SAN FRANCISCO — A three-bedroom house in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood is for sale for a bargain price – just half a million dollars.

However, there is a catch: you may not be able to move in for 30 years.

It is a unique offering that attracted a long line of potential buyers last week.

“My husband came in and said, 'You have to look out the window. There's a line running from the house to the middle of the block,'” said Ilia Smith, a neighbor.

The 1,100-square-foot home at 30 North View Court in San Francisco has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the price is definitely raising eyebrows among neighbors.

“I don’t know what to think about it,” said Ilia Smith.

VIDEO: Uninhabitable house in prime Bay Area location for sale for $699,000

A seven-bedroom house in San Jose for $699,000 seems like a bargain, right? For a livable house, yes, but that's not true for 2161 Elliot Street, which is slated for demolition.

“This was a big surprise to all of us on this street,” said her husband Tim Smith.

According to the ad published on Zillow, the house is rented and is to be sold as is.

The buyer cannot move in until 2053. That's another 30 years.

“Thirty years. I don’t think I’ll live to see that,” said Ilia Smith.

“The new owner would have to buy the house on a very long-term lease, which is currently being offered to a private individual,” said Tim Smith.

According to the ad, the current tenant will continue to live there and pay the same rent each month. The current tenant pays $417 in rent per month.

VIDEO: You can own a prime property for $400,000 in this Bay Area city, but there's a catch…

In the never-ending story of Bay Area real estate inflated prices, this case is perhaps the most shocking of all. For $400,000, you can own a prime property in Alameda… but it's completely underwater.

ABC7 News went to the Park North Real Estate office in hopes of speaking to the two brokers listing the property. No one was available for comment.

We then spoke to a lawyer specializing in tenancy law.

“For some reason they gave this person a 30-year right to possession. I've seen that before. That's a pretty sloppy way of doing estate planning. 'I want to leave this person some security so they don't have to worry about where they're going to live.' That's how they can do it. I think they should have done it differently,” said attorney Steven MacDonald.

MacDonald says the house is being sold as is – take it or leave it.

“It's a very, very unique buyer who is willing to accept a big discount – maybe two-thirds. Maybe you pay $1 million for a $3 million house and wait 20 to 30 years before you can move in.”

For those willing to wait, it's a bargain.

Copyright © 2024 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

The post San Francisco Russian Hill house at 30 North View Courtroom promoting for $488,000 however you may’t transfer in till 2053 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO — A three-bedroom house in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood is for sale for a bargain price – just half a million dollars.

However, there is a catch: you may not be able to move in for 30 years.

It is a unique offering that attracted a long line of potential buyers last week.

“My husband came in and said, 'You have to look out the window. There's a line running from the house to the middle of the block,'” said Ilia Smith, a neighbor.

The 1,100-square-foot home at 30 North View Court in San Francisco has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the price is definitely raising eyebrows among neighbors.

“I don’t know what to think about it,” said Ilia Smith.

VIDEO: Uninhabitable house in prime Bay Area location for sale for $699,000

A seven-bedroom house in San Jose for $699,000 seems like a bargain, right? For a livable house, yes, but that's not true for 2161 Elliot Street, which is slated for demolition.

“This was a big surprise to all of us on this street,” said her husband, Tim Smith.

According to the ad published on Zillow, the house is rented and is to be sold as is.

The buyer cannot move in until 2053. That's another 30 years.

“Thirty years. I don’t think I’ll live to see that,” said Ilia Smith.

“The new owner would have to buy the house on a very long-term lease, which is currently being offered to a private individual,” said Tim Smith.

According to the ad, the current tenant will continue to live there and pay the same rent each month. The current tenant pays $417 in rent per month.

VIDEO: You can own a prime property for $400,000 in this Bay Area city, but there's a catch…

In the never-ending story of Bay Area real estate inflated prices, this case is perhaps the most shocking of all. For $400,000, you can own a prime property in Alameda… but it's completely underwater.

ABC7 News went to the Park North Real Estate office in hopes of speaking to the two agents listing the property. No one was available for comment.

We then spoke to a lawyer specializing in tenancy law.

“For some reason they gave this person a 30-year right to possession. I've seen that before. That's a pretty sloppy way of doing estate planning. 'I want to leave this person some security so they don't have to worry about where they're going to live.' That's how they can do it. I think they should have done it differently,” said attorney Steven MacDonald.

MacDonald says the house is being sold as is – take it or leave it.

“It's a very, very unique buyer who is willing to accept a big discount – maybe two-thirds. Maybe you pay $1 million for a $3 million house and wait 20 to 30 years before you can move in.”

For those willing to wait, it's a bargain.

Copyright © 2024 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

The post San Francisco Russian Hill house at 30 North View Courtroom promoting for $488,000 however you may’t transfer in till 2053 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO — A three-bedroom house in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood is for sale for a bargain price – just half a million dollars.

However, there is a catch: you may not be able to move in for 30 years.

It is a unique offering that attracted a long line of potential buyers last week.

“My husband came in and said, 'You have to look out the window. There's a line running from the house to the middle of the block,'” said Ilia Smith, a neighbor.

The 1,100-square-foot home at 30 North View Court in San Francisco has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the price is definitely raising eyebrows among neighbors.

“I don’t know what to think about it,” said Ilia Smith.

VIDEO: Uninhabitable house in prime Bay Area location for sale for $699,000

A seven-bedroom house in San Jose for $699,000 seems like a bargain, right? For a livable house, yes, but that's not true for 2161 Elliot Street, which is slated for demolition.

