San Francisco is suing a landlord for allegedly letting his rental properties in the Richmond District and Nob Hill fall into such a state of disrepair that rodents took up shop, feces accumulated and doors and windows were left broken.
The City Attorney’s Office filed the lawsuit Wednesday against Yick On Wong, who owns 505 26th Ave. and 1254-56 Leavenworth St., after Wong reportedly ignored numerous building code violations and abatement orders issued by the Department of Building Inspection over the years, despite continuing to collect rent from tenants.
“For more than a decade, Wong has refused to meet his most basic obligations as a landlord, including providing heat to his tenants,” City Attorney Dennis Herrera told the San Francisco Examiner.
“They go the heart of habitability and safety of these properties, and include ignoring unpermitted electrical wiring and unstable deck and stairs, [which] could really endanger the life and safety of the tenants,” Herrera added.
Other sordid living conditions outlined in the lawsuit include mold, a gas leak, damaged walls and ceilings, peeling paint that poses a lead hazard, hazardous plumbing conditions, illegal unit subdivision, inadequate lighting, missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and deteriorating rear exterior stairs and deck space.
The property at 505 26th Ave. consists of a three-story building, with three ground-floor commercial units and five residential units. DBI has received at least 112 complaints regarding the property since 1997.
The other site, at 1254-56 Leavenworth St., is also a three-story building that consists of two residential units on the second and third floors, and a guest room on the ground floor. At least 19 complaints for that property have been filed with DBI since 1997.
According to the lawsuit, “a vast majority” of the at least 25 notices of violation and 24 corresponding orders of abatement stemming from as early as 2002 remain outstanding.
Herrera noted that most code violations are resolved at the administrative level, and only the “worst of the worst” cases — like Wong’s — are sent to the City Attorney’s Office.
“This is an egregious set of violations,” Herrera emphasized.
Attempts to reach Wong on Friday were unsuccessful.