Hooshmand Law Group

04/21/2023

In 2017 our clients, a family of four, were living in their long-term rent-controlled apartment in San Francisco. Their building was sold to new purchasers who served them with an owner move-in eviction notice for their apartment. Our clients moved out pursuant to the notice but had a very difficult time finding a new home. The rent for their new apartment was much higher than their past rent since rents had gone up dramatically. Fast forward to 2021, after just four years our clients discovered that the purchasers had listed their prior home for sale after converting the property to condominiums. The purchasers made over $1 million from the eviction as they would not have been able to convert to condominiums without evicting our clients. Upset at what had happened, our clients hired us to investigate. Suspecting that the purchasers had violated the law in a number of different ways, we proceeded with a lawsuit. The lawsuit yielded considerable evidence that the purchasers' true intentions were to profit from the eviction and not to make the property their long term home. Thankfully the purchasers and their counsel chose to resolve the matter and they settled for $3 million which is believed to be the highest wrongful eviction settlement for a single apartment in California. We are never happy about a family being displaced from their home but we are glad that we were able to help this family secure funds to have housing stability in the future.

04/21/2023

Recently the Hooshmand Law Group had the privilege of representing 7 tenants who were displaced from their San Francisco apartments due to a fire in 2020. The fire originated in an open carport under their building and was caused by a trespasser in the garage. Though the case presented an uphill battle, we were able to argue that the owners failed to properly secure the property from trespassers and failed to upgrade the fire suppression systems to minimize damage in the event of a fire. After picking a jury the landlord ultimately agreed to settle the matter for $5.4 million. Fire safety is a critical component of every dwelling and it is crucial that the laws are strengthened and enforced to protect human life and property. I commend my clients for having the courage to pursue accountability after going through a life threatening ordeal. Lawsuits are never easy and in every case I am reminded of the burdens that litigants must face to achieve justice.

With over 20 years of experience, Hooshmand Law Group is a premier California lawfirm that works hard to recover justice on behalf of injured individuals by holding wrongdoers accountable.

06/25/2022

We're proud to receive the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association Civil Justice Award for 2022. Helping injured individuals and business achieve justice and fair compensation has been our goal for over 20 years.

With over 20 years of experience, Hooshmand Law Group is a premier California lawfirm that works hard to recover justice on behalf of injured individuals by holding wrongdoers accountable.

06/25/2022

12/08/2021

In July 2021, Hooshmand Law Group (HLG) recovered a record $2.6 million settlement on behalf of three tenants who were wrongfully evicted from their apartments in the NOPA neighborhood of San Francisco. This settlement is one of the highest, if not the highest, settlement for three tenants in California history.

Tenants Recover Record $2.6 Million SettlementJul 30, 2021 | Successes, Tenant Rights In July 2021, Hooshmand Law Group (HLG) recovered a record $2.6 million settlement on behalf of three tenants who were wrongfully evicted from their apartments in the NOPA neighborhood of San Francisco. This settle...

12/08/2021

On June 29, 2020, Hooshmand Law Group (HLG) obtained a significant class action judgment on behalf of over 70 individuals who lived at two large apartment complexes in Pacifica, CA.

HLG wins Class Action Judgment at TrialJul 2, 2020 | Successes, Tenant Rights On June 29, 2020, Hooshmand Law Group (HLG) obtained a significant class action judgment on behalf of over 70 individuals who lived at two large apartment complexes in Pacifica, CA. The case focused on the failure of the o...

04/09/2020

We have an important tenant appellate victory to report in the California Court of Appeal. We obtained a judgment for our client and the landlord appealed the decision. Our client was a tenant who was wrongfully evicted from her apartment. The partially published decision confirms that landlords who evict a tenant for an owner move in eviction can still be liable even if the landlord moves into the apartment. The decision also confirms that rent differential damages (the difference between what the tenant was paying in rent and the market rent) can be recovered where prior cases limited the recovery to monies paid out of pocket. If you or someone you know has been through a similar situation let us know at HooshmandLawGroup.com.

05/19/2019

Bay Area Tenants, if any of the following apply to you:

You live in an in law / illegal / unpermitted unit;
Recently received a 60 day notice;
Your landlord told you to move / Changed the locks;
Your landlord said they plan to move into your apartment;
Your landlord evicted you and is now renting your unit on Airbnb;
You were forced to move due to bad conditions.

Call or email us at Hooshmandlawgroup.com for a free consultation.

04/23/2019

In Rent Controlled jurisdictions (San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley) if your apartment is rent controlled (typically if built before 1979) remember that a landlord can only evict for very limited reasons (just cause protection). With just cause protection, a landlord cannot simply tell you to leave once your lease is up. As summer rolls around landlords try to find ways to evict and many times those evictions violate the protections against eviction. If you are ever facing an eviction or if you have received a notice from a landlord it is important to contact an attorney to determine if the notice is valid. For example, San Francisco makes it a violation to "endeavor to recover possession" unless the landlord has one of the limited reasons to evict. Also, many times landlords claim their relative is moving in when in fact that is not the case. An attorney can help follow up to determine if the landlord is being honest. There are also many protections against harassment and other actions meant to force a tenant to leave. Even if you live in an unpermitted/illegal unit you might still be protected by rent control and the law prohibits the collection of rent for an illegal unit. When selecting an attorney, make sure they are committed to your case and that they plan on taking your matter all the way through to trial if that is required.

02/15/2019

Hooshmand Law Group wins $594,000 judgment for tenants wrongfully evicted. In this case we represented a couple who had been evicted by their landlords so the landlord’s son could move in. The landlords used the relative move in section of the San Francisco Rent Ordinance. Our clients believed the landlords were being honest about their representation and intent and they moved, which was exceptionally difficult in the Bay Area rental market. Our clients ultimately were forced to relocate to New York as a result of the eviction and associated difficulties. After our clients left their apartment, the landlord’s son immediately started renting out the landlord’s unit at the property on Airbnb and shortly thereafter started renting our clients’ apartment on Airbnb. Our clients did not know about these rentals until a reporter from NBC physically went to the property pursuant to their investigation into San Francisco evictions. NBC discovered the Airbnb guests as opposed to the Defendants’ son in the apartment. NBC then contacted our clients to ask them about the situation. After being alerted by NBC, our clients contacted us to discuss their options. We reviewed the case facts and determined that the couple had valid grounds for a lawsuit against the landlords for wrongful eviction, which we pursued vigorously. The case was eventually tried in front of a jury in San Francisco Superior Court. The landlords tried to raise many arguments all of which were rejected by the jury. After deliberating the jury found for our clients on every cause of action. Attorneys Mark Hooshmand, Tyson Redenbarger and Laura Flynn Strazzo worked on this case and successfully tried the case.