“This was a big surprise to all of us on this street,” said her husband, Tim Smith.

According to the ad published on Zillow, the house is rented and is to be sold as is.

The buyer cannot move in until 2053. That's another 30 years.

“Thirty years. I don’t think I’ll live to see that,” said Ilia Smith.

“The new owner would have to buy the house on a very long-term lease, which is currently being offered to a private individual,” said Tim Smith.

According to the ad, the current tenant will continue to live there and pay the same rent each month. The current tenant pays $417 in rent per month.

VIDEO: You can own a prime property for $400,000 in this Bay Area city, but there's a catch…

In the never-ending story of Bay Area real estate inflated prices, this case is perhaps the most shocking of all. For $400,000, you can own a prime property in Alameda… but it's completely underwater.

ABC7 News went to the Park North Real Estate office in hopes of speaking to the two agents listing the property. No one was available for comment.

We then spoke to a lawyer specializing in tenancy law.

“For some reason they gave this person a 30-year right to possession. I've seen that before. That's a pretty sloppy way of doing estate planning. 'I want to leave this person some security so they don't have to worry about where they're going to live.' That's how they can do it. I think they should have done it differently,” said attorney Steven MacDonald.

MacDonald says the house is being sold as is – take it or leave it.

“It's a very, very unique buyer who is willing to accept a big discount – maybe two-thirds. Maybe you pay $1 million for a $3 million house and wait 20 to 30 years before you can move in.”

For those willing to wait, it's a bargain.

Copyright © 2024 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

The post San Francisco Russian Hill house at 30 North View Courtroom promoting for $488,000 however you may’t transfer in till 2053 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO — A three-bedroom house in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood is for sale for a bargain price – just half a million dollars.

However, there is a catch: you may not be able to move in for 30 years.

It is a unique offering that attracted a long line of potential buyers last week.

“My husband came in and said, 'You have to look out the window. There's a line running from the house to the middle of the block,'” said Ilia Smith, a neighbor.

The 1,100-square-foot home at 30 North View Court in San Francisco has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the price is definitely raising eyebrows among neighbors.

“I don’t know what to think about it,” said Ilia Smith.

VIDEO: Uninhabitable house in prime Bay Area location for sale for $699,000

A seven-bedroom house in San Jose for $699,000 seems like a bargain, right? For a livable house, yes, but that's not true for 2161 Elliot Street, which is slated for demolition.

“This was a big surprise to all of us on this street,” said her husband, Tim Smith.

According to the ad published on Zillow, the house is rented and is to be sold as is.

The buyer cannot move in until 2053. That's another 30 years.

“Thirty years. I don’t think I’ll live to see that,” said Ilia Smith.

“The new owner would have to buy the house on a very long-term lease, which is currently being offered to a private individual,” said Tim Smith.

According to the ad, the current tenant will continue to live there and pay the same rent each month. The current tenant pays $417 in rent per month.

VIDEO: You can own a prime property for $400,000 in this Bay Area city, but there's a catch…

In the never-ending story of Bay Area real estate inflated prices, this case is perhaps the most shocking of all. For $400,000, you can own a prime property in Alameda… but it's completely underwater.

ABC7 News went to the Park North Real Estate office in hopes of speaking to the two agents listing the property. No one was available for comment.

We then spoke to a lawyer specializing in tenancy law.

“For some reason they gave this person a 30-year right to possession. I've seen that before. That's a pretty sloppy way of doing estate planning. 'I want to leave this person some security so they don't have to worry about where they're going to live.' That's how they can do it. I think they should have done it differently,” said attorney Steven MacDonald.

MacDonald says the house is being sold as is – take it or leave it.

“It's a very, very unique buyer who is willing to accept a big discount – maybe two-thirds. Maybe you pay $1 million for a $3 million house and wait 20 to 30 years before you can move in.”

For those willing to wait, it's a bargain.

Copyright © 2024 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

The post San Francisco Russian Hill dwelling at 30 North View Courtroom promoting for $488,000 however you possibly can’t transfer in till 2053 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO – City officials in San Francisco are preparing to move forward with sweeping homeless encampments after receiving the latest legal guidance as a years-long battle over the issue plays out in court.

San Francisco officials say the majority of homeless people in encampments who are offered housing routinely turn it down. But now, because of new judicial guidance in an ongoing federal case, these people can't just stay on the streets.

ALSO READ: San Francisco NoPa residents install planters to prevent homeless camping

On any given day, residents say Willow Street near Van Ness is lined with trash and tents.

“People who know Willow, it's become really notorious. And for two years it's been really, really bad and it's extremely unsafe,” said Ricky, an area resident who did not want to reveal his last name for privacy reasons. “We see that a lot of electricity is stolen. We see fires. We saw vandalism.”

On Monday evening, a neighbor also filmed a rare drug discovery on the street.

ALSO READ: Newsom says California will intervene in the lawsuit and stop San Francisco from clearing encampments

Last month, Mayor London Breed posted a video on X of her visit to Willow Street, showing workers cleaning up. She said the goal is to get people into shelters and off the streets.

For the entire year, an injunction has prevented the city from enforcing certain laws against those who refuse protection on our streets.

The good news: A recent clarification from the court now shows us the way forward.https://t.co/PJpjeNWhXa

— London Breed (@LondonBreed) September 25, 2023

In a series of posts on a path forward for us.

Residents said the camps returned the next day.

“It gets better for a day or two, but then it goes back to normal,” Ricky said.

