A California real estate dispute has escalated into a legal battle, with allegations of fraud and breach of contract at its core. The complaint was filed by 435 Urbano 1, LLC in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco on December 18, 2024, against Stefano Shishido and his family members Natalie, Marc, and Giovanni Shishido. The plaintiff claims that the defendants engaged in deceptive practices during the sale of a property located at 435 Urbano Drive in San Francisco.
The case revolves around a property transaction intended for renovation and resale. According to the complaint, the plaintiff purchased the property from Stefano Shishido under urgent circumstances due to an impending foreclosure. However, it soon became apparent that all was not as it seemed. Plaintiff alleges that Stefano's mother, Natalie Shishido, acted as the broker/agent for the sale but failed to disclose critical information about existing tenants—Marc and Giovanni Shishido—who continued to occupy the property post-sale. "The initial disclosures listed the property as 'Tenant Occupied,' but no information was provided as to the terms of that tenancy," states the complaint.
The lawsuit further accuses Stefano Shishido of being a "straw owner" acting on behalf of Marc Shishido and asserts that Marc and Natalie misrepresented their intentions regarding vacating the premises. Despite assurances that they would leave within 30-60 days after closing escrow, they remained on site without providing any lease or rental agreement documentation prior to closing. This omission is central to several causes of action cited in the lawsuit: breach of contract, failure to disclose (in violation of California Civil Code §1102), constructive fraud, conversion, civil conspiracy, negligence, and fraud.
In particular, plaintiff contends that Natalie Shishido falsely informed them they would lose their $600,000 deposit if they did not proceed with purchasing despite lacking essential tenant information. As a result of these alleged misrepresentations and failures to disclose material facts about tenancy agreements—which included an undisclosed lease allowing Marc and Giovanni to rent at below-market rates until April 2028—the plaintiff claims significant financial damages.
The plaintiff seeks various forms of relief from the court including compensatory damages according to proof at trial for each cause of action cited; attorney fees; costs incurred due to delays caused by defendants' actions; punitive damages for malicious conduct; interest on awarded damages; and any other relief deemed just by the court.
Representing 435 Urbano 1 LLC is attorney Daymon Ferguson while Khiet Tran owns this limited liability company seeking justice through this litigation process against defendants Stefano Shishido et al., whose legal representation remains unspecified within this document. The case has been assigned Case No.: CGC-24-620759 with Judge Sahar Enayati presiding over proceedings in San Francisco's Superior Court system.