Landjerks

Mission Resident Locked Out of Apartment in Illegal Eviction

Causa Justa called on Mission neighbors to rally at 24th between Mission and Valencia and protest the evicition of Jesús Sanchez, “a Latino immigrant and Mission resident came home Wednesday night to find that the locks to the unit had been changed and all his belongings had been removed.” Which is so ridiculously illegal, where to even begin? Sadly, illegal doesn’t mean “uncommon,” especially not in The Quad. The activist organization reports that 40 percent of eviction cases referred to them come from the Mission as the latest numbers from the Rent Board show more (legal) evictions are at the highest level since the last dot-boom. Sanchez is pictured here center-right, holding a sign demanding his rights as a tenant under the Rent Ordinance. Don’t worry, Mayor Ed Lee, nobody has disrupted the corporate shuttles making stops across the street.

Update: According to Causa Justa, Sanchez will return home tonight.

Comments (11)

“Ridiculously illegal”? Only if the eviction process hasn’t been followed. Once someone has been rightfully evicted, they are no longer entitled to live there, and of course the locks can be changed and property removed. Presumably, a San Francisco landlord has dotted its i’s and crossed its t’s in pursuing the eviction.

In this case, Causa Justa reports that no notice was given. There are no Unlawful Detainer actions filed for a Jesus Sanchez listed on the San Francisco Superior Court’s website. And only the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department can effect a forcible eviction.

Then why all the drama? A simple matter of going to Superior Court and seeking a TRO. No banners necessary; just grab one of SF’s many tenant lawyers to get to work. I’m sure pro bono counsel could be lined up in literally minutes (there may even be attorneys fees and statutory damages under section 789 - just checked, yep). FAR more effective than a demonstration in an alley. Maybe they’re already doing that, and this is just to put some visible pressure on the landlord, but if not, Causa Justa needs to steer their client(?) to channels that can accomplish something. 

Amendment - Of course, I understand why “all the drama,” but still see this as pretty easily - and remuneratively - resolved, to the extent the situation is as has been represented. I do wonder, however, if it really is. Hard to imagine a LL in SF not hiring counsel to make sure they’ve stayed on the right side of the law.

So he’s a sublettor? Is he even on the lease?

Your stringing together of loosely related news stories is quickly approaching tinfoil-hat territory.

My understanding of the law is that a master tenant can evict a subtenant without cause.  However, the master tenant is surely supposed to go through the legal process.   




Sorry to be rude, but you are all wrong. in San Francisco it is illegal to change the locks without the police and full notice given.  And even if he is not legally on a lease it does not matter. He is considered grandfathered in. As long as he can proof he’s lived there for a certain amount of time either by a check that says “rent” or a PGE bill with his name and address. Do your research first before you start talking

Yup. Well said.

Wait, “even if his name wasn’t on the lease”? Lol 

That is correct!