Oakland 'Ghost Ship' warehouse had history of violations before deadly fire

[TomSea]

No Ghost Ship threads.  This story was posted per Saturday and updated Sunday, I guess now we know 36 at least have died. I hope some sort of justice can be remedied in this situation.

Oakland
Oakland 'Ghost Ship' warehouse had history of violations before deadly fire

    Oakland ‘Ghost Ship’ warehouse fire death toll rises to 24
    City records show citations and charge of ‘illegal interior building structure’
    Former resident says she reported building to fire marshal in 2014

US police search for Oakland ‘Ghost Ship’ warehouse fire victims

Sam Levin and Alan Yuhas in Oakland

Sunday 4 December 2016 11.40 EST
First published on Saturday 3 December 2016 18.04 EST

An Oakland warehouse in which a fire killed at least 24 people had a history of violations and complaints, city records show.

Numerous formal complaints were filed about the building, according to city records, which included a 14 November “housing habitability” charge regarding “illegal interior building structure”.
Death toll from Oakland 'Ghost Ship' warehouse fire rises to 33 killed
Read more

The documents did not specify the structural problems at the “Ghost Ship” warehouse, in the Fruitvale neighborhood, but said the city’s investigation into that complaint was still pending when the fire broke out late on Friday.

A former resident of the warehouse, who asked for anonymity because of past confrontations with the building’s management, told the Guardian she reported the building to the fire marshal in 2014, based on fears of a fire.

Friday’s fire broke out while a party was taking place. Late on Saturday, a spokesman for the Alameda county sheriff, Sgt Ray Kelly, said that officials were “expecting the worst” and that two dozen people remained missing. Oakland officials on Sunday increased the death toll from nine to 24 people, as recovery teams resumed their search of the fragile, burned-out building.

Last month, the city of Oakland also issued a violation notice related to a “blight complaint”, records show. That citation referenced garbage “piling up on the property” and items left on the sidewalk.

“Some of trash was hazardous,” the complaint said, adding that the problem was creating a “health issue” for the neighborhood.

The building also faced a blight complaint in 2014, related to trash and “construction debris”. That violation was eventually corrected, according to records.

City councilman Noel Gallo, who represents the Fruitvale district, said building hazards and fire code violations were not uncommon in Oakland.

Read More At: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/03/oakland-ghost-ship-warehouse-fire-violations

[Oceander]

That is just crazy.

[Frank Cannon]

City councilman Noel Gallo, who represents the Fruitvale district, said building hazards and fire code violations were not uncommon in Oakland.

Really? You Leftists are up peoples ass for mixing their recycling and in their wallets to pay for all that Govt' but when it comes down to major health issues at a unit you  send out some violation letters and go to lunch.

[Applewood]

This is what you get when you have laws you don't enforce.  Does anyone think the Democrats will now realize that some laws have a very good purpose and that maybe they should be enforced? 

Nah...

Lawyers are going to have a field day with this tragedy.  Hope they sue the pants off the owners and the city. 

[truth_seeker]

By now many have seen (or read about)  the "artist" that rented the warehouse, and turned it into a deathtrap. He is a piece of work, no doubt.

But every citation by the city was against the building's owner. Mrs. Ng. If she claims to "not know" it is NOT a defense.

Supposedly she owns 11 properties. Presumably society will view her as "rich," and the "deep pocketed" target for liability lawsuits.

As a real estate broker, I would like to read the lease contract between her and her artist tenant. Even the most simple contracts stipulate responsibilities to follow local laws and regulations. Annd stipulates who pays for various categories of repairs, etc.

The place was likely using dangerous, old electrical wiring, as one example. The fire department apparently went there repeatedly to perform mandatory annual (or semi-annual) fire safety inspections. But nobody answered the door. The artist-tenant was essentially "avoiding" the inspection.

Fire safety inspections center on stairs, exits, generally dangerous conditions, etc.

Apparently many similar situations are located in Oakland. Warehouse stands vacant, when businesses fail or move elsewhere. Building owner takes whatever tenant he/she can get--and turns away from whatever questionable uses the place is put to.

[Frank Cannon]

By now many have seen (or read about)  the "artist" that rented the warehouse, and turned it into a deathtrap. He is a piece of work, no doubt.

But every citation by the city was against the building's owner. Mrs. Ng. If she claims to "not know" it is NOT a defense.

Supposedly she owns 11 properties. Presumably society will view her as "rich," and the "deep pocketed" target for liability lawsuits.

As a real estate broker, I would like to read the lease contract between her and her artist tenant. Even the most simple contracts stipulate responsibilities to follow local laws and regulations. Annd stipulates who pays for various categories of repairs, etc.

The place was likely using dangerous, old electrical wiring, as one example. The fire department apparently went there repeatedly to perform mandatory annual (or semi-annual) fire safety inspections. But nobody answered the door. The artist-tenant was essentially "avoiding" the inspection.

Fire safety inspections center on stairs, exits, generally dangerous conditions, etc.

Apparently many similar situations are located in Oakland. Warehouse stands vacant, when businesses fail or move elsewhere. Building owner takes whatever tenant he/she can get--and turns away from whatever questionable uses the place is put to.

