A “scofflaw business owner” with “an astonishing array of legal violations” has been sued by City Attorney Dennis Herrera for allegedly operating without required licenses and creating public nuisances, according to a news release from Herrera’s office Thursday.

A complaint filed in San Francisco Superior Court says Raul Amilcar Vasquez operated his Bayview automotive repair shop without permits, even after receiving several violation notices. And as a landlord, he compromised tenant safety, according to the allegations.

“But rather than addressing known violations over the years, Vasquez aggressively pursued new ones — expanding his lawless enterprise to include unpermitted construction, assorted public nuisances, and illegally leasing unsafe and uninspected residential housing units to tenants,” the release said.

If the suit is successful, Vasquez could be forced to pay millions of dollars. Herrera contends Vasquez was in violation of requirements under at least six state and local agencies. The suit is seeking, among other things, $500 per day for building code violations and $2,500 per day for two separate categories of state housing law noncompliance.

Herrera said he also is potentially seeking a court order to make Vasquez pay relocation costs to his tenants.
Attempts to contact Vasquez were unsuccessful, with at least four business and personal phone numbers listed as disconnected.

Herrera also went after allegedly shady businesses in the Tenderloin earlier this year on charges that they had facilitated illegal drug dealing and the sale of black-market goods.

dschreiber@sfexaminer.com