Housing Complex Sold to Holding Company
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A housing development that made headlines when its owner evicted hundreds of tenants has been sold. Pacifica Cos., a San Diego real estate holding company, bought all 149 Santa Rosa homes owned by billionaire Genshiro Kawamoto.
The 30 families who were not evicted will be allowed to stay in their homes. The sale agreement, which was closed Monday, will allow renters to buy their homes from the new owner if they choose.
Kawamoto caused a community uproar when he sent the eviction notices in February. Renters complained that he uprooted a close-knit neighborhood where people watched one another’s children and played football in the cul-de-sacs.
Kawamoto settled a suit last month filed by a private lawyer for a tenants association and the Sonoma County district attorney’s office. He agreed to repair furnaces, fix water problems and bring the houses up to code. The settlement allowed renters to stay in their homes until July 15.
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