SAN FRANCISCO – A tenant of a San Francisco property alleges after living in the property for nearly 20 years, he discovered it is an illegal rental unit.
Arthur W. Langlois filed a complaint on Nov. 15 in the San Francisco Superior Court against Jean-Pierre Leyx, as trustee of the Carita Vallery-Leyx and Jean-Pierre Leyx Living Trust, alleging fraudulent misrepresentation and other counts.
According to the complaint, in 1998, the plaintiff entered into an oral agreement with defendant to rent the San Francisco residential real property owned and operated by the defendant for a monthly rent of $600. The plaintiff still resides at the property.
The plaintiff alleges he discovered in August 2018 that the property was an illegal rental unit. He also alleges it has a number of serious defects, including a lack of a permanent heat source and lack of valid certificate of occupancy. He alleges the defendant has not repaired these issues.
The plaintiff holds Leyx, as trustee of the Carita Vallery-Leyx and Jean-Pierre Leyx Living Trust responsible because the defendant allegedly misled him into believing he was renting a legal unit.
The plaintiff seeks judgment for general, special and punitive damages, prejudgment interest, costs of suit, and such other and further relief as the court deems just and proper. He is represented by Steven Adair MacDonald, Jethro S. Busch and Stephanie A. Foster of Steven Adair MacDonald & Partners PC in San Francisco.
San Francisco Superior Court case number CGC18571337