Eight years and many, many code violations later, a negligent landlord has been socked with a $1.7 million judgment for letting his two Hayes Valley apartment buildings fall deep into disrepair. Said the pleased city attorney upon the win: "There's no profit to be found in risking the lives and safety of tenants in San Francisco." Landlord Walter Varakin was willed the buildings by his deceased mother, but that won't let him off the hook. Some dirty details to appeal to your schadenfreude: 861-865 and 867 Fell Street came complete with mold, rats, plumbing hazards, leaks, broken locks and appliances and deteriorating floors and ceilings. If this doesn't sound so different from your current living situation, you may want to take it up with the Department of Buildings Inspection yourself -- they're the ones who brought the case to the city back in June. And a bit of a warning to Sacramento residents: Varakin owns more than 200 properties out there.
· And you thought your landlord was bad [City Insider]
· Oakland to Landlord: You Pay Now! [Curbed SF]
· City to Landlords: Fix Your Shit [Curbed SF]
Filed under:
Loading comments...