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San Francisco sues former building inspection boss for code violations
Apr 2, 2015
Jahna Berry
Managing Editor, Digital- San Francisco Business Times
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/morning_call/2015/04/san-francisco-sues-former-building-inspection-boss.html?page=all
San Francisco has filed a lawsuit against a former building inspection boss, who also serves on the port commission, for a string of building code violations.
Mel Murphy, 69, is the former president of the Building Inspection Commission. Mayor Ed Lee tapped Murphy to serve on the commission for the Port of San Francisco, the agency tasked with over seeing seven and a half miles of waterfront property along the San Francisco Bay, in 2013.
“The conduct exhibits a pattern of brazen lawlessness that really does threaten the health and safety of San Francisco residents,” City Attorney Dennis Herrera told the Chronicle.
“I think it’s unconscionable that a member of the Building Inspection Commission, who is charged with enforcing a whole variety of codes, would so brazenly, and through a pattern of conduct, blatantly ignore them — that takes a lot of chutzpah,” he added.
Murphy told the Chronicle he could not comment because he had not seen the lawsuit.
“We took care of anything we had to take care of; that’s all I know at this time,” he told the newspaper, referring to the projects mentioned in the suit. “I’m hearing this for the first time.”
Herrera wants a court order that would require Murphy to have all his residential properties inspected. Under California law, Murphy could face civil penalties of up to $2,500 for each act of unlawful or unfair competition, and may have to pay attorneys' fees and costs for the City Attorney's actions.
Among other things, the longtime developer is accused of:
Violations connected to unpermitted work on a vacant Twin Peaks house at 125 Crown Terrace. The hillside dwelling partially collapsed the midst of a major renovation and expansion in 2013 after Murphy failed to obtain a demolition permit.
Illegally converting a two-dwelling project at 1346 Alabama Street to four residential rental units.
Installing illegal parking equipment at a development project at 3418 26th Street.
In many cases, Murphy performed work without proper permits, failed to follow city-issued permits when he obtained them and shorted permit fees by tens of thousands of dollars, according to a press release from the city attorney’s office.
The investigation is ongoing, the city attorney said.
Apr 2, 2015
Jahna Berry
Managing Editor, Digital- San Francisco Business Times
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/morning_call/2015/04/san-francisco-sues-former-building-inspection-boss.html?page=all
San Francisco has filed a lawsuit against a former building inspection boss, who also serves on the port commission, for a string of building code violations.
Mel Murphy, 69, is the former president of the Building Inspection Commission. Mayor Ed Lee tapped Murphy to serve on the commission for the Port of San Francisco, the agency tasked with over seeing seven and a half miles of waterfront property along the San Francisco Bay, in 2013.
“The conduct exhibits a pattern of brazen lawlessness that really does threaten the health and safety of San Francisco residents,” City Attorney Dennis Herrera told the Chronicle.
“I think it’s unconscionable that a member of the Building Inspection Commission, who is charged with enforcing a whole variety of codes, would so brazenly, and through a pattern of conduct, blatantly ignore them — that takes a lot of chutzpah,” he added.
Murphy told the Chronicle he could not comment because he had not seen the lawsuit.
“We took care of anything we had to take care of; that’s all I know at this time,” he told the newspaper, referring to the projects mentioned in the suit. “I’m hearing this for the first time.”
Herrera wants a court order that would require Murphy to have all his residential properties inspected. Under California law, Murphy could face civil penalties of up to $2,500 for each act of unlawful or unfair competition, and may have to pay attorneys' fees and costs for the City Attorney's actions.
Among other things, the longtime developer is accused of:
Violations connected to unpermitted work on a vacant Twin Peaks house at 125 Crown Terrace. The hillside dwelling partially collapsed the midst of a major renovation and expansion in 2013 after Murphy failed to obtain a demolition permit.
Illegally converting a two-dwelling project at 1346 Alabama Street to four residential rental units.
Installing illegal parking equipment at a development project at 3418 26th Street.
In many cases, Murphy performed work without proper permits, failed to follow city-issued permits when he obtained them and shorted permit fees by tens of thousands of dollars, according to a press release from the city attorney’s office.
The investigation is ongoing, the city attorney said.
