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Abatement upheld for 3515 Santiago St.; owner given 30-day start, 90-day completion timeline
Summary
The Abatement Appeals Board denied the appeal by Mary Lou Sampson seeking relief from an order of abatement for 3515 Santiago St., citing life-safety violations. The board conditioned upholding the order on work commencing within 30 days and completion within 90 days; the vote was unanimous.
The Abatement Appeals Board on March 21 denied an appeal by homeowner Mary Lou Sampson and upheld two orders of abatement for the property at 3515 Santiago Street, setting a compliance schedule under which work must begin within 30 days and be completed within 90 days.
DBI staff introduced the case and said inspections revealed housing and building-code violations, unfinished construction and hazardous conditions affecting tenants and neighbors. Senior housing inspector Jose Lopez told the board the dwelling had been inspected initially on 07/07/2017 and that multiple related permits had been renewed over time without completion; he said the department remained concerned about exposed electrical and plumbing and blocked egress. "We are just concerned about the safety of the tenants, the property owner, and the neighbors," DBI staff said during rebuttal.
Appellant Mary Lou Sampson testified she had obtained permits and that contractors took payment and left jobs incomplete, and described personal hardships that delayed work, including the death of a family member, a broken arm and loss of income. "I got permits for all my work except that when I hired contractors... they got my money and left me with the job unfinished," Sampson said, summarizing her account of contractor failures and retaliation from a former tenant who filed complaints.
Commissioners acknowledged the appellant's hardships but emphasized that the department had documented life-safety hazards. The city attorney's office advised the board that the code requires commencement of work within 30 days and completion within 90 days when life-safety hazards are present; Deputy Director Ed Sweeney agreed that, if funding and contractor availability exist, interior electrical work could be completed within 90 days.
The board voted unanimously to deny the appeal, uphold the orders of abatement and affirm assessment of costs, on the condition that work commence within 30 days and be completed within 90 days. Commissioners Constance, McCarthy, Walker and Warshall recorded "yes" votes.
The order, once final, may be recorded on the property and DBI staff said it will continue to offer assistance and resources to help the owner reach compliance.
