Landlord-Tenant

Tenants’ Rights Spotlight: Northern California Tenants’ Lawyer on Housing Discrimination

August 9, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Shelter is one of our most basic and most universal needs. Like other basic needs, the need for safe housing is particularly urgent for parents for whom with the health and well-being of their children often takes precedence over their own. As a San Francisco housing lawyer, Attorney Greg Brod represents renters throughout Northern California who have been treated unfairly by a landlord or property owner. Our work includes representing the victims of housing discrimination, including families, minorities, and others whose rights are violated by increasingly powerful owners and landlords.

DOJ Announces $75,000 Settlement in Case Alleging Discrimination Against Families with Children

A recent case out of Colorado serves as a useful illustration of these wrongs. On July 25, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a press release announcing that the owners and manager of a 28-unit apartment complex in Lakewood, Colorado have agreed to pay $75,000 to settle a claim filed under the Fair Housing Act. The underlying lawsuit alleges that the defendants implemented a policy that generally excluded families with young children from residing in units located in the complex’s front building. Per the allegations contained in the complaint, representatives from a Denver non-profit posed as potential renters and were told that families with children were generally housed in the rear building. The suit further alleged that prospective renters with children were not offered the opportunity to consider available units in the front building.

San Francisco Tenant’s Lawyer on the Eviction Problem in Our Region

July 13, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

We all know that the cost of housing in San Francisco has skyrocketed in recent years resulting in a shortage of affordable rental housing. What you may not know is that these market forces have also resulted in a startling increase in the number of tenants facing eviction. In far too many cases, landlords are using wrongful evictions to chase out existing tenants, particularly lower-income renters, and profit from rising prices. Our San Francisco wrongful eviction lawyer helps tenants who have been illegally pushed out of their housing or otherwise harassed by a landlord in violation of city and/or state laws.

Article Examines the Rising Number of Eviction Notices in San Francisco

This week, the Peninsula Press, an award-winning project of the Stanford Journalism Program, published a fascinating (and upsetting) look at eviction notices in San Francisco. According to their data, eviction notices have increased 60% since 2011, a major concern in a city where two-thirds of the population lives in rental housing. In 2011, nearly six tenants a day received eviction notices for a total of 2,080 notices served last year. Notably, the Mission, Sunset, South of Market, and Tenderloin neighborhoods accounted for over a quarter of the eviction notices served in the past six years. These numbers only count notices, not actual evictions, but it is also important to remember that one eviction may leave a whole family homeless.

San Francisco Injury Lawyer Examines the Danger of Residential Fires

June 3, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

The ability to make and use fire is one of the things that has set the human race apart from other species. We use fire to stay warm, provide light, and cook food. However, fire is strong and when it is out of control it can cause serious injuries or death. When residential fires happen because of human negligence, such as when an apartment is not equipped with working smoke detectors or when a wiring issue causes a home to ignite, our San Francisco fire injury lawyer helps hold those at fault financially accountable.

Home Fire in San Francisco Leaves Man in Critical Condition

Earlier this week, CBS SF reported on a residential fire that left a man in critical condition in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley. The fire department was called to the first block of Cora Street at 2:10 PM on Tuesday afternoon. Upon arrival, firefighters saw flames and smoke inside a single-family home and there was smoke emanating out of the residence. It was only after they forced their way into the home and began a search that firefighters found a male victim inside. Emergency officials transported the man to the hospital in critical condition.

A Message About Pool Safety and Civil Liability for Pool Drownings from Your Santa Rosa Injury Attorney

May 18, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

As summer nears, pools and lakes are becoming (forgive the pun) hot spots. With the arrival of the water recreation season comes an increased danger of drowning and children are particularly at risk. Often, drowning is a tragic accident. However, sometimes drowning, in particular swimming pool drowning, occurs because a company or individual is negligent. When negligence puts people in danger, our Santa Rosa pool injury lawyer fights for the victims and for their families.

Fatal Drowning in Rohnert Park Condo Pool

One of the first reported drowning deaths of the 2016 season occurred on Sunday according to a report from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Police believe that a young child was using a kickboard in the swimming pool at a Sonoma condominium complex when he slipped off the board. Officers suspect that the 4-year-old boy was underwater for several minutes before he was spotted. Bystanders attempted CPR and rescue workers, who arrived within four minutes of the 911 call, continued the efforts, but they were unsuccessful and the boy was pronounced dead at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. A representative from the police office urged great care as the water activity season begins stating, “Whether you’re swimming or boating, in a lake, a pool or the ocean, it doesn’t matter the age, be observant, be aware.”

Bed Bug Science and California Bed Bug Law

April 29, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Many of us have, at one time or another, been told to develop a “thicker skin.” In colloquial usage, this generally means one should be less sensitive to criticism or other negative words. However, it turns out that in the world of bed bugs a thicker skin is a very real physical trait and one that makes the pests even tougher to eradicate. This is important news. Our San Francisco tenant’s lawyer believes landlords in particular should be paying attention because landlords can and should be held responsible when their failure to take appropriate action leaves residents suffering and prolongs a bed bug infestation in the Bay Area.

