Fire-Related, Price-Gouging Case Settled With Rental Managers

SONOMA COUNTY, CA – The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office and a Novato-based property management company have settled a civil price-gouging case involving excess rents charged to tenants after the October 2017 wildfires.

The Admiral Callaghan Professional Center LLC increased the rents of 12 tenants who lived in condominiums in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park more than 10 percent in violation of price gouging restrictions applied during Gov. Jerry Brown's declaration of an emergency after the fires, the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office said.

The Governor's emergency declaration is in effect through Dec. 4 this year.

The rent increases between October and March 2018 ranged from 12 percent to 48 percent, Deputy District Attorney Caroline Fowler said this morning. The monthly rents ranged between $1,325 and $2,400, Fowler said.

The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office and Admiral Callaghan Professional Center LLC agreed to a stipulated judgment approved and ordered by Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Rene Chouteau.

Admiral Callaghan Professional Center, LLC and its corporations were ordered to pay $50,000 in civil penalties, $10,000 in investigative costs to the District Attorney's Office and restitution of the amount of
excess rent collected to the dozen tenants.

The corporations and their counsel cooperated with the investigation and resolution of the case, the District Attorney's Office said.

The District Attorney's Office also is investigating or has filed several criminal fire-related price gouging cases against landlords in Sonoma County Superior Court.

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-Bay City News/Image of October 2017 fires via Al Francis of NapaSonomaPhotos.com