Building Manager Pleads No Contest In Harassment Case 

   Monday morning, Robert Farzam, manager of an apartment building at 1327 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, pled no contest in Santa Monica Municipal Court to multiple criminal violations of the Santa Monica Tenant Harassment Ordinance. 
   According to the Santa Monica City Attorney's office, the victim, a tenant who has lived in the building since 1996, alleged that he had been harassed by Farzam almost nightly. He further claimed that on the night of October 17, 2000, Farzam came into his apartment, unannounced and uninvited, and began yelling at him, raising his fist and threatening to evict him. The tenant went on to say that Farzam then went to his car, which was parked below the tenant's window, and turned his car stereo up loud. The Santa Monica Police arrived at about 10 p.m. and arrested Farzam.
   Farzam pled no contest "to abusing his right of access, abusing the tenant with offensive words and interfering with the tenant's right to quiet use and enjoyment of his apartment," according to the City Attorney. He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to do 60 hours of hard labor community service, complete a six-month anger management program and to stay away from the tenant.
   Deputy City Attorney Eda U. Suh of the Consumer Protection Unit said, "This is just the type abuse that the Tenant Harassment Ordinance was intended to prohibit. Tenants in such situations should not feel helpless. Especially where the tenants feel their safety is at risk, they should immediately contact the police."
   The Tenant Harassment Ordinance has been in place since 1995.