Mayor Breed said San Francisco has finally received clarity from the Ninth Circuit – the city will be allowed to enforce a series of laws against sitting, lying and sleeping on public streets and sidewalks for people who refuse shelter @KPIXtv 11 p.m. pic.twitter. com/hMc2gv5bv9

— Betty You (@bett_you) September 26

The Ninth Circuit provided clarity about who is considered “involuntarily homeless.”

“If city workers offer concrete offers of available housing to homeless individuals and they refuse that offer, then the law can be enforced against them. “They are not allowed to pitch their tent on the street,” said city attorney David Chiu.

ALSO READ: Federal judges won't change San Francisco's ban on clearing homeless camps on appeal

Chiu said this development means people should see fewer camps and cleaner streets over time.

However, the lawsuit filed by homeless advocates is still pending, and the ban on clearing encampments until there are more homeless beds than homeless people remains in effect. But the mayor said there is now a path forward to enforce laws against those who are voluntarily homeless.

“I would say it's really good that they sorted that out. Firstly, many of these people need a home. So pushing them and telling them there's a home for them would help a lot,” Ricky said. “But those who don't want to be moved, we believe… a lot of them cause a lot of trouble.”

ALSO READ: Searching homeless camps is just one aspect of a system that isn't working for SF residents

Since KPIX first reported on Willow Street nearly two years ago, a new encampment has sprung up a block away on Eddy Street on Van Ness Street. Residents say it has only grown.

“The residents – we talked about it. Now there are no more excuses, now at least some of it needs to be cleaned up,” Ricky added.

Chiu said city departments are working on logistics for the upcoming evictions.

Meanwhile, a trial date for the federal case has been set for late next year.

More from CBS News

Betty Yu

Betty Yu joined KPIX 5 as a general assignment reporter in November 2013. She spent two years as a reporter at WTVJ, the NBC-owned station in Miami, before moving to San Francisco.

The post San Francisco to start out clearing some homeless encampments below new courtroom steering appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

GRANTS PASS, Oregon — A pickleball game in this leafy Oregon community was suddenly interrupted one rainy weekend morning by the arrival of an ambulance. Paramedics rushed through the park toward a tent, one of dozens illegally erected by the town’s hundreds of homeless people, then play resumed as though nothing had happened.

Myles Baida plays pickleball as emergency responders put a homeless person in an ambulance March 23 in Grants Pass, Ore. Relatives had called police and requested a welfare check. 

Jenny Kane, Associated Press

Mere feet away, volunteers helped dismantle tents to move an 80-year-old man and a woman blind in one eye, who risked being fined for staying too long. In the distance, a group of boys climbed on a jungle gym.

The scenes were emblematic of the crisis gripping the small, Oregon mountain town of Grants Pass, where a fierce fight over park space has become a battleground for a much larger, national debate on homelessness that has reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

A volunteer holds on to a wheelchair as Max Hartfelt is helped into his tent after being relocated from one park to another March 23 in Grants Pass, Ore. The rural community has become the unlikely face of the nation’s homelessness crisis as its case over anti-camping laws goes to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jenny Kane, Associated Press

The town’s case, set to be heard April 22, has broad implications for how not only Grants Pass, but communities nationwide address homelessness, including whether they can fine or jail people for camping in public. It has made the town of 40,000 the unlikely face of the nation’s homelessness crisis, and further fueled the debate over how to deal with it.

People are also reading…

Grants Pass Mayor Sara Bristol visits Tussing Park on March 22 in Grants Pass, Ore. 

Jenny Kane, Associated Press

“I certainly wish this wasn’t what my town was known for,” Mayor Sara Bristol told The Associated Press last month. “It’s not the reason why I became mayor. And yet it has dominated every single thing that I’ve done for the last 3 ½ years.”

Officials across the political spectrum — from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in California, which has nearly 30% of the nation’s homeless population, to a group of 22 conservative-led states — have filed briefs in the case, saying lower court rulings have hamstrung their ability to deal with encampments.

Like many Western communities, Grants Pass has struggled for years with a burgeoning homeless population. A decade ago, City Council members discussed how to make it “uncomfortable enough … in our city so they will want to move on down the road.” From 2013 to 2018, the city said it issued 500 citations for camping or sleeping in public, including in vehicles, with fines that could reach hundreds of dollars.

A vehicle at left drives down Rogue River Highway as light shines on the area  March 23 in Grants Pass, Ore. 

Jenny Kane, Associated Press

But a 2018 decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals changed the calculus. The court, whose jurisdiction includes nine Western states, held that while communities are allowed to prohibit tents in public spaces, it violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment to give people criminal citations for sleeping outside when they had no place else to go.

Four years later, in a case challenging restrictions in Grants Pass, the court expanded that ruling, holding that civil citations also can be unconstitutional.

Civil rights groups and attorneys for the homeless residents who challenged the restrictions in 2018 insist people shouldn’t be punished for lacking housing. Officials throughout the West have overstated the impact of the court decisions to distract from their own failings, they argued.

“For years, political leaders have chosen to tolerate encampments as an alternative to meaningfully addressing the western region’s severe housing shortage,” the attorneys wrote. “It is easier to blame the courts than to take responsibility for finding a solution.”

In Grants Pass, the town’s parks, many lining the picturesque Rogue River, are at the heart of the debate. Cherished for their open spaces, picnic tables, playgrounds and sports fields, they host everything from annual boat-racing festivals and vintage car shows to Easter egg hunts and summer concerts.

Brian Wright, center, prays during bible study at Gospel Rescue Mission on March 21 in Grants Pass, Ore. 

