Thread by @ClaraJeffery

San Francisco passed a vacancy tax on commercial properties. But it needs one on residential properties.

One that makes allowances for long probate fights or fires or whatever, but doesn't allow people to just allow properties to remain vacant—blighted or no—for years, decades.

On my block we have an apartment building whose owners seem to be mostly absentee investors. No lights in most units EVER on, shades always drawn. Likely foreign investors we wrote about in Vancouver: motherjones.com/politics/2017/…

House next to me has sat vacant for 10+ years. Owner's family owns a ton of properties in the Mission—landlord to a lot of the restaurants and bars in the area.

Has all the means—and construction crews!—to fix property to rent/sell/donate. And just...won't.

I've offered to find him buyers or renters or a pathway to give to say teachers. Nope.

It's not about money, because he could have made a ton.It likely has to do with the notoriety of this property. And/or he just doesn't give a fuck.

I've had to clean up his property so many times. I'm on good terms with the raccoons who live in his back yard. (Rats, less so.) I paid a not inconsiderable amount to have his backyard cleared of brush during fire season.

And seemingly there's no recourse with the city.

Anyway, I have a yarn about this property. But there are sooo many whose tales should be told.

Like: The empty since I moved here in 2002 grocery store front at 20th and Guerrero? (Everyone in the Mission knows what I mean.)

What are some other notable ones?