I'm in the business too and if this place was such a mess, the city/municipality/Govt' usually tags the place as unfit for habitation and shuts it down. From everything I read, even though violations were plenty, they were being resolved eventually. If the city is going to be lazy about following up and making the owner correct problems then the fault of this mess falls squarely on them. I hope this owner has an umbrella policy though.

[Applewood]

I'm in the business too and if this place was such a mess, the city/municipality/Govt' usually tags the place as unfit for habitation and shuts it down. From everything I read, even though violations were plenty, they were being resolved eventually. If the city is going to be lazy about following up and making the owner correct problems then the fault of this mess falls squarely on them. I hope this owner has an umbrella policy though.

I'm not sure violations were being addressed.  Saw some photos and video of the interior of the structure. The building was unfit for human habitation.  One story depicted a heater that allegedly had been used to heat water (no hot water).  The story also goes that the exits were either blocked or otherwise difficult to use. 

Regardless of what improvements may have been made, the building was not zoned for residential use.  No one should have been living there.  The city failed in its duty to enforce the law. 

And about the owner not having received notice of the violations/failed inspections -- how was notice given?  When I had a situation at my house, I received notification by certified mail.  If the city of Oakland used certified or registered mail, there should be a receipt signed by the building owner or a competent adult at that address.  If the city does not have proof that the notices were served --shame on them.  They are bigger idiots than I thought.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I'm not sure violations were being addressed.  Saw some photos and video of the interior of the structure. The building was unfit for human habitation.  One story depicted a heater that allegedly had been used to heat water (no hot water).  The story also goes that the exits were either blocked or otherwise difficult to use. 

Regardless of what improvements may have been made, the building was not zoned for residential use.  No one should have been living there.  The city failed in its duty to enforce the law. 

And about the owner not having received notice of the violations/failed inspections -- how was notice given?  When I had a situation at my house, I received notification by certified mail.  If the city of Oakland used certified or registered mail, there should be a receipt signed by the building owner or a competent adult at that address.  If the city does not have proof that the notices were served --shame on them.  They are bigger idiots than I thought.

Yes, read this article:


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4006300/Filth-chaos-weird-religious-symbols-Pictures-appalling-conditions-inside-Oakland-warehouse-36-died.html


What idiots. But hey they're "artists" and that should be good enough right?

[jpsb]

If we really wanted to respect the decision of "the people," then Clinton would be the president-elect, not Trump, for the simple reason that she won the popular vote.

I thought this was a conservative site? Delete all the phony fraudulent voters and Trump won the popular vote too. It is sad to hear all the rat talking points at a GOP site.

[Applewood]

Yes, read this article:


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4006300/Filth-chaos-weird-religious-symbols-Pictures-appalling-conditions-inside-Oakland-warehouse-36-died.html


What idiots. But hey they're "artists" and that should be good enough right?

Thank you for the link.  Those were some of the photos I saw.  The "jerry rigged" hot water setup was appalling -- plumbing hooked up to a space heater.  Even a challenged person like me knows how dangerous that is.  But then again, as you said, the residents were artists.  Brains probably fried through ingestion of controlled substances.

[Oceander]

I thought this was a conservative site? Delete all the phony fraudulent voters and Trump won the popular vote too. It is sad to hear all the rat talking points at a GOP site.

Ahh.  So you have all the facts needed to identify these fraudulent votes.  Why are you wasting your time here instead of bringing these facts to the attention of law enforcement.  Or to Trump's own lawyers, who don't believe such fraud took place. 

But that doesn't fit with your persecution complex, does it.  Trump did not win the popular vote and not even the few adults on his own team think so. 

Oh, and attacking the forum because you dislike a particular post or poster is so very childish.

[TomSea]

I caught a blurb on the news that they are now looking at a refrigerator as possibly being the source of the fire. There must have been a malfunction.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

How the bleep did Trump enter into this discussion? Sheesh, some people have mental issues.

[Oceander]

How the bleep did Trump enter into this discussion? Sheesh, some people have mental issues.

Somebody doesn't like my signature line and felt that now was the appropriate time to voice his disagreement. 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I thought this was a conservative site? Delete all the phony fraudulent voters and Trump won the popular vote too. It is sad to hear all the rat talking points at a GOP site.

Maybe you'd be happier at the Trump safespace known as Flearepublic, plebe.

Then maybe you won't be triggered so much.

[Applewood]

I caught a blurb on the news that they are now looking at a refrigerator as possibly being the source of the fire. There must have been a malfunction.

Maybe someone hookedup the refrigerator to the heater too.   

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I caught a blurb on the news that they are now looking at a refrigerator as possibly being the source of the fire. There must have been a malfunction.

In a house with that much chaos, it could have been anything. This is why fire departments usually refer to hoarder houses as death traps, so much flammable material and no clear exits = death. Plus the dilapidated conditions tend to encourage bad/decaying wiring.

[Oceander]

In a house with that much chaos, it could have been anything. This is why fire departments usually refer to hoarder houses as death traps, so much flammable material and no clear exits = death. Plus the dilapidated conditions tend to encourage bad/decaying wiring.

As well as vermin which can build nests in wiring (more flammable material) and/or actively chew electric wires (increasing the odds of an ignition event or a short).