A longtime Santa Monica resident is facing what he calls a “death sentence” if he is evicted from his current housing accommodations on Dec. 11.
Scott Brutzman is fighting to stay at 3301 Ocean Park Blvd, but his situation is complicated by the nature of the building since its commercial not residential, his own health challenges as Brutzman is severely disabled and a lack of available financial and legal resources.
Brutzman never expected to find himself living in a commercial office, much less entirely dependent on daily medical care to survive.
A city resident for 46 years, he once had everything you could want out of life: a thriving insurance business, a loving family and a single family home in the Montana neighborhood. He was a Rotarian and strong supporter of various local charities.
However, everything fell apart for Brutzman in short order.
He said his once solid business was tied to companies who had their offices in the World Trade Center and their destruction on Sept. 11, 2001 undermined his ability to earn an income. His brother and one of his daughters committed suicide. He found himself without family support, unable to stay in his home and deeply depressed. He sought help from some of the same charities that he previously donated to and he did eventually rebuild much of his previous life.
Then he was diagnosed with cancer, twice, prostate and Leukemia. Brutzman beat the disease both times but that joy was short lived after he contracted Graft vs. Host Disease (GvHD) as a result of bone marrow donations necessary to suppress his last bout with cancer.
GvHD ravages the host body and has left him with vastly reduced vision and severely compromised mobility. He again found himself without a home, but he did have his office space and enough savings to consistently pay the rent.
“[It] was just one thing after another and I’ve just never been able to recover, so instead of using my office for an office, [it] began to be my home, because I couldn’t afford to keep supporting myself with all the ailments that I developed, that I’m still dealing with,” Brutzman told the Daily Press.
While the unit isn’t designed to be a home, it allows Brutzman to receive the daily care he needs from nurses, keeps him sheltered and offers enough amenities to help him survive.
“My eyes are bad but tolerable so long as I have my gear on [two pairs of sunglasses and a baseball cap],” he said. “My legs on the other hand are terrible. From my knees to the tips of my toes, I have blisters outbreaks that occur in varying cycles. My legs are always wet, exposing red raw second layer of skin. I’m very susceptible to infections on both legs which from time to time need drugs — I can take ampicillin, penicillin ‘and amoxicillin. I can’t do the care necessary to help me guard against infection. I need help. The nurses come in and keep my legs clean and wrapped each with three layers of dressing treatment, put up my pills — I can’t do that because my hands shake and pills end up all over the floor — take my blood pressure and check my blood oxygen level and pulse. If I didn’t have at home nurses, I very likely would be dead. I can’t live without them.”
He said the landlord was aware that he was living on the premises, and continued to accept monthly rent payments until the notice of termination on his tenancy this year, something he said is due to the property being able to receive in the range of $1,500 to $2,000 per month instead of his $710 monthly payment.
Brutzman beat a prior eviction case with help from nonprofit lawyers but he now faces a Dec. 11 court date and while he is mounting a defense on his own, living in a commercial building limits his legal options.
Brutzman said he is using all available services to find new housing. He submitted an application to the Santa Monica City Housing Authority, and was told his application has been “bumped up the list” for senior housing due to his circumstances. A few promising options failed to materialize as Brutzman didn’t qualify for units due to income requirements or they were unable to accommodate his disabilities.
He is still working with local charity groups but remains without a housing option for the moment with his Dec. 11 court date rapidly approaching.
“That’s the day I expect them to say well, get [him] out of there,” Brutzman told the Daily Press. “One, two or three days later, the [Sheriff’s Office] will show up and make an effort to remove me. Once that happens, I’m dead … if I’m put out on the street, I lose my ability to talk to people because I won’t be able to charge my phone, there’s no electricity [and] it’s very cold out there. My future does not look very bright.”
An attorney representing the landlord said they were unable to comment on pending litigation.
thomas@smdp.com