Jenny Kane, Associated Press

They’re also the sites of encampments blighted by illegal drug use and crime, including a shooting at a park last year that left one person dead. Tents cluster along riverbanks, next to tennis courts and jungle gyms, with tarps shielding belongings from the rain. When the sun comes out, clothes and blankets are strung across tree branches to dry. Used needles litter the ground.

Grants Pass has one overnight shelter for adults, the Gospel Rescue Mission. It has 138 beds, but rules including attendance at daily Christian services, no alcohol, drugs or smoking and no pets mean many won’t stay there.

Cassy Leach, a nurse, leads a volunteer group providing food, medical care and other basic goods to the town’s hundreds of homeless people. They help relocate their tents to comply with city rules.

Cassy Leach, a nurse who leads a group of volunteers who provide food, medical care and other basic goods to the hundreds of homeless people living in the parks, talks to Kimberly Marie, who is homeless and camping in Fruitdale Park on March 21 in Grants Pass, Ore. 

Jenny Kane, Associated Press

At one park last month, she checked on a man who burned his leg after falling on a torch lighter during a fentanyl overdose and brought him naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication. In another, she distributed cans of beans, peas and Chef Boyardee mini ravioli from a pickup truck.

“Love, hope, community and a safety net is really as important as a shower and water,” Leach said.

Dre Buetow, 48, from northern California, has been living in his car for three years after a bone cancer diagnosis and $450,000 in medical bills. The illness and treatment kept him from returning to his old tree-trimming job, he said.

Laura Gutowski’s husband died from a pulmonary embolism and she suddenly found herself, in her 50s, with no income. They didn’t have life insurance or savings and, within a month, she was sleeping outside.

“I used to love camping,” she said through tears. “And now I can’t stand it anymore.”

But some residents want to limit aid because of the trash left behind after encampment moves or food handouts. The City Council proposed requiring outreach groups to register with the city. The mayor vetoed it, laying bare the discord gripping Grants Pass.

Before the council attempted, unsuccessfully, to override the veto last month, a self-proclaimed “park watch” group rallied outside City Hall with signs reading, “Parks are for kids.” 

The group regularly posts images of trash, tents and homeless people on social media. On Sundays, they set up camp chairs in what they say is a bid to reclaim park space.

Brock Spurgeon says he used to take his grandkids to parks that were so full it was hard to find an available picnic table. Now, open drug use and discarded needles have scared families away, he said.

“That was taken away from us when the campers started using the parks,” he said.

Homeless encampment sweeps spike in cities across US as housing crisis grows

Michael Johnson gathers possessions to take before a homeless encampment was cleaned up in San Francisco on Aug. 29, 2023. Cities across the U.S. are struggling with and cracking down on tent encampments as the number of homeless people grows, largely due to a lack of affordable housing. Homeless people and their advocates say sweeps are cruel and costly, and there aren’t enough homes or beds for everyone.  

Jeff Chiu, Associated Press

Roxanne Simonson, 60, removes her long-sleeve shirt  July 27 after being told by Rapid Response Bio Clean that she has 72 hours to vacant her illegal campsite in Portland, Ore. Simonson has been homeless for two years. 

Craig Mitchelldyer

Will Taylor, 32, cleans up the campsite of a friend July 27 before Rapid Response Bio Clean removes the belongings during a sweep in Portland, Ore. Taylor says that he has had to move three times since becoming homeless. Tent encampments have long been a fixture of West Coast cities, but are now spreading visibly across the U.S. The federal count of homeless people reached 580,000 last year, driven by lack of affordable housing and a pandemic that economically wrecked households. 

Craig Mitchelldyer, Associated Press

Prohibited items that have been collected by Rapid Response Bio Clean while cleaning homeless camps sit on a table in the company warehouse in Portland, Ore., on July 27, 2023. Weapons, car parts and drug paraphernalia are not allowed to be returned to people whose items have been confiscated during a sweep.  

Craig Mitchelldyerr, Associated Press

A San Francisco Police Department vehicle drives through a homeless encampment being cleaned up in San Francisco on Aug. 29, 2023. Records obtained by The Associated Press show attempts to clear encampments increased in cities from Los Angeles to New York as public pressure grew to address what are dangerous and unsanitary living conditions. But despite tens of millions of dollars spent in recent years, there appears to be little reduction in the number of tents propped up on sidewalks, in parks and by freeway off-ramps.

Jeff Chiur, Associated Press

Members of the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team’s Encampment Resolution Team walk toward an encampment in San Francisco Aug. 29, 2023. 

Jeff Chiu, Associated Press

Two small stones that say “hope” and “peace” respectively and two flowers lay inside a circle of rocks on the ground in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 17, 2023. The rock circle is next to the site of a former homeless encampment that was cleared several times over the course of the year. With homelessness on the rise in the U.S. and a lack of affordable housing, cities and states are cracking down on mushrooming tent encampments.  

Claire Rushr, Associated Press

Roughly 30 large boulders occupy the narrow strip of land between a sidewalk and a parking lot wall in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 17, 2023. The boulders were installed sometime after late July at the site of a former homeless encampment to prevent tents from being set back up. The encampment was cleared several times over the course of the year.  

Claire Rushr, Associated Press

San Francisco Public Works crew load a truck while cleaning items from a homeless encampment in San Francisco Aug. 29, 2023. Cities across the U.S. are struggling with and cracking down on tent encampments as the number of homeless people grows, largely due to a lack of affordable housing. Homeless people and their advocates say sweeps are cruel and costly, and there aren’t enough homes or beds for everyone. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Jeff Chiu, Associated Press

A woman gathers possessions to take before a homeless encampment was cleaned up in San Francisco on Aug. 29, 2023. Cities across the U.S. are struggling with and cracking down on tent encampments as the number of homeless people grows, largely due to a lack of affordable housing. Homeless people and their advocates say sweeps are cruel and costly, and there aren’t enough homes or beds for everyone.  

