(2) The City Attorney may bring a civil action in San Francisco Superior Court against a party who has failed to comply with this Section 37.9F. A nonprofit organization with tax exempt status under 26 United States Code Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) and with a primary mission of protecting the rights of tenants in San Francisco may also bring such a civil action, provided that the organization shall first provide 30 days’ written notice of its intent to initiate civil proceedings by serving a draft complaint on the City Attorney’s Office and on any known address(es) of the affected tenant(s), and may not initiate civil proceedings until the end of this 30 day period. A party who violates this Section 37.9F may be liable for civil penalties of not more than two times the amount paid or received for use of the rental unit during the period of the unlawful activity, and each rental unit used in violation of this Section 37.9F shall constitute a separate violation. Any monetary award obtained in such a civil action shall be deposited in the General Fund of the City and County of San Francisco to be used for enforcement of this Section 37.9F. The court shall also award reasonable attorney’s fees and costs to the City Attorney or a nonprofit organization that is the prevailing party in such a civil action.
(3) The remedies available under this subsection (e) shall be in addition to any other existing remedies that may be available.
(Added by Ord. 78-20, File No. 191075, App. 5/22/2020, Eff. 6/22/2020)