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Oakland expected to give work stop order to project lacking in permits

by Lynda Carson (tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com)
People are free to call Oakland's blight hotline to file complaints about blight conditions created by slumlords and landlords, or property owners that fail to get permits for their projects in residential buildings in Oakland: Call: 510/238-3381

Oakland expected to give work stop order to project lacking in permits

By Lynda Carson - January 15, 2014

Oakland - The owner of a three bedroom single family home sold during November of 2013 located at 836 E. 19th St., is expected to receive a "work stop order" from the City of Oakland on Wednesday January 15, for conducting a huge rehabilitation project at the site before getting any permits for the project.

According to public records, the new owner Louis Canotas bought the three bedroom single family home built in 1908 on November 8, 2013, for $350,000. Public records reveal that Canotas failed to get any permits for the major building rehab project that started soon after the building was sold to him during last November.

For several weeks after the property was sold, a large six foot tall 20 foot long metal garbage container sat on the street in front of 836 E. 19th. St., where some immigrant construction workers dumped asbestos laden debris, and broke apart old lead-based painted walls that were torn out of the building. The construction workers worked inside the metal garbage container to demolish many of the materials being torn out of the old three bedroom single family home, where dust and noise from the project disturbed the neighbors living near the rehab project.

Since the project began, neighbors have complained about the dust and noise being made by the construction workers at the project, who have set up saw horses with planks on them on the front lawn in front of the house, to cut glass, metal and wood materials for the project. Clouds of dust could be seen swirling around from the loud cutting saws used for the project, and on the afternoon of January 14 a few construction workers moved the wooden saw horses to the back of the building after receiving another round of complaints about the dust and noise they were creating at the job site.

There have been around four to five spanish speaking construction workers at the site during recent days, and since the project began the construction workers have been dumping construction debris, old furniture, and empty liquor bottles in front of an apartment building located across the street from the project.

Attempts to verify which Louis Canotas actually owns 836 E. 19th St., and efforts to ask him about the project taking place in Oakland that does not have any permits from the City of Oakland, have been ongoing. A call was made to a building inspection company located in Oakland that is linked to a Louis Canotas that only had an answering machine. A few calls were made to some disconnected phone numbers in San Francisco, and one call was made to the Presidio Yacht Club that is managed by a Louis Canotas. According to someone at the Presidio Yacht Club earlier January 14, Louis Canotas is out of the country on vacation, and is not expected back until Monday next week. The person could not confirm if Louis Canotas, the manager of the Presidio Yacht Club is the new owner of 836 E. 19th St.

Between the slumlords, developers and home owners conducting their unauthorized projects without permits, and are dumping their construction debris on the streets when they think no one is looking, the result is that many renters are being placed at risk by faulty work being done in buildings that are not being inspected by qualified inspectors from the City of Oakland.

With no respect for the people in the neighborhood, at around 7:30 p.m., Tuesday evening, large billowy clouds of dirty white dust could still be seen flowing down the driveway of 836 E. 19th St., because the construction workers were still cutting tiles with their high speed saws. The construction workers payed no attention to the fact that they were disturbing their neighbors with the clouds of toxic dust and loud noise flowing into the air, and open windows of their neighbors residing nearby.

It appears that some of the immigrant spanish speaking construction workers may be sleeping at the job site overnight.

If the City follows through with a "work stop order" at the project until all the proper permits are obtained, the next renters that are expected to be paying around $1,500 a month to reside there in the near future will be better served by moving into a location that has been properly inspected after the work is completed.

People are free to call Oakland's blight hotline to file complaints about blight conditions created by slumlords and landlords, or property owners that fail to get permits for their projects in residential buildings in Oakland: Call: 510/238-3381.

Dumping: 615-5566

Graffiti Abatement: 238-4703

Abandoned or junked vehicles: Street vehicles- 615-5713

Vehicles on private property: 615-5870

For removal of junk vehicles for the legal owner: 238- 4703

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com


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