Jeff Chiu, Associated Press

A woman gathers possessions to take before a homeless encampment was cleaned up in San Francisco, Aug. 29, 2023.  

Jeff Chiur, Associated Press

Members of the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team’s Encampment Resolution Team speak with people at an encampment in San Francisco Aug. 29, 2023.  

Jeff Chiur, Associated Press

A San Francisco Public Works crew cleans items from a homeless encampment in San Francisco Aug. 29, 2023. 

Jeff Chiur, Associated Press

Maurice Palmer waits with his possessions as a homeless encampment is cleaned up in San Francisco Aug. 29, 2023.  

Jeff Chiur, Associated Press

Francis Zamora, of Department of Emergency Management, walks past a puddle near a homeless encampment being cleaned up in San Francisco Aug. 29, 2023.  

Jeff Chiur, Associated Press

A man pushes items while a homeless encampment is being cleaned up in San Francisco Aug. 29, 2023.  

Jeff Chiur, Associated Press

Roughly 30 large boulders occupy the narrow strip of land between a sidewalk and a parking lot wall in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 17, 2023. The boulders were installed sometime after late July at the site of a former homeless encampment to prevent tents from being set back up. The encampment was cleared several times over the course of the year. Cities across the U.S. are struggling with and cracking down on tent encampments as the number of homeless people grows, largely due to a lack of affordable housing. Homeless people and their advocates say sweeps are cruel and costly, and there aren’t enough homes or beds for everyone.  

Claire Rushr, Associated Press

Amber Nastasia from Rapid Response Bio Clean cleans a homeless camp July 27 in Portland, Ore. 

Craig Mitchelldyer, Associated Press

Will Taylor, 32, cleans up the campsite of a friend July 27 before Rapid Response Bio Clean removes the belongings during a sweep in Portland, Ore.

Craig Mitchelldyer, Associated Press

Will Taylor, 32, cleans up the campsite of a friend before Rapid Response Bio Clean removes the belongings during a sweep in Portland, Ore., July 27, 2023. T 

Craig Mitchelldyerr, Associated Press

Amber Nastasia from Rapid Response Bio Clean cleans a homeless camp in Portland, Ore., on July 27, 2023.  

Craig Mitchelldyerr, Associated Press

Amber Nastasia, left, and Jacob Miller from Rapid Response Bio Clean clean a homeless camp in Portland, Ore., Thursday, July 27, 2023.  

Craig Mitchelldyerr, Associated Press

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The post Supreme Court docket to resolve Oregon homelessness case appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A state appeals court upheld $5 million in damages and attorneys’ fees Thursday to a former San Francisco deputy city attorney who was fired after investigating questionable city payments to plumbing companies.

Joanne Hoeper, an 18-year veteran of the office who was then serving as chief trial deputy to City Attorney Dennis Herrera, was removed by Herrera in August 2012 after presenting the findings of her investigation. He transferred her to a temporary position at the district attorney’s office, and then dismissed her from that post in January 2014.

Hoeper had been alerted in December 2011 to a pattern of rising payments by the city to sewer companies for alleged damage to sewer lines by the roots of city-owned trees. She said she determined that the tree roots were not actually harming the sewer lines, that city payments to the companies had soared from $142,000 a year to $4 million in a decade, and that two city attorney staffers had approved dubious payments.

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Her report to Herrera said that some plumbing companies were defrauding the city and that San Francisco was paying inflated prices to replace sewers that did not need replacement. Hoeper said she found no evidence of kickbacks or corrupt practices by city employees, but said one staff member was wrongly accepting claims from the plumbing companies rather than the property owners.

Hoeper was distraught about her removal from the office and said she told Herrera she had turned down a job offer from then-Attorney General Kamala Harris in 2011 after Herrera assured her she had a future in the office.

When she sued over her firing, however, the office denied retaliating against her and said Herrera had decided to replace her years earlier for other reasons,compounded by “her exercise of poor judgment in dealing with the investigation.”

But a Superior Court judge found in March 2017 that the dismissal was retaliatory and had violated Hoeper’s rights under the state Whistleblower Protection Act. She was awarded $2.63 million in damages and $2.4 million to reimburse her attorneys.

In Thursday’s ruling, the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco said the evidence “amply supports” the jury’s conclusion that Hoeper’s sewer investigation was a factor in her firing. The court also said the dismissal and the surrounding circumstances effectively ended Hoeper’s 30-year legal career, supporting damages for lost income and emotional distress.

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On another issue, the court rejected the city’s argument that much of the evidence Hoeper presented should have been excluded because it involved confidential attorney-client interchanges between Herrera’s office and the city.

San Francisco waived any such confidentiality by releasing parts of its report, including its condemnation of Hoeper’s performance, to The Chronicle and another publication, the Westside Observer, Justice Peter Siggins said in the 3-0 ruling.

“This decision supports whistle-blowers who risk their careers to stand up to corruption in government,” said Hoeper’s lawyers, Karl Olson and Therese Cannata.

John Coté, a spokesman for Herrera, said the case was simply an employment dispute, and that no court had made any finding of corruption.

“Sometimes juries get it wrong, and that’s what happened here,” Coté said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate the court did not recognize that the city attorney had ample legitimate reasons for terminating Ms. Hoeper.”

