Skyline/Citi Apartments Dirty Tricks

The Lembi Group (i.e. Skyline Properties, CitiApartments, CitiProperties, Trophy Properties, and many, many other names) now owns over 150 large multi-unit apartment buildings in the county of San Francisco, and is continually acquiring more. They are arguably the most aggressive landlord/property management group in San Francisco when it comes to actively attempting to displace long-term tenants through pretext evictions, harassment, and buy-outs. The head thug at Skyline is a man by the name of Andrew Hawkins. Memorize that name. Tenants need to be aware of some of the dubious tricks and tactics that Skyline uses in dealing with their properties.

Upon Aquiring the Property

Ø Interviews

**Upon acquiring a property, Skyline inevitably tries to coerce tenants into coming down to their offices for an interview. Oftentimes, Skyline employees will state that the interviews are “required” or “mandatory.” The interviews are for the purpose of gleaning information that can be used against the tenant or against neighbors. Often, Skyline will try to tape record these interviews. Skyline frequently will make petty buy-out offers at this point as well. In one case, Skyline made reference to personal information of a tenant that Skyline should have had no reasonable knowledge of. Tenants need to be aware of the fact that they do not need to go to these interviews.

Ø Inspections

**After purchasing a building, Skyline usually passes around 24-hour notices of entry, for the purpose of unit inspection. Since merely inspecting a unit doesn’t fall under CC 1954, they will usually try to qualify it by saying the inspection is for some semi-legitimate reason, such as checking the smoke detectors or inspecting for problems with the building such plumbing or electrical problems. However, when in the unit, Skyline agents will wander around the unit taking photos for the purpose of discovering potential breaches or violations of the lease. While the landlord arguably would have the right to take a photo of a legitimate repair problem, they do not have the right to random photos of a tenant’s unit. The tenant can demand that Skyline not take such photos or block the taking of the photos, for example, holding up a piece of paper in front of the camera lens.

Ø House Rules

**Will mail or deliver a large packet of house rules that generally contain material changes to existing leases. Most notably, the house rules will have a clause containing large “late rent” fees, absolute prohibitions against subletting or assignment, and restrictive guest clauses. Tenants should be aware not to sign or to agree with any such house rules, and that they can actively challenge the house rules.

Ø Pretext Evictions

**The two favorite ways for Skyline to attempt to evict tenants is through breach of lease for alleged illegal sublets or for pets. If Skyline finds out that a tenant has a pet and there’s a no-pets clause in the lease, they will actively pursue that as an avenue to evict the tenant. If Skyline finds a tenant living in a unit that’s not on the lease, they will actively challenge the original tenants to prove they had consent to move that tenant in. If a tenant lives in a building that Skyline has taken possession of, and they have a pet in violation of the lease or subtenants there without authorization (or without proof of authorization), tenants need be aware that Skyline will attempt to use these violations against the them.

Ø Thuggery

**The most bizarre of the Skyline tactics. Upon taking charge of a building, Skyline will set up a table in the lobby of the building with a portable Xerox machine and a laptop computer. They will position two employees (one generally being Andrew Hawkins) in dark suits, with sunglasses and earpieces, in the lobby as well. The employees will demand ID’s from tenants and guests as they enter and leave the building. If the tenant or guest complies, the employees will take the ID, make a Xerox copy of it that then goes into a portable file, and allegedly do a “criminal background check” of the tenant or guest on the laptop computer. Skyline always gives the explanation that they doing this for security reasons, though we’ve figured out the real purpose is to try to uncover potentially illegal sublets or unauthorized roommates. Usually though, the employees do not try to physically block entry of tenants and guests who refuse to give ID’s.

This is a questionable area of the law in some regards, depending upon whom you talk to. While it is not illegal for Skyline to be in the common areas of their buildings, the whole question of whether they have the right to ask for ID’s is a different matter, and they do not have the right to forcibly block out tenants and arguably guests from the units. Should that happen, tenants need to notify the police immediately and file a complaint.

Ongoing

Ø Refusal to Give Receipts for Rent.

**It used to be that if tenants went in to the Skyline offices to pay their rent, the staff would simply refuse to give the tenant a receipt, in violation of the law (CCP 2075). Now tenants are told that they must put their rent check into a lockbox in the lobby, and employees aren’t allowed to touch rent checks at all. This is problematic because tenants can’t prove when the rent was paid and Skyline simply loves to drum up habitual late payment as a just cause for eviction. However, we’ve devised a nifty little letter that tenants can use for just these cases (see attachment). If the tenants are paying by mail, they should send it certified with return receipt for proof of when the rent was received, and be sure to inform tenants that they need to mail it far enough in advance that it arrives on or before the due date. In fact, tenants need to be warned to pay the rent on time period with these thugs!

Ø Not Cashing Rent Checks

**Oftentimes when Skyline gets into a dispute with a tenant, they will start holding

onto their rent checks and not cashing them. The main thing for tenants to do is to

not spend the money, simply keep it in your account. Skyline may let the checks

build up, then try to cash them all at once, hoping that the tenant has spent some of

the money. Then the checks bounce and they can hit the tenants with a 3-day “pay

or quit” eviction notice. If they aren’t cashing rent checks, send them a simple,

direct letter asking why, as a way of keeping a paper trail.

Ø Request To Update Records
Periodically they out forms seeking "information" to "update their records". You are under no obligation to fill these out.They already have all necessary information when you were accepted as a tenant. The more information they have about you , the better for them to use it against you in the future.

Ø Refusal to Do Repairs

**Of course, Skyline is notorious for being lazy in making needed repairs, especially for those long-term tenants who are paying below market-rate rent. Always put your request for repairs in writing, give them a reasonable amount of time to do the repairs, and if they fail to do so, you can take action by doing a “repair and deduct” or filing a “decrease in services” petition at the Rent Board.

Our mantra of “put it in writing” is triply true for Skyline! Tenants must be aware that they have to keep a paper trail!