$2.7 Million Fine Against Notorious Landlord Upheld By Court

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A state appeals court has upheld an injunction and a $2.7 million civil fine ordered against a notorious San Francisco landlord who was found to have illegally harassed, retaliated against and evicted tenants.

The injunction affirmed by the state Court of Appeal in San Francisco on Monday requires landlord Anne Kihagi to hire a city-approved independent property manager for five years to manage 11 buildings and bring them into compliance with city codes.

John Cote, a spokesman for City Attorney Dennis Herrera, said the injunction will go fully into effect when the case returns to San Francisco Superior Court next year.

The injunction and penalty upheld by the appeals court were issued by Superior Court Judge Angela Blackwell last year in a lawsuit filed by Herrera in 2015.

Herrera said in a statement, "Once again, a court found that Ms. Kihagi's predatory practices as a landlord subjected tenants to campaigns of harassment and unconscionable abuse."

Kihagi's lawyer, Ryan Burns of Newport Beach, was not immediately available for comment.
Kihagi's sisters Julia Mwangi and Christine Mwangi co-own or co-manage some of the properties and are liable for part of the financial penalty.

Appeals court Justice James Humes wrote in the ruling by a three-judge panel, "For years, the landlords bought apartment buildings, evicted longtime tenants who lived in rent-controlled units, remodeled units without necessary permits, and re-rented the units at higher market rates.

"In doing so, they wrongfully harassed, retaliated against, and evicted a number of their tenants," the court said.

Herrera's lawsuit originally concerned seven buildings owned by Kahagi, but the 2017 injunction applies to 11 buildings she owns. Three of those buildings are under a receivership imposed by a mortgage lender, Cote said.

Herrera said Kihagi's actions included threats; intimidation, interruption of tenants' utility and mail service; failing to cash rent checks and later claiming they were paid late; and remodeling units for re-rental without obtaining construction permits and safety inspections.

(Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news from your California neighborhood. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app. Also, be sure to follow your local Patch on Facebook!)
Also See:

• Apple Has Over 600 Job Openings In The Bay Area Right Now
• $770 Million In Unclaimed Money Held By CA
• List Of All ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ Restaurants In Northern California
• Please Don't Help My Kids

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock