37-39 Priest Street - Notice of Decision

7/24/2019 37-39 Priest Street - Notice of Decision

1/4

covN

r

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P

~ ` ~ ~ ~

SAN

FRANCISCO

a

PL NNING

a?b

ds 0~~~~~

S

eptember

17,

01 5

P

a t r i c i a

Barlow

1

611

Jackson

t r e e t

S

an

F r a n c i s c o , CA

4109

DEP RTMENT

N

OTICE

OF

DECISION

S

F

dministrative

Code

Chapter

41A

hort

Term

esidential

Rental

Si t e

Address:

37-39

r i e s t S t r e e t

A

s s e s s o r s

Block/Lot: 0215/029

Z

oning

i s t r i c t :

RH-2

R e s i d e n t i a l

-House,

Two

-Family)

oning

i s t r i c t

omplaint

Number:

13 3 75_ENF

H

earing

O f f i c e r :

Adrian

C.

utra,

415)

75-9079 or

[email protected]

D

E C I S I O N

1 6 5 0 M i s s i o n

S u i t 4 0 0

Sa n

F r a n c i s c

CA

9 4 1 0 3 - 2 4

R

e c e p t i o n :

4

1 5 . 5 5 8 . 6 3

Fa x

4

1 5 . 5 5 8 . 6 4

P l a n n i n g

n f o r m a t i o n :

41 5 . 5 5 8 . 6 3

T

he

i r e c t o r s

appointed

hearing f f i c e r ,

Adrian

C. utra,

has

determined

h a t

P a t r i c i a

Barlow,

he owner

o

f

37-39

P r i e s t

S t r e e t

has

v i o l a t e d

Administrative

Code

Chapter 41A

for

i l l e g a l l y o f f e r i n g

an

d/or

o

perating

three dwelling

u n i t s

f o r r e n t

as a

Tourist

or

Transient

use

a . k . a .

short-term

r e n t a l ) .

T h e

e t a i l s

o

f

the

v i o l a t i o n

a n d

d e c i s i o n

are discussed

below.

Th i s

d e c i s i o n

i s based

on

the

n t i r e t y of

the

record before

the

hearing

o f f i c e r ,

including

but

not

i m i t e d to

t

estimony of

witnesses

a n d

the

responsible

party

a n d

information

submitted

by

Planning

Department

s

t a f f ,

the

responsible

p a r t y / i e s ,

a n d

other

w i t n e s s e s .

T he

record may

be foun d

a t

1650

Mission

S t r e e t ,

S

u i t e 400,

San

F r a n c i s c o .

Although

f a c t u a l

information

from

the

record

i s

summarized

below,

t h i s

d

e c i s i o n i s

based on

the

record

as a whole.

D

ESCRIPTION OF

VIOLATION

T

he

s u b j e c t

property

contains

three dwelling

u n i t s 3 7

P r i e s t ,

37A

r i e s t , a n d

3 9 P r i e s t

S t r e e t s ) . T h e

P

lanning

Department

received

a

complaint

on

uly

30, 014,

l l e g i n g t h a t

the property

has been

converted

t

o

hort

term

r e n t a l s .

U

NLAWFUL

CONVERSION

hapter

41A of t h e

San

Francisco

Administrative Code

r o h i b i t s

the

o f f e r i n g

of

r e s i d e n t i a l

units for

T

o u r i s t

or

Transient

use which

i s

a

r e n t a l f o r

l e s s

than 3 0

days),

unless

the

u n i t s are

r e g i s t e r e d on

th e

S

hort-term

R e s i d e n t i a l

Rental R e g i s t r y .

Under

Administrative Code

ection 41A.6,

f

the

Hearing

O f f i c e r

d

etermines h a t

a v i o l a t i o n

has

occurred, n

d m i n i s t r a t i v e

penalty

h a l l

be

assessed

as

o l l o w s :

w

w w . s f p l a n n i n g . o r g


2/4

37-39


C

omplaint No.

