: Filed first emergency motion
→ December 2025: Filed objections to magistrate's findings
→ January 2026: Filed lis pendens on the property (clouds the title — landlord can't sell or refinance without dealing with us)
→ January 2026: Filed new emergency motion
→ Now: Waiting on the district judge's ruling in the pleading stage

Once we get past this stage, we'll amend our complaint to add state actors — including the Attorney General's office, Kern County DA, Kern County Sheriff's Office, and CalVCB — for their roles in obstructing justice.

We're also researching the landlord's insurance — which could bring faster relief since liability is clear and documented.

Every day we wait is another day surviving in crisis. That's why this fundraiser matters — we need to make it long enough for justice to catch up.

Q: Why is this in federal court instead of state court?

A: Because this isn't just a landlord-tenant dispute. This is a civil rights case.

When police refuse to enforce laws, when agencies ignore documented crimes, when the system treats you differently because of race, disability, gender, or simply because you're a tenant instead of a property owner — that's a constitutional violation.

We filed under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, which allows citizens to sue state actors (police, government agencies) for violating constitutional rights.

State court handles landlord-tenant disputes. Federal court handles what happens when the government itself fails to protect you — or actively harms you.

That's why we're here.

Q: What if you don't win the case?

A: We need to reframe what "winning" means here.

This isn't a case where the facts are in dispute. The landlord admitted the lockout in writing. Police documented three crimes. There's a probable cause declaration for arrest. The violations are black letter law — meaning there's no gray area, no interpretation needed.

"Winning" has multiple paths:
→ Insurance settlement (liability is clear and documented)
→ Statutory damages (automatic under California law for illegal lockouts)
→ Federal ruling that sets precedent for future victims
→ State claims for the documented crimes
→ Any combination of the above

The only way we "lose" is if we're forced to give up before resolution — which is exactly what the system is designed to do: exhaust people until they disappear.

We're not disappearing.

If, against all evidence and law, we somehow don't prevail? Then we've documented proof that rule of law doesn't exist for people like us — and THAT becomes the precedent. Either way, we're building the record.

But let's be clear: the law is on our side. 300+ pages of documentation is on our side. We just need to survive long enough for the system to do what it's supposed to do.

Q: How do I know this is real?

A: Our federal case is public record: Case 1:25-cv-01123-KES. Verify at Justia. Our stolen property list was documented in the Kern County Sheriff's Office police report as PC 418 (forcible entry) and PC 487 (grand theft). This is all PUBLIC RECORD.

🤝 If You Can't Donate, You Can Still Help

Share this with:

Mold illness support groups (they GET invisible disability)
Brain injury advocates (they've been our primary supporters)
Chronic illness communities (they understand daily pain)
Legal justice advocates (they care about pro se access)

💜 The Ask

We're not asking you to believe we're special.
We're asking you to believe we're HUMAN — and that we're not okay.

There are days we don't want to wake up.

Days where the weight of 388+ days of fighting feels unsurvivable.

We keep going because stopping means they win

and we lose EVERYTHING — our belongings, our case, our chance at justice — permanently.

$45K funds 3 months of survival while we fight the federal case and relocate for healthcare.
388+ days is enough. Help us survive long enough to set precedent and get our lives back.

This fight matters beyond us. But right now, we just need to make it.

CONTRIBUTE NOW - $45,000 Goal

Martin & Borges v. Castillo (1:25-cv-01123-KES)
United States District Court, Eastern District of California

Public Case Updates: Justia.com - Case 1:25-cv-01123-KES
Evidence Portal: View Court Filings (Free)
Movement Hub: TheAccountabilityProject.org
Publications: The Meta Dispatch

The Accountability Project
We're not okay. We're still fighting.
Help us survive long enough to set precedent — so the next victim gets swift justice, not 388+ days of silence. ⚖️💜

All contributions can be made anonymously—we honor your privacy.

Legal Disclaimer: Donations are NOT investments.

You don't get paid back or receive equity. This is a request for help, not a business opportunity.

Nothing here is legal advice. We're not attorneys. Our case outcomes don't guarantee anything for anyone else.

Case value estimates ($39M+) are calculations, not guarantees. Legal outcomes are uncertain.

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By contributing, you agree to these terms.

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We're Not Okay. We're Still Fighting. We Need Help to Survive.

⚠️ THE REALITY NO ONE WANTS TO BELIEVE

CONTRIBUTE NOW

🚫 Why We Don't Have Our Belongings:

HELP US SURVIVE