City Attorney David Chiu has initiated legal proceedings against Charles C. Kartchner, a landlord accused of neglecting a property in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco to enforce habitability standards. According to a press release from the City Attorney's Office, the building at 646 Ellis Street has been without essential services such as heating and hot water for several months, despite tenants paying their rents.
City inspections, which followed the complaints, uncovered many issues ranging from rodent infestations to leaking sewage, making living conditions for the residents precarious. As reported by the City Attorney's office, multiple Notices of Violation (NOVs) were issued in August and September 2024 by the Department of Building Inspection (DBI), but the owner, having owned the property since March 2024, failed to make an appearance at several public hearings regarding these allegations and has let all NOVs remain unaddressed.
The lawsuit alleges that Kartchner not only maintained a public nuisance but also profited from it. Chiu stated, per the City Attorney's Office, "Every tenant deserves a safe and clean place to live. It is the landlord's responsibility to ensure their property doesn't deteriorate. We gave this owner ample opportunity to address these issues to no avail. We have no choice but to file this lawsuit to bring accountability, protect the tenants living at the property, and cure the many health and safety violations." This sentiment is echoed by Patrick O’Riordan, C.B.O., Director of the DBI, who expressed the city's commitment to protecting residents' rights.
While City attorneys seek redress for the tenants, additional complaints have accentuated the severity of the living conditions. "Finally, after more than a year living in unsanitary and unlivable conditions, the City Attorney got involved to action against a bad landlord that could care less about the tenants," Victor Ly, a tenant at 646 Ellis Street, told the City Attorney's Office. The case, City and County of San Francisco and the People of the State of California v. Charles C. Kartchner, et al., has been filed with the San Francisco Superior Court, and the City is demanding penalties, fees, and injunctive relief on behalf of the affected tenants.
