San Francisco landlord accused of unethical, illegal acts to drive out rent-controlled tenants

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - A major landlord in San Francisco is now the target of the District Attorney who counter sued her after she sued the city alleging discrimination and harassment.

San Francisco's District Attorney filed the lawsuit against a landlord who now stands accused of unethical and illegal acts to drive long term tenants out of their apartments.

The landlord who owns 10 apartment buildings is part of the buying frenzy that's been going on in San Francisco. "Bottom feeder real estate speculators that come into town, start buying up rent controlled apartment buildings and then harass and intimidate tenants to try to push them out," says Scott Wiener a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

The defendant is Anna Kihagi, owner of ten apartment buildings, along with some partners.

"She is absolutely torturing these tenants. Very, very bad and illegal behavior with improper evictions, with code violations, with severe harassment of her tenants," continues Supervisor Wiener.

The tenants themselves cite abuse after abuse and many false accusations in eviction papers.

"I've become the worst criminal in San Francisco. I'm selling drugs to the neighbors, I'm damage her property. I do love sex too to the neighbors and I get extra money. They are all lies," says Sylvia Smith, an elderly disabled resident who has lived at her apartment for 41 years.

Then there's Dale Duncan, a tenant of 21 years, who talked about his first phone contact with the landlord. "She said, ‘I'm not spending any money on maintenance and next time, text me, no phone calls.' So that was my opening conversation with her," he said. "The city came to look into what she was doing. She tried to block their access," continues Duncan.

When KTVU called the number the tenants say is the landlord's number, a woman answered but would not identify herself.

When KTVU's Tom Vacar identified himself as a reporter, the phone went dead. And so he called back, but it went to voicemail and he left a message.

"Every time, when you try to call her, she cuts the phone," confirms Munoz.

Supervisor Wiener says that some tenants have left to end the harassment, while others are fighting back and that the landlord is facing similar legal problems in West Hollywood.

At this point, there's still no word from the landlord.