I live in los angeles, ca in a house my mother owns. I live in the one-bedroom/1 bathroom unit which is underneath the main living area of the house. It has a completely separate entrance and separate locks for its doors. Even thought the property has the complete feel of two separate residences, my mother has never done the necessary permit paperwork to make it two residences etc so the city only recognizes the property as one residence... the problem(s) are:

I have lived in the bottom unit with for 22 years. 20 of those years with my 2 children who have since moved out on their own. I do not nor never have ever had a rental agreement with my mother yet I have paid rent every month of every one of these 22 years to my mother up until 2 months ago because about a year ago I paid for nearly $16,000 in renovations/upgrades to the unit I live in because I thought I'd live here pretty much for the rest of my years...

However, over the past year my mother and one of my brothers who comes to visit her in the upstairs unit from time to time, both harass me to no end, continuously, to move out because I know she wants to rent the downstairs unit I live in. I stopped paying rent because if I am to move I want to somehow recoup the 16k I invested in making my unit livable.

They harass me by banging on my door and windows whenever I have a guest. Calling me at all hours screaming at me to move... occasionally physically threatening me telling me to get the hell out as well as threaten any guest that they see coming over to visit me with physical violence etc... they also threaten to call the police with trumped-up lies about drugs and other ridiculous lies... many times the outbursts are embarrassing to me because people in the neighborhood think I somehow (unfairly) deserve such treatment as well as completely demoralizing to me when a date comes by to pick me up or a friend simply stops by to say hello etc...

Truly I just can't take it anymore. I could move but, I want to be fair to myself and don't want to give in to their illegal and immoral behaviors to me. I work as a ultra-sound technician at a couple of hospitals near to where I live L.A. and don't want to move. What the heck can I do... I beg you to please advise me somehow so I may make the best decision regarding my home and living situation...

Thank you,
STRESSED AND UPSET IN LOS ANGELES

From what you have told us you are a month to month tenant who is now in default because you stopped paying rent. Mom could evict you by giving notice to quit and then following up with eviction if you do not leave. Apparently she is not doing this but she could. You have few choices other than moving or start calling the police when you are harassed.

Was there any agreement involved in the repairs? Or did you just decide to do them on your own?

As ballenger said you are in breach of your tenancy and can be evicted with proper notice. However, they cannot harass you. You can call the police and maybe get a restraining order against them.

I feel for you no mother should treat their child like that no matter what first of all your mother should be ashamed of herself for this and every time they harass you call the police and if I was you I would go see a lawyer and take all recipts and paper work you may have for the unit you stay in like everything you have done to it and what it was like before and show it all to your lawyer as your mother should have done necessary permit paperwork to make it two residences I would not let your mother get away with this I'm afraid id fight her about this you have lived there a very long time and your kids grew up there also but now you have done it all up and made it look better your mum is trying to take it away from you no not on get a home security camera that way you can rec everything they do and it goes against them and everyone can see what they do to you and your guests it will go in your favour and maybe then your mother can see what she is doing to her daughter and she should be ashamed good luck

First of course you as the daughter can live there even though it is not a legal rental. She can still charge her daughter rent.
It is still a one family unit, since you are family and this would be allowed.

She can not of course rent it out to someone who is not family.

If there is no agreement in writing about paying this back, or even verbal agreement you can prove, the money spent on up grades, it is most likely a gift. Also how long ago was all of this up grade done, since you have lived there so long.

But without any lease, even if you pay rent on time, she can still evict you when ever she wants with proper notice.