Board upholds vacant/abandoned finding for Eighth Avenue property; owners given three months to fix exterior issues

The Abatement Appeals Board on May 21 upheld an order of abatement for a property on Eighth Avenue, finding the building met criteria for the vacant/abandoned building program and giving the owner three months to correct exterior maintenance issues.

Staff told the board they had received utility-bill records that did not reliably substantiate continuous occupancy and described maintenance problems including broken glass, a dilapidated rear porch and fencing that encroached into the public right-of-way. "The more important part of the vacant building program is the maintenance of the property," a department representative said.

The appellant told the board he has lived in San Francisco since 1982, described a difficult personal period beginning with a divorce and later a fire adjacent to his property, and said he submitted utility bills and recent repair work to show continuing occupancy and progress. A neighbor also spoke in support, saying contractors had been engaged to repair windows, paint and the fence.

Commissioners discussed whether the cures for the violations differ if a building is occupied or abandoned and noted two options for the owner to demonstrate occupancy: provide additional utility bills showing continuous usage or invite an interior inspection. Staff acknowledged some recent work but said permits were not obtained for fence repairs.

Commissioner Maher moved to uphold the order of abatement, uphold the assessment of costs (approximately $600 as stated in the record), and give the owners three months to rectify the Notices of Violation; the motion passed unanimously on roll call.

The board noted that if the owner can substantiate occupancy with utility bills or an interior inspection and complete the maintenance work (windows, fence, paint), the property could be removed from the vacant/abandoned registry.