'It's Retaliatory': Elderly SF Couple Fights Eviction from Rent Controlled Apartment of 40 Years

WILL BE EXPECTED TO REPORT TO FEDERAL PRISON IN SAN PEDRO AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. >>> AN ELDERLY COUPLE IN SAN FRANCISCO IS BEING EVICTED FROM THE APARTMENT THEY HAVE CALLED HOME FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS. OUR INVESTIGATIVE UNIT HAS SPENT YEARS TRACKING EVICTIONS AMONGST VULNERABLE PEOPLE. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER HILDA GUTIERREZ IS HERE WITH THEIR DETAILS. >> Reporter: THEY SAY EVICTION IS RETALIATION FOR RECENTLY CHALLENGING YEARS OF ILLEGAL RENT RAISING IN THE RENT- CONTROLLED BUILDING BUT THEY TELL US THEY ARE NOT LEAVING WITHOUT A FIGHT. >> Reporter: EVENT AND KATHY WONG HAS BEEN A FIXTURE OF THE CITY FOR DECADES. THEY HAVE MEANT CHILDHOOD HEROES HERE. THEY RAISED TWO KIDS AND MADE LIFELONG FRIENDS. >> I HAVE KNOWN HALF A DOZEN OF THESE NEIGHBORS FOR 60 YEARS. >> THE APARTMENTS THEMSELVES HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN GREAT. >> THIS DRAINPIPE HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR YEARS. >> Reporter: THEIR HEATER HAS NOT WORKED IN DECADES. ISSUES THEY SAY THEIR LANDLORD REFUSED TO FIX. >> IT'S AS COLD AS IT GETS. IT'S LIKE BEING OUT SIDE. THE PLACE IS 123 YEARS OLD AND THERE HAS BEEN NO IMPROVEMENT. >> Reporter: EVEN SO, THE RENT KEEPS RISING. I 2019 THEY WERE PAYING MORE THAN 21 HELLER DOLLARS A MONTH OFF FROM THE -- WHEN THEY FIRST MOVE BACK IN IN 1984. PAYMENT WAS BECOMING A STRUGGLE FOR THE RETIREMENT COUPLE ON A FIXED INCOME SO THEY STARTED RESEARCHING TENANTS RIGHTS AND MADE A MAJOR DISCOVERY. THE BUILDING IS UNDER THE CITIES RENT-CONTROLLED LAW AND THE LANDLORDS NEVER TOLD THEM. THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 28 YEARS. I FEEL FOOLISH. I NEVER QUESTIONED IT. >> THESE WERE INCREASES THAT WERE BEYOND THEIR PERMITTED AMOUNTS. >> STEVE COLLIER IS A MANAGING ATTORNEY OF THE CLINIC -- >> -- >> THE LONG STRUCK A DEAL WITH THE LANDLORD OUTLINING THE AGREEMENT. >> WE FIND IT IN GOOD FAITH THINKING OKAY, WE WILL JUST DO THAT. >> THE VICTORY WAS SHORT-LIVED. TO BE CLEAR THAT A NOTICE OF A MASSIVE NEW RENT INCREASE. >> IT WAS A RENT INCREASE OF ALMOST 80%. >> Reporter: COLLIER AND THE WONG'S SAY THEY SUBSEQUENTLY FOUGHT THE INCREASE BUT IT'S ONLY A TEMPORARY VICTIM. THE EVICTION NOTICE CAME IN OCTOBER OF 2021 TAPES TO THEIR FRONT DOOR. THE LANDLORDS EVOKING THE LS ACT MEETING THEY WILL PULL THE APARTMENT OFF THE MARKET FOR MANY YEARS. THEIR CASE IS ONE OF 1048 TOTAL EVICTIONS ISSUED LAST YEAR IN SAN FRANCISCO INCLUDING 74 UNDER THE ELLIS ACT. THREE MONTHS LATER, KATHY SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK. >> SHE WASN'T BREATHING. >> YOU SAVED ME. >> AFTER FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE THEY ARE BACK TO FIGHTING THEIR LANDLORD WITH LONGTIME NEIGHBORS BEHIND THEM. >> TO HAVE SENIORS EVICTED JUST SEEMS IMMORAL AS A PROPOSITION. >> Reporter: THEY HAVE UNTIL OCTOBER TO LEAVE BUT THEY OPTED TO STAY AND FIGHT THE EVICTION IN COURT. >> DO YOU THINK THIS JURY WILL VIEW THIS AS -- WE TRIED CONTACTING THE LANDLORD THROUGH THEIR ATTORNEY BUT WE NEVER HEARD BACK. THE COUPLE IS PREPARING FOR THE WORST. LOSING THEIR APARTMENT WOULD LIKELY MEAN BEING FORCED OUT OF SAN FRANCISCO. IT'S JUST TOO EXPENSIVE. >> WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW WE WILL PAY FOR WHERE WE ARE GOING. WE ARE SENIORS NOW. WE ARE NOT YOUNG ANYMORE. >> Reporter: THEY ARE NOT READY TO SURRENDER JUST YET. >> IT ISN'T IDEAL TO FIGHT, BUT WE FEEL UP TO IT. >> Reporter: THEY DON'T HAVE A COURT DATE FOR THE EVICTION CASE . ANY FACING AN ELLIS ACT EVICTION SHOULD SEEK LEGAL HELP. >> IF YOU HAVE A STORY FOR OUR INVESTIGATIVE UNIT GIVE US A CALL

Channel: NBC Bay Area

Views: 112,365

Keywords: San Francisco, eviction battle, housing, Investgative unit, Bay Area news

Id: 3KNkyrCrYbM

Length: 5min 12sec (312 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 18 2023