Tenants appeal renovation permits at 2244 Mason; board continues matters to Feb. 18

Tenants at 2244 and 2244A Mason presented accounts on Jan. 14 alleging that Transition LLC began work without adequate notice, causing disruptions, flooding and safety concerns, and that the landlord’s communications were poor. Tenants’ counsel Steve Collier said the landlord intends to pursue the units as TICs and signaled possible eviction strategies; tenants urged the board to limit permits so they could return without facing capital-improvement evictions.

Representatives for the property owner, Transition LLC, through agent Blake Matos, offered to defer work on the two units while tenants remain and expressed willingness to negotiate a formal agreement. The board discussed several procedural options — continuing the hearing to allow negotiation, upholding permits with construction conditions, or staying permits — and determined a continuance would best allow parties to reach an enforceable settlement. The board continued both matters to Feb. 18, 2009, with update briefs due the Thursday before that hearing and instructed staff that the continuance would permit monitoring and follow-up if needed.

The tenants’ presentations included claims of unannounced demolition, repeated flooding, heat service interruptions and debris entering living spaces; tenants said they had repeatedly tried to engage the owner and that some repairs had been slow or inconsistent. The owner’s agent said most major renovation work in other units had already been completed, that he would meet with tenants’ counsel and that he believed Transition would agree to a written compromise. Commissioners encouraged negotiation but noted that some corrective work on other permits not before the board may require separate enforcement or follow-up by DBI.