Bed Bugs Developing Resistance to Certain Insecticides

This week, CNN reported that researchers in Australia found that bedbugs have begun to develop thicker skins that allow them to survive certain bug sprays. Bed bugs are parasites that feed on human blood and they have made a major resurgence in recent decades. Researchers believe the pests are only growing stronger and more resistant to certain treatments. In the recent study, researchers found that bed bugs that had a thicker natural covering were more likely to survive certain insecticides. The scientists hope that this research helps in the continued effort to “spot a chink in their armour” and develop more effective treatments.

The Continuing Story of the Berkeley Balcony Collapse and How Our California Construction Law Firm Helps Those Injured by Building Defects

April 27, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Last summer, Californians and the nation watched in disbelief as the story of the Berkeley balcony collapse unfolded. Six people died and many others were injured in the tragedy. The pictures were shocking and made many of us think twice before stepping out onto our own balconies and terraces. Some ten months later, lawmakers and others are trying to figure out what went wrong. As a San Francisco construction law firm committed to helping people injured or left grieving by dangerous structures, the Brod Law Firm is following the developments.

State Senate Looks at Safety Records and State Law in Balcony Collapse Review

As KPIX reports, a California State Senate subcommittee is looking into what caused the deadly balcony collapse last June. State Senator Jerry Hill focused the discussion on the history of the construction company that has been accused of performing shoddy construction that allegedly led to the structural failure. Hill noted that the company has paid some $26.5 million to settle construction defect cases in the past.

A Reminder that Northern California Renters Have Rights, Even Amid Affordable Housing Shortage

April 8, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Housing is one of the biggest concerns for many in the Bay Area. While the high cost of housing in San Francisco has received national attention, the problem does not stop at the city’s border. The cost of renting in Oakland and throughout Northern California continues to rise and the resulting shortage of affordable housing has left many renters feeling like they are at their landlord’s mercy. It is important to remember renters have rights, in any economy, and our Oakland landlord-tenant law firm helps renters who have been mistreated by their landlord fight back.

Oakland Announces Moratorium on Evictions and Rent Increases

According to CBS SF, in an effort to stem this growing housing crisis Oakland City Council unanimously passed a 90-day moratorium on rent increases and evictions. The Council hopes this period will give officials time to author and pass new rules to help protect renters. Landlords opposed the measure and one called it merely showmanship. The moratorium follows the Council’s vote back in October to approve funds for a program aimed at educating tenants about their rights. Notably, however, that money hasn’t been released yet per one councilmember.

Understanding Bed Bug Infestations and a New (Four-Legged!) Partner in the Fight Against Bed Bugs in California Rental Properties

March 15, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

At The Brod Law Firm, we believe in partnering with experts in everything from accident reconstruction to physical rehabilitation in order to help our clients. It appears that we have a new set of partners in our work as your San Francisco bed bug infestation law firm – and they have four legs. Given the ever-rising number of bed bug infestations in our region, we’ll take the help!

Pest Control Company Uses Trained Dogs to Sniff Out Bed Bugs in the Bay Area

KRON reports that one local pest control company has turned to specially trained dogs to help sniff out bed bug infestations in the Bay Area. A representative from Round-the-Clock Pest Control told reporters that they are using bed bug sniffing beagles to find the troublesome pests. The dogs are specially trained to smell live bed bugs and then scratch to alert their handlers when they find them.

Protecting Fair Housing Rights: California Housing Attorney Examines Disability Discrimination and Other Forms of Housing Discrimination

February 10, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

Few words can stir up as many emotions as the word “home” does. Home should be a place where we feel safe, where we can let down our guard, be our truest selves, and feel love. Everyone deserves a place to call home, regardless of age, race, or sex. Likewise, individuals with disabilities have a moral, ethical, and legal right to be treated fairly when it comes to housing. Sadly, housing discrimination is a very real problem and our San Francisco tenants’ attorney is committed to fighting for everyone’s right to a place to call home.

Proposed Settlement in Disability Discrimination Case Under Fair Housing Act

Last month, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued a press release announcing a proposed settlement in a case against a Wisconsin landlord and property owner accused of discriminating based on disability in violation of the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”). The lawsuit alleges that the defendants, one individual and one company, discriminated against a mother and daughter by refusing to renew their lease because the daughter is a person with Down Syndrome. Further, the defendants allegedly demanded the family develop a “plan” to address behaviors purportedly stemming from the daughter’s disability and pressured them to move. Additionally, the gavel3 defendants were accused of discriminating against the pair by not taking prompt action to stop disability-related harassment by others living in the building including offensive comments (e.g., “You don’t belong here. . . you belong in an institution.”), interference with their use of the property, and following the pair around the premises. Allegedly, complaints about this behavior went unaddressed.

Santa Rosa Tenants’ Attorney on Renters’ Rights in Northern California

January 27, 2016 | Gregory J. Brod

There are few things we take for granted a much as clean air and a safe place to sleep. Sadly, our Santa Rosa tenants’ lawyer knows that many Californians do not have this luxury. As a pending lawsuit alleges, many of our neighbors are stuck in unsafe living conditions, problems exacerbated when landlords turn a blind eye to the suffering.

Paper Examines Santa Rosa Tenants’ Dispute Alleging Unhealthy Living Conditions

The Press Democrat’s Sunday Edition included an in-depth look at the health problems plaguing residents in a northeast Santa Rosa apartment complex and the related battle pending in state court. According to the report, the apartment was infested with dangerous mold that, along with other triggers, caused serious asthma flares for one young resident. Numerous other tenants reported moderate to severe health issues they believe are linked to the living conditions at the complex.