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The post Appeals courtroom upholds $5 million award to SF deputy metropolis legal professional who was fired appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A Jack in the Box restaurant in San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood has been ordered by a San Francisco Superior Court judge to fix its faulty plumbing, which for several months last year leaked water and feces onto Biscuits and Blues, the old-school music venue below it that has remained closed for almost a year.

The order is part of a temporary injunction issued by the court on Monday. It comes roughly 10 months after the building at Geary and Mason streets began to have plumbing issues. According to the filing, Jack in the Box “must stop any leaks from the refrigerators and freezers up to and including unplugging the appliances.” It goes on to say Biscuits and Blues “continues to suffer irreparable harm” while the 24-hour burger joint operates.

The order does not specifically state which repairs need to be made or whether Jack in the Box will be forced to temporarily close.

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“I’m more excited now about what’s happening than I have been in a while,” said Steven Suen, owner of Biscuits and Blues. “I feel like this could be the official start of our countdown to when we’re finally back in business.”

Biscuits and Blues, which closed last April, opened in 1995 and is one of the oldest blues bar and restaurants in San Francisco, where the number of similar venues has been shrinking. What first drove the Jack in the Box location and Biscuits and Blues to court was a disagreement about who would pay to fix the plumbing. Biscuits and Blues said it was Jack in the Box’s responsibility. The fast-food restaurant owner said it was the duty of the landlord, and the landlord said the Jack in the Box operator should pay for the work.

Jack in the Box Inc., which does not own the restaurant but was later added to the lawsuit as a defendant, and the legal representatives for the San Francisco franchisee did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

As the court battle raged, Suen said Biscuits and Blues teetered on the brink of a permanent closure. Over nine months, Suen said he has canceled more than 100 shows. He said all 16 of his employees have left to find other work. In late 2019, Suen said he was losing as much as $250,000 each month.

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Biscuits and Blues owner Steven Suen inspects the damage to his ceiling and nightclub in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Aug. 2, 2019 caused by flooding from the restaurant above. The Biscuit and Blues nightclub has remained closed since April 4 when a sewage line from the Jack in the Box restaurant on the floor above cracked, sending waste water raining down from the ceiling of the club.Paul Chinn / The Chronicle 2019

But simply fixing the plumbing and changing appliances as the injunction orders won’t address all of the building’s issues, according to Gordon J. Calhoun, who represents the franchisee of Union Square’s Jack in the Box, Saeed Khan. During a Jan. 29 court hearing, Calhoun said the plumbing in the building was more than 20 years old and repairing it would require structural work on the building’s foundation, which would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take roughly two years to complete.

But according to a Jan. 28 letter from Tony Sanchez-Corea, a local building inspector who reviewed the property at the request of Biscuits and Blues, the damage at the location “is fairly minor in nature and could not reach a level requiring a seismic or foundation upgrade.”

Alexander Hamilton of the Versant Law Group, a representative for Meiyan Enterprises Inc., the landlord of the property that houses both Jack in the Box and Biscuits and Blues, said during the Jan. 29 hearing that he wanted to see “both tenants able to operate and remain in place.”

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Despite the doors being closed to Biscuits and Blues, Suen said he spends his time functioning as though the business were to reopen tomorrow. He was scouting blues talent in Memphis during Super Bowl weekend. Later this year, he plans to attend a blues music awards show for the same reason. He’s also working on upgrading the payment system at the bar and restaurant.

Since music venue mainstays in the city like Bissap Baobab, Elbo Room and Hemlock Tavern are either closing, moving or being sold, the local blues community has rallied to support Biscuit and Blues. Roughly 20 people have attended each court hearing for the business over the past nine months.

Chris Siebert, a piano player and bandleader for Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, performed regularly at Biscuits and Blues for 25 years until it closed. Both Siebert and Smith sat in the audience at the Jan. 29 hearing.

“It’s just incredibly frustrating to see what has been happening. There’s just so many people that care about this place,” Siebert said while leaving the hearing. “You’ve been seeing honest, hardworking people being stonewalled by a big corporation.”

Biscuits and Blues owner Steven Suen views the damage to his nightclub in San Francisco, Calif. on Friday, Aug. 2, 2019 caused by flooding from the restaurant above. The Biscuit and Blues nightclub has remained closed since April 4 when a sewage line from the Jack in the Box restaurant on the floor above cracked, sending waste water raining down from the ceiling of the club.Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

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After Arrest in United Kingdom, Zhang Li Admits Role in Scheme to Bribe Mohammed Nuru; Zhang’s U.S.-based Real Estate Development Company also Charged

October 16, 2023 – SAN FRANCISCO – Zhang Li, founder and chief executive officer of a Chinese real estate development company appeared last night in U.S. District Court on charges that he bribed former head of the San Francisco Department of Public Works Mohammed Nuru, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Robbins, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian. A U.S. company that Zhang controls, Z&L Properties, Inc., was also charged with honest services wire fraud for providing bribes and gifts to Nuru in exchange for favorable city treatment of Z&L Properties’ mixed-use project at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco, Calif. As part of a negotiated disposition both Zhang and Z&L Properties will waive the right to indictment and admit that they engaged in certain conduct.

Zhang, 70, of Guangzhou, China, has been charged by Information with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. According to the Information, Zhang bribed Nuru by providing him with food, drinks, luxury lodging, and transportation during a trip Nuru took to China in 2018. The Information alleges the purpose of the bribe was to influence Nuru so that he would provide favorable treatment on decisions and city approvals needed during the construction and development of a mixed-use property at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco being developed by Zhang and a company Zhang controlled.

