San Francisco is hauling the owner of a six-story Tenderloin apartment building into court, accusing him of letting residents live for months in a red-tagged, fire-damaged property at 155 Hyde Street after a June 11, 2025 blaze. According to the city, the building sat without electricity, gas, hot water or working elevators, and some tenants were reportedly given small butane stoves to heat water and cook while utilities were still out. The lawsuit names Golden Tiger LLC and its manager, Adam La, and asks a judge to order repairs, levy fines and force the owner to reimburse the city's emergency costs.
City complaint lays out claims and defendants
In a complaint filed in San Francisco Superior Court last Wednesday, the City and County of San Francisco and the People of the State of California accuse Golden Tiger LLC and Adam La of public nuisance, violating the San Francisco Building and Fire Codes and the State Housing Law, as well as unfair competition and unjust enrichment. The plaintiffs want a permanent injunction, daily civil penalties, and repayment for relocation, temporary power, and other enforcement expenses, according to the City and County of San Francisco.
Alleged timeline: fire, re-occupancy and unsafe stoves
City records and local coverage recount that an electrical fire on June 11, 2025 damaged the building's main electrical panel and boiler. PG&E cut service, and the Department of Building Inspection issued notices of violation. An inspection in August 2025 allegedly found tenants back inside the still red-tagged property, even though utilities had not been restored. The complaint says owners supplied small butane-powered camping stoves, which San Francisco fire officials labeled a significant hazard. Public Works stepped in with interim power and, by Sept. 3, 2025, relocation services had been arranged for about 89 tenants, according to CBS San Francisco.
Penalty tallies and relief the city is seeking
In its prayer for relief, the city lays out proposed civil penalties under the Building and Fire Codes, listing $349,000 under the Building Code and $278,000 under the Fire Code through last Tuesday, and asking the court to add up to $1,000 per day after that point. San Francisco is also seeking attorney fees, inspection and abatement costs and reimbursement for emergency housing and temporary power. Those figures and the full menu of requested remedies appear in the court filing; the City and County of San Francisco has the city's detailed calculations.
Owner's listing draws scrutiny
Even as the legal fight ramps up, the building has quietly been for sale. An MLS listing on Redfin pegs the asking price at $7.5 million and notes that the June 2025 fire damaged the service entry while the owner works with PG&E to bring power back online. The timing, pairing a sales pitch with a high-profile enforcement case, has not gone unnoticed among neighbors and housing watchers. Redfin carries the listing details.
What happens next
According to local reporting, the case is expected to move through San Francisco Superior Court with a trial date targeted for December, and the city is asking the judge to bar the defendants from operating the property until the alleged code violations are fixed. If the court sides with the city, the owner could face fines, be ordered to repay relocation and temporary-power costs and be required to complete repairs to make the building safe. SFGATE reported on the anticipated trial schedule and background of the dispute.
Legal implications
The lawsuit blends public-safety enforcement with civil claims for unfair competition and unjust enrichment. The city is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief, civil fines, repayment of municipal expenses and authority to record an abstract of judgment against the property. City Attorney David Chiu framed the case squarely around tenant safety, saying in a statement that "no one should be living in a red-tagged building or using camping stoves for heat," as the matter advances toward a full court showdown.
