Silver & Wright LLP Attorney Amanda Jones assisted the City of Richmond (located in Northern California) with obtaining a receiver for a residential property that was abandoned and a safety hazard to the community.
As a result of the collaborative effort, the uninhabitable property has been completely restored, boosting the quality of life for the neighborhood and garnering the interest of multiple buyers in the area.
The property was purchased by its owner in 1995, and in 2007 neighbors began to complain and recommend weed abatement, due to the grass and weeds in the front yard being extremely overgrown.
The City began to investigate the complaint, attempted to get in contact with the owner. Numerous attempts were made to work with the owner, including notices of violation, demands to abate, and other formal notices. The City received no response and no action was ever taken to remedy the issue.
The City eventually obtained a warrant to enter the home and found that it was completely uninhabitable and in violation of numerous State and local laws. It had a dilapidated roof, exposed electrical wiring, deteriorated plumbing, broken windows, overgrown vegetation, and an accumulation of trash and debris. Silver & Wright LLP assisted the City in issuing a formal complaint against the property owner and a representative based on their findings, yet, no response was received, again.
It was found that the owner of the property had passed away in 2017 and the representative of the property never responded to the initial notices or formal complaint. laws.
An appointment of the receiver for the property was granted and the entire house was rehabilitated, which included repairing the roof, electrical, plumbing, exterior and interior, and tearing out a large portion of the house. Once completed, the house was listed for sale. The sale of the house also allows the City to be reimbursed for the costs associated with facilitating the abatement and receivership.
With the assistance of the receiver we were able to completely restore the property from top to bottom, relieving neighbors of an eyesore and safety hazard. It took approximately six months to rehab the house, but we’re happy to announce that the house was listed for sale and recently closed escrow. I’m so proud to have assisted the City in restoring this beautiful home and neighborhood.”
Attorney Amanda Jones