3375_ENF

Chapter

41A

Notice of

Decision

S

eptember 17,

015

1. For

the

i n i t i a l v i o l a t i o n ,

not m o re than four times

the

standard

hourly

a d m i n i s t r a t i v e

r a t e

of

121.00

o r

each

unlawfully converted

u n i t ,

or f o r

each i d e n t i f i e d f a i l u r e

of

a

Hosting Platform

t o

c

o m p l y

with the

requirements

of

subsection

g ) 4 ) ,

per d a y f r

om the n o t i c e

of Complaint

u n t i l

su c h

time as

the

unlawful c t i v i t y t e r m i n a t e s ;

2. For

the second

v i o l a t i o n by t h e ,

a m e Owner(s), Business

E n t i t y ,

or Hosting

Platform, not m o re

than

eight

times

the

standard

hourly d m i n i s t r a t i v e

r a t e

of

121.00

o r

each

unlawfully

converted

u

n i t , or

f o r each

i d e n t i f i e d f a i l u r e

of a Hosting

Platform

t o

comply with the

requirements

of

s

ubsection

g ) 4 ) , per d a y

from the

d a y

the

unlawful a c t i v i t y

c o m m e n c e d

u n t i l

such

time as

th e

u

nlawful c t i v i t y t e r m i n a t e s ; an

d

3. For

the t h i r d and

any

subsequent

v i o l a t i o n by

the same

Owner(s),

Business E n t i t y ,

or Hosting

P

latform,

not

m o re than twelve

times

the standard

hourly


r a t e of

121.00 o r

each

u

nlawfully

converted

unit

or

f o r

each i d e n t i f i e d f a i l u r e

of

a Hosting

Platform

to

comply

with th e

r

equirements of

subsection

g ) 4 ) per day from

the d a y the

unlawful a c t i v i t y

c o m m e n c e d

u n t i l

s

u c h time as the

unlawful c t i v i t y

t e r m i n a t e s .

C

OMPLAINT

AND

SUPPORTING

DOCUMENTS

O

n July

30, 2014,

Planning

Department s t a f f received a

complaint t h a t

the

s u b j e c t

property was

c

onverted to short

term

r e n t a l s .

Planning Department

s t a f f i n v e s t i g a t e d

the

complaint

under

Planning

C

o d e

Section

176 and

found

t h a t

a l l

three

u n i t s

a t

the s u b j e c t

property were

being o f f e r e d as

short-term

r

e n t a l s

o n

a

nightly

or

weekly

b a s i s through

hosting

platform

websites

Airbnb

(www.airbnb.com) and

VRBO

www.vrbo.com) .

Planning

Department

s t a f f

has

worked

to

bring t h i s

property i n t o

compliance

u

t i l i z i n g the

enforcement

mechanisms

under

Planning

Code

ection

176

with no

u c c e s s .

O

n

une

29, 2015,

t a f f

i n v e s t i g a t e d

the complaint

under Administrative

Code

ection41A nd found

t h a t

t

hree

dwellings

t the property

were advertised

on

Airbnb f o r

short

term

r e n t a l .

NOTICE O F

COMPLAINT

AND

APPARENT

VIOLATION

O

n une

30, 2015,

t a f f

issued a

Notice of

Complaint

o

the

property

o wne r b y

c e r t i f i e d

an d non

- c e r t i f i e d

m i l .

O

n

uly 1,

015, t a f f

posted

a o t i c e a t the

s u b j e c t

property

o t i f y i n g the property

o wne r of

the hearing.

P

RE-HEARING

SUBMISSION

S

t a f f

received a

mailed packet

from the property

o w n er on uly 16, 2015.

The packet

contained an

email

f

rom Airbnb t o the

property

owner, addressing her

inquiry

regarding the

compan~s new

user

a

greement.

The

packet

a d d i t i o n a l l y

contained

a

copy

of

the company's

terms

of

s e r v i c e t h

at

were

u

pdated

o n

July

9,

2015.