Z&L Properties Inc., a U.S. company formerly based in Fremont, Calif., and controlled by Zhang, was also charged in a separate Information with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and honest services wire fraud for its participation in the bribery scheme. Z&L Properties managed the development of the 555 Fulton Street project and the company facilitated the payment of bribes to Nuru in exchange for favorable treatment regarding the 555 Fulton project, according to the allegations in the criminal Information.

“Zhang Li and Z&L Properties have admitted that they bribed a top San Francisco public official. The criminal charges and resolutions announced today send a clear message that this office will not tolerate the corruption of public officials in the District by anyone, including individuals acting from outside of the United States,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins. “To those who seek to corrupt public officials in the United States, wherever they are, we will use the powers at our disposal to bring them to justice and hold them accountable to the rule of law.”

“Zhang Li, who earned his profits through bribery of a San Francisco public official, is yet another individual charged in connection to our ongoing public corruption case,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Public corruption erodes public confidence and strikes at the very foundation of our government. The citizens of San Francisco deserve better, and we stand firmly committed to investigating both corrupt officials and private citizens who attempt to bribe them, no matter where they reside.”

“IRS-Criminal Investigation’s priority is to ensure a fair and level playing field for all taxpayers,” said Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian of the Oakland Field Office. “Mr. Li’s conduct shows that greed and financial crimes have no borders, and we will continue to pursue those who take advantage of our system and taxpayers by following the money worldwide. We are proud to have worked alongside our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing this case a step closer to closure.”

Zhang originally was charged by criminal complaint in May of 2021. At the request of the United States, Zhang was arrested when he arrived in the United Kingdom in December 2022 and the United States pursued extradition. After approximately six months, Zhang consented to extradition and was subsequently surrendered to U.S. authorities. The charges against Zhang now are set forth in an Information filed by the government.

Zhang appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse in the Northern District of California. Magistrate Judge Tse released Zhang on a bond pending further proceedings.

According to the documents filed in Zhang’s case, the defendant and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have entered a deferred prosecution agreement. Under that agreement filed today, Zhang admitted to the conduct that forms the basis of the charge in the Information, and, if Zhang abides by the terms of the deferred prosecution agreement, the charge will be dismissed in three years.

According to filed documents, Z&L Properties also will plead guilty to charges set out in the Information filed against it; Z&L also will agree to a comprehensive compliance and remediation program designed to prevent bribery and corruption in connection with Z&L Properties’ real estate development work. Z&L Properties has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud, will pay a fine of $1,000,000, and will enter into a corporate compliance program acceptable to the Office of the U.S. Attorney. Z&L Properties appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse today, and the court set a further hearing before U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick, on August 10, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.

The charges against Zhang and Z&L Properties arose from an investigation into bribery and public corruption in San Francisco city government led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and IRS-CI. To date, more than 14 individuals and entities have been charged in connection that larger set of investigations, including Mohammed Nuru, former director of the San Francisco Public Works department; Harlan Kelly, the former general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; and multiple city contractors and other facilitators of bribes and corruption.

Nuru was charged in January 2020, pleaded guilty in January 2022, and on August 25, 2022, Nuru was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison. A separate defendant charged in the investigation, Walter Wong, was charged in June 2020 with conspiracy to defraud the public of its right to honest services and with conspiracy to engage in money laundering, both involving Nuru. Wong entered a guilty plea and agreed to cooperate with the government’s San Francisco City Hall corruption investigation.

An Information merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant Zhang faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate. Z&L Properties faces a maximum fine of $500,000 per count, plus restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ward and Robert Leach are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and United Kingdom authorities for their assistance in the extradition.

Source: DOJ Release

Related:

Property Developer Z&L Properties Fined $1 Million After Pleading Guilty To Honest Services Fraud Conspiracy

Company Admitted Its Chairman Bribed Former San Francisco Department of Public Works Head Mohammed Nuru with Meals, Hotel Stay During China Trip

October 16, 2023 – SAN FRANCISCO – Z&L Properties Inc., a Foster City, California-based subsidiary of a Chinese property development company, was ordered to pay a $1 million fine as part of its sentence for bribing a San Francisco official in exchange for favorable treatment on a construction project, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Francisco Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. William H. Orrick, United States District Judge.

According to the plea agreement, Z&L Properties’ executives approved or paid bribes to former San Francisco Department of Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, including providing him and another individual with food, drinks, lodging, and transportation during a trip to China in 2018. The purpose of the payments was to influence Nuru to act favorably on Z&L Properties’ requests for city approvals needed to complete construction of a mixed-use property owned by Z&L Properties at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco.

Z&L Properties was charged by Information on July 18, 2023, with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud. Z&L Properties pleaded guilty to the criminal scheme on August 17, 2023. In addition to the $1 million fine, Judge Orrick ordered Z&L Properties to implement a three-year anti-corruption corporate compliance program.

Also charged in the scheme was Zhang Li, 70, of Guangzhou, China. Zhang was the owner and controlling member of Z&L Properties as well as the chairman, co-founder, and chief executive officer of R&F Properties Co. Ltd., a real estate holdings and development company based in Guangzhou, China. R&F Properties does business in the United States through Z&L Properties Ltd. Zhang was charged by Criminal Complaint for his role in bribing Nuru. Zhang was arrested in London in November 2022 on an arrest warrant issued in the Northern District of California. He was required to post a £15 million ($19.1 million) bond and remained under house arrest in London for seven months before being extradited to the United States. Zhang waived extradition in June, returned to the United States, and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States.

