San Francisco Landlord Fined Record $800K For 467 Code Violations
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – San Francisco has been awarded an $800,000 settlement from a Bayview District landlord, the largest-ever pre-trial settlement in the city with a property owner over housing code violations.
Bayview Property Managers, a company run by James Blanding, was cited for 467 housing code violations on 18 properties dating back to 2001.
Vela Valentino rented an apartment from Bayview Property Managers on Revere Avenue. Although her rent was low, $830 a month, she felt she deserved more than what she was getting.
"I went to work. I came home and it looked like someone built a swimming pool in my bathroom, living room and kitchen," Valentino said. "The floor was completely molded and it smelled disgusting."
KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:
A pipe had ruptured and she said it took five months for Blanding, her landlord, to repair all the damage.
San Francisco Department of Building Inspection's Chief Housing Inspector Rosemary Bosque said Valentino's story was one of many from residents in buildings managed by Blanding.
"We had sewer issues, issues where there was mold and moisture retention. There's a picture here of a situation where a ceiling collapsed in a child's bedroom," she said.
The terms of the settlement requires that Bayview Property Managers correct all the violations by September 15 and that all the properties be inspected by the end of the year, as well as annually for the next five years.
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