A

DMINISTRATIVE

HEARING

O

n A u g u s t

19, 2015,

the

hearing o f f i c e r

convened the

administrative

hearing.

All

t e s t i f y i n g

witnesses

were

s w o rn

in and the hearing

w a s

audio

recorded. The

hearing was

ttended

by

the

following

people:

S

AN

FRANCISCO

L NNING

DEP RTMENT


3/4

37-39

r i e s t

S t r e e t

C

omplaint

No.13375_ENF

r drian

Putra,

earing

o f f i c e r

s

udrey

Butkus, t a f f

planner

s

a t r i c i a

Barlow,

property

owner

Chapter

41A

Notice

of Decision

S

eptember

17,

2015

M

Butkus, t a f f

planner

gave

the

following

testimony:

n

une

29,

2015,

t a f f

located

the

i s t i n g s on

Airbnb

advertising a l l

three

u n i t s at

the

property

for

s

hort

term

r e n t a l

n

uly

3, 2015,

t a f f

f ound that

l l

of

the

i s t i n g s for

the

property

on

irbnb

were removed.

n uly 6,

2015,

Ms

arlow

c a l l e d Ms

utkus and

e f t her a

voicemail

inquiring

about the

Notice

o

f Complaint.

n

uly

7,

2015, Ms

utkus

spoke with

Ms arlow

via

telephone

during

which

Ms

Barlow

a

greed to

remove any

remaining

online

presence of

the subject

property

an

d

t a t e d a

desire to

come

n t o

compliance with

Administrative

Code ection

41A.

M

Barlow,

roperty

owner,

ave

the following

testimony:

s

arlo~s

dwelling

units

at

P r i e s t S t r e e t

are

no

onger

l i s t e d

on

Airbnb

and

that

she has

no

outstanding

reservations for

the property.

s

arlow s

l i s t i n g s on

Flipkey

(www.flipkey.com)

were

modified to

require

a

one month

m

inimum t a y

s

arlow s

i s t i n g s

on

VRBO

ere

removed

prior t o

June

30,

015.

hat

37A

r i e s t

S t r e e t

was ccupied

by

an

individual

r

om May

7,

2015

to

A u g u s t

10,

2015

and

s

c

urrently

vacant.

hat 37

r i e s t

S t r e e t

i s currently

occupied

by

a

couple on

33

ay

e a s e

hat 3 9

P r i e s t

S t r e e t i s currently

occupied by an

individual

who i l l

be staying

at the

property

l

ong

term

beginning

in October

of

2015.

hat 37

r i e s t

S t r e e t

did

have an

individual stay

on

short-term b a s i s

a f t e r

June 30,

2015,because

M

Barlow

was

nable

to

cancel

her Airbnb

r e s e r v a t i o n

P

OS T

-HEARING

SUBMISSION

M

Barlow

submitted a

packet of

additional

information on

A u g u s t 26,

2015.

summary of

th e

i

nformation of

the

submittal

s

below:

wo mail

correspondences from

Airbnb

representatives

inquiring about

separate

reservations

at

t

he

roperty

that

were cancelled by

N I s

Barlow.

ist

of

Airbnb

reservations

printed

on

August

19,

2015,

showing

a l l of

the cancelled

short-term

r

ental

reservations f o r

37,

37A

and 3 9

P r i e s t

S t r e e t s that

were

to

take

place

between A u g u s t

1,

2

015 and

February 8,

2016.

n irbnb

booking

confirmation

for an

individual

that

stayed at 37


from

July

2,

2015

t

o uly 14,

2015.

e n t a l

agreement o r an

individual to

stay a t 37

r i e s t

from

July 15,

2015

to

A u g u s t 15,

015.

e n t a l

agreement

for

a

couple

to stay a t 37

r i e s t

S t r e e t

from

A u g u s t

15,

2015 to

September

17,

2015.