This case is part of a larger federal investigation targeting public corruption in the City and County of San Francisco. Nuru was charged in January 2020 with a long-running honest services fraud scheme. Nuru pleaded guilty to several charges on January 6, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison on August 25, 2022. Another defendant, Wing Lok “Walter” Wong was charged in June 2020 with conspiracy to defraud the public of its right to honest services and with conspiracy to engage in money laundering, both involving Nuru and others. Wong entered a guilty plea and agreed to cooperate with the government’s corruption investigations. Judge Orrick has scheduled Wong’s sentencing hearing for January 18, 2024.

Assistant United States Attorney David Ward is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of a multi-year investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
Source: DOJ Release

The post Chinese language Nationwide Actual Property Developer Seems in Court docket to Face Expenses of Bribing a Distinguished San Francisco Public Official appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO – Zhang Li, founder and chief executive officer of a Chinese real estate development company appeared last night in U.S. District Court on charges that he bribed former head of the San Francisco Department of Public Works Mohammed Nuru, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Robbins, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian. A U.S. company that Zhang controls, Z&L Properties, Inc., was also charged with honest services wire fraud for providing bribes and gifts to Nuru in exchange for favorable city treatment of Z&L Properties’ mixed-use project at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco, Calif. As part of a negotiated disposition both Zhang and Z&L Properties will waive the right to indictment and admit that they engaged in certain conduct.

Zhang, 70, of Guangzhou, China, has been charged by Information with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. According to the Information, Zhang bribed Nuru by providing him with food, drinks, luxury lodging, and transportation during a trip Nuru took to China in 2018. The Information alleges the purpose of the bribe was to influence Nuru so that he would provide favorable treatment on decisions and city approvals needed during the construction and development of a mixed-use property at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco being developed by Zhang and a company Zhang controlled.

Z&L Properties Inc., a U.S. company formerly based in Fremont, Calif., and controlled by Zhang, was also charged in a separate Information with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and honest services wire fraud for its participation in the bribery scheme. Z&L Properties managed the development of the 555 Fulton Street project and the company facilitated the payment of bribes to Nuru in exchange for favorable treatment regarding the 555 Fulton project, according to the allegations in the criminal Information.

“Zhang Li and Z&L Properties have admitted that they bribed a top San Francisco public official. The criminal charges and resolutions announced today send a clear message that this office will not tolerate the corruption of public officials in the District by anyone, including individuals acting from outside of the United States,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins. “To those who seek to corrupt public officials in the United States, wherever they are, we will use the powers at our disposal to bring them to justice and hold them accountable to the rule of law.”

“Zhang Li, who earned his profits through bribery of a San Francisco public official, is yet another individual charged in connection to our ongoing public corruption case,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Public corruption erodes public confidence and strikes at the very foundation of our government. The citizens of San Francisco deserve better, and we stand firmly committed to investigating both corrupt officials and private citizens who attempt to bribe them, no matter where they reside.”

“IRS-Criminal Investigation’s priority is to ensure a fair and level playing field for all taxpayers,” said Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian of the Oakland Field Office. “Mr. Li’s conduct shows that greed and financial crimes have no borders, and we will continue to pursue those who take advantage of our system and taxpayers by following the money worldwide. We are proud to have worked alongside our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing this case a step closer to closure.”

Zhang originally was charged by criminal complaint in May of 2021. At the request of the United States, Zhang was arrested when he arrived in the United Kingdom in December 2022 and the United States pursued extradition. After approximately six months, Zhang consented to extradition and was subsequently surrendered to U.S. authorities. The charges against Zhang now are set forth in an Information filed by the government.

Zhang appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse in the Northern District of California. Magistrate Judge Tse released Zhang on a bond pending further proceedings.

According to the documents filed in Zhang’s case, the defendant and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have entered a deferred prosecution agreement. Under that agreement filed today, Zhang admitted to the conduct that forms the basis of the charge in the Information, and, if Zhang abides by the terms of the deferred prosecution agreement, the charge will be dismissed in three years.

According to filed documents, Z&L Properties also will plead guilty to charges set out in the Information filed against it; Z&L also will agree to a comprehensive compliance and remediation program designed to prevent bribery and corruption in connection with Z&L Properties’ real estate development work. Z&L Properties has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud, will pay a fine of $1,000,000, and will enter into a corporate compliance program acceptable to the Office of the U.S. Attorney. Z&L Properties appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse today, and the court set a further hearing before U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick, on August 10, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.

The charges against Zhang and Z&L Properties arose from an investigation into bribery and public corruption in San Francisco city government led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and IRS-CI. To date, more than 14 individuals and entities have been charged in connection that larger set of investigations, including Mohammed Nuru, former director of the San Francisco Public Works department; Harlan Kelly, the former general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; and multiple city contractors and other facilitators of bribes and corruption.

Nuru was charged in January 2020, pleaded guilty in January 2022, and on August 25, 2022, Nuru was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison. A separate defendant charged in the investigation, Walter Wong, was charged in June 2020 with conspiracy to defraud the public of its right to honest services and with conspiracy to engage in money laundering, both involving Nuru. Wong entered a guilty plea and agreed to cooperate with the government’s San Francisco City Hall corruption investigation.

An Information merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant Zhang faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate. Z&L Properties faces a maximum fine of $500,000 per count, plus restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ward and Robert Leach are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and United Kingdom authorities for their assistance in the extradition.

The post Northern District of California | Chinese language Nationwide Actual Property Developer Seems In Court docket To Face Fees Of Bribing A Distinguished San Francisco Public Official appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.