Squatters Try to Make Claim for Abandoned S.F. House
Homeless group paid $5,000 in back property taxes
Yumi Wilson, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, January 7, 1999
©1999 San Francisco Chronicle
 
 

It was the house that no one wanted -- at least, not on paper.

Since 1989, when Alice Jones died, her pale yellow two-flat building on Page Street has had no owner. Although homeless people floated in and out of the Lower Haight property, not one of Jones' relatives came forward to deal with the building's paperwork, upkeep and taxes for nearly nine years.

That, however, is changing. Now, it seems that everyone from the city's public administrator to a sister in Houston to a local homeless group is trying to take care of Alice Jones' old building.

On New Year's Day, the group Homes Not Jails held a party at the property at 715-717 Page St., proclaiming that it belonged to homeless people who have been squatting there for five years straight. To back up its claim, the group recently paid more than $5,000 in property taxes -- and got a receipt from the tax collector's office.

Group co-founder Ted Gullicksen says that under an obscure California statute commonly known as the adverse possession law, the squatters have been there long enough to officially call it home.

Homes Not Jails has never been able to take ownership of a house in San Francisco by squatting, although not for lack of trying. Members have squatted at hundreds of homes for as long as two years, but they have always been evicted. This is the first time they have sought to say ownership by paying a building's taxes.

``This would have been the historic moment,'' Gullicksen said.

The city, however, is having none of it. Even if Homes Not Jails paid the property taxes, that does not entitle the group to the building, said city Public Administrator Ricardo Hernandez. And although the city attorney's office does acknowledge the state's adverse possession law, it questions whether whether Homes not Jails has fulfilled it.

What's more, the city says, the squatters have not exactly been model neighbors. Hernandez said the city attorney's office got numerous calls about noisy parties, drug activity, and building and health code violations.

Police discovered in November that Victor Willis, who dressed up as a cop in the Village People disco music group, was squatting there and allegedly starting fires in the living room to keep warm.

Gullicksen conceded that ``there have been complaints to police from neighbors, but we've asked squatters to leave when they became too unruly.''

On New Year's Day, police evicted the squatters during their party to announce their ``ownership.'' Eight people, including Gullicksen, were arrested and jailed briefly on trespassing charges.

The city had long waited for someone from Jones' family to deal with the problems at the building, with no luck. In October, Hernandez won permission from Probate Court Judge Lawrence Kay to take over Jones' estate and possibly sell the building, which in today's hot market could fetch well above the $400,000 assesed value. Proceeds would go to Jones' surviving relatives.

``Normally, we don't get involved when there are relatives,'' Hernandez said. ``In this case, no one knew there were relatives for a long time.''

Then a few months ago, Ruby Shepard of Houston, one of Jones' sisters, came forward. Shepard has filed a motion in court attempting to take control of Jones' estate. Shepard, who is expected to make her case at a court hearing this month, declined to comment.

``If they want to step in, they go with my blessing,'' Hernandez said.

Meanwhile, Jones' old home sits empty among a row of nicely kept homes on Page Street. Mismatched curtains and lumpy pieces of furniture litter the garage and rooms. The wrought-iron gate is padlocked. There are two bright yellow ``no trespassing'' signs.

Many neighbors say they are relieved that the interlopers are gone from the neighborhood, which has been transformed over the past decade from a seedy drug haven to a working-class hub.

``There was constant movement of people during the night,'' said Andy Wojciechowski, a physical therapist who moved to San Francisco 12 years ago from Poland. ``There were lots of drugs, pets, snakes, dogs and cats. They were breaking in and out. Constant cars. Screaming through the windows. We don't need any more of that.''

Several residents questioned the homeless group's assertions of people squatting there for five years.

``I've seen three individuals, including Willis, for the last two years,'' said Scott Burke, who owns the building next door. ``I didn't see anyone else before then.''

In fact, Burke said he did not recognize any of the people at the New Year's Day party.

``This whole media thing came about with this homeless group using a guerrilla tactic to try and occupy the house,'' Burke said. But ``they have no standing. They're stealing.''