A San Francisco lawsuit sheds light on alleged predatory lending practices that have left a family grappling with financial turmoil following the death of a loved one. On March 10, 2025, Yuzhi Zhang filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, against Roger Anderson, Trustee of the RWA Trust Dated March 14, 2014; FCI Lender Services Inc.; and California TD Specialists. The case highlights accusations of unlawful financial practices that exploited Johnny Tse, a dependent adult before his passing.
The plaintiff, Yuzhi Zhang, acting as the successor in interest to Johnny Tse who passed away on April 24, 2023, claims that Roger Anderson and associated entities engaged in predatory lending practices. The complaint details how Tse entered into a mortgage agreement with Anderson in June 2019 for $850,000 on his San Francisco property. The loan included terms such as a 10% interest rate and an exorbitant default rate of 18%, allegedly drafted by Anderson or the Geraci Law Firm without any negotiation power for Tse. Zhang accuses Anderson of not being a licensed real estate broker at the time and alleges that after Tse fell ill and missed payments, he faced foreclosure threats. A Notice of Default was recorded on December 15, 2020, citing an outstanding amount exceeding $95,000.
Zhang argues that the defendants imposed unreasonable charges including inflated late fees and interest rates which were deemed illegal under California law. She cites cases like Garrett v. Coast and Southern Federal Savings and Loan Association (1975) and Honchariw v. FJM Private Mortgage Fund (2022) to support her claim that such penalties are unenforceable as they do not reflect actual damages incurred by lenders but rather serve as punitive measures.
In seeking relief from the court, Zhang demands restitution for wrongful charges collected under duress of foreclosure threats. She requests injunctive relief to prevent future imposition of such fees by the defendants along with attorney's fees and punitive damages for their alleged willful misconduct. Additionally, she seeks declaratory relief to clarify the legality of the default interest rate charges imposed by Anderson.
Representing Zhang is attorney Albert Lee from San Francisco. The case is filed under Case ID CGC-25-623144 in front of judges yet to be named.