F

INDINGS

B

ased

on

he

review

of

the record

as

a whole,

he hearing

o f f i c e r

finds

as

follows:

S

AN

FRANCISCO

L NNING

DEP RTMENT


4/4

37-39 r i e s t

S t r e e t

C

omplaint

No.13375_ENF

Chapter

41A

Notice

of

Decision

S

eptember 17,2015

1.

The dwelling

at

37A an d 3 9

P r i e s t

S t r e e t s were

o f f e r e d

f o r Tourist

or

Transient

u se

u n t i l

a t l e a s t

J uly

2, 015.

2.

The

dwelling a t

3 7 P r i e s t S t r e e t was

o f f e r e d

and/or

operated as an

unauthorized Tourist

or

Tr a n s i e n t . use

u n t i l

a t J u l y . 1 4 ,

2015.

3

.

T ' h e

dwellings a t

37,

3 7A , a n d

3 9

P r i e s t S t r e e t s are not

c u r r e n t l y

being

o f f e r e d f o r

Tourist

or

Tr a n s i e n t use.

C

ONCLUSION

AND

ORDER

B

ased o n the

above

findings

an

d

he evidence

in

t h e

record as a

whole,

he

hearing

o f f i c e r determines

t h a t

d

wellings at

37A and 3 9 P r i e s t

S t r e e t s

were o f f e r e d

f o r Tourist

or Transient use

through J u l y

2,

2015,

in

v

i o l a t i o n

of

Administrative Code

Chapter

41A. Additionally,

the

hearing

o f f i c e r

determines

t h a t the

d

welling

at

37

r i e s t S t r e e t w a s

o f f e r e d and/or

operated as

a

Tourist

or Transient

use through

Ju ly 14,

2

015,

in

v i o l a t i o n of

Administrative Code

Chapter

41A.

Because

t h i s i s an

i n i t i a l v i o l a t i o n , the

hearing

o

f f i c e r may s s e s s a d m i n i s t r a t i v e

p e n a l t i e s

from

the

date

of the Notice

of

Complaint

here

J u ne

30, 2015)

u

n t i l

the date the

v i o l a t i o n

i s

cured

here

July

2,

2015

o r

37A

nd 3 9

r i e s t

S t r e e t s ,

an

d

July

14,

2015

o r

3 7

P

r i e s t S t r e e t )

on both

a

per

diem and

per - u n i t

b a s i s . Thus,

by

t h i s

determination the

hearing o f f i c e r

as s e s s e s

administrative

p e n a l t i e s

against

the property o w ner s

f o r a

t o t a l

of

21

days

t h r e e days each f o r

t

he u n i t s a t

37A and 3 9 r i e s t

S t r e e t and

15

days

o r

the unit a t

3 7

r i e s t S t r e e t ) a t a

r a t e of $484 per

day.

ccordingly,


p e n a l t i e s f o r the

t o t a l

a m o u n t of

1 0 , 1 6 4 . 0 0 ,

i s now d u e

t o

the Planning

D

epartment.

Please

s u b m it a

check

for

the

t o t a l amount

of 1 0 , 1 6 4 . 0 0 ,

payable

to

Planning

Department

Code Enforcement

Fund

immediately.

Please

be

aware

t h a t curing

the

v i o l a t i o n

of

d m i n i s t r a t i v e

C o d e

Chapter

41A

does

not absolve

the

owner

of

accrued

p e n a l t i e s f o r

the v i o l a t i o n

a

ssessed when

nforced

u n d er

Planning Code

e c t i o n

176.

S

i n c e r e l y ,

f- ' ~

~

A

drian

C.

utra

Hearing

O f f i c e r

C

C:

A u d r e y

Butkus,

lanner, f f i c e of

Short Term R e n t a l s ,

City

&County

f

San

Francisco

S

AN

FRANCISCO

NNING

DEP RTMENT

Documents

37-39 Priest Street - Notice of Decision