All Forum Posts by: Joyce Kim

I own approximately 30,000 square feet of land in the LA area, and a developer has expressed interest in either purchasing or co-developing the land. We could potentially subdivide the lot into four lots and build a main house, a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU), and an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on each lot. There is an old house with some code violations and a tenant in it. Our intention is to demolish the house and proceed with the subdivision.

Since I lack experience working with developers, I'm unsure what would be a fair arrangement for me in this deal.

How much does a developer typically charge for the scope of work? I'm considering 20% of the final profit. I would appreciate your thoughts on this figure:

1. Subdivision process (estimated duration: 2 years)
2. Entitlement to construction process of 4 lots
3. Property management (if we decide to hold onto the property)

If I were to sell the lot, what would be a fair price for me, considering that I can subdivide it into 4 lots? Would charging the market price for four lots of vacant land be considered fair?

Thank you!

Hi, 

I'm a new landlord and I am in a deep trouble. I'm in a dire need of this community. 

I've purchased an old house (built in 1937) in August 2021. I've gong through a significant renovation involving almost half of the house but had some issues with the turnkey contractor who never showed up nor finish scope on time. I ended up firing his team but the issue is he never finished his job and completed the inspection. So, the house was renovated without the "proper permit." 

In May 2023, one of my friend referred his friend as a tenant to rent the front part of the house (1 bd and 1 bath). The contract was somewhat adhoc (since it was going to be a temporary) and I never received the signed copy of the contract. However, the tenant started missing rents but it seemed like she was going through some personal issues so I let her stay. However, she ended up missing rent for six months. She applied for ULA Emergency Rental Assistance Program with the contract that I've never signed. I've provided my information as a landlord so I have nothing to say I guess. Anyway, the money arrived in my account early this month. But the trouble started when I asked her to vacate. 

She reported to the LAHD that I was evicting her. This incident triggered every trouble I'm experiencing now. 1) The officer from LAHD is after me saying that I need to register the property as a rental property and evict her with relocation assistance, which cost about $9000. 2) The Building department is after me with the order to comply: which I believe it might be better of demolishing the house and rebuild it. 

My question is... 

1) The contract (which I never signed but the tenant applied the rental assistance program with) states that the rent term is month-to-month for 1 year and the lease term is coming up in this May 2024. Can I ask her to leave the property since I don't have an intention to extend the lease with her? 

2) She was smoking cigarette and weed with her friends inside of the property. The part that she is renting smells like weeds as a result. Also her friends are drinking alcohols and ruining the yards by throwing away her trash in the front yard. I warned her several times but only with words, not giving her written notice. I have some pictures of garbages and her smoking at the property. Is it valid to evict her with just-cause? 

3) If I register my property with LAHD as a rental property, is it easy to retrieve when I start developing the property? Or should I try to avoid not to register the property with LAHD at all cost? My property is currently my primary residence. 

4) Can I even register the property as a rental property when it has some serious code violation issues that might affect the safety of residential use: such as electrical issues, roof restoration, etc.? 

5) I'm currently talking to several developers about subdividing the lot, demolish the old house and build new houses. Would it be better off to demolish the house now rather than complying with the code violation? 

It would be very helpful if any of you can help me find expert on code violation and tenant law: expediter or real estate lawyer. 

I truly appreciate your help. 

Quote from @Ally Cisneros:

hi from the date you got notice that a payment was proceed how long after did you get your payment?

I was approved finally and payment was sent ach 2/29/24...when should i be expecting the payment?

For me, it was posted in 5 days including weekends so it actually took 3 working days. 

Hi all,

I'm a new landlord in North Hollywood, and I'm having an issue with a tenant who has missed 4 months of rent payment and doesn't want to move out.

In late 2023, she applied for the ULA Emergency Rental Assistance Program, and I've just received an email notification from the LA City housing department that the payment is processed and will arrive in the next few days. The email mentions that participation in the ULA ERAP does not create a tenancy with the City of Los Angeles or the Housing Rights Center (HRC).

1) I am actually planning to subdivide my lot and build a few more houses on the divided lot. My question is, if I accept the payment (the assistance payment from the government to a low-income tenant), will my property be recorded by the government as "low-income" housing provider? Will I face any penalties while going through subdivision or building more houses on the same lot?

2) What would be the best way to convince the tenant to move out? Now that the 4 months of missing rent is covered, she is still not paying the rent on time for this month and probably the months after. I would rather use the space as an office for myself, but I also don't want to get into any lawsuits, since LA laws generally favor the tenant. If I give her a move-out notice with 3-4 weeks in advance, would it be sufficient? Can I state that I have to use the space? What could be the best reason for her to move out without causing more headaches?

Please, I need your urgent help. Thank you so much in advance.

Quote from @Brad S.:

Quote from @Jennifer Kim:

I have a huge lot in North Hollywood (about 27k sqft) and would like to explore my investment options with SB 9 land split. Can you please refer any SB9 experts, land use consultants, or developer who can share experience going thru SB 9? 

Thank you! 

***********************
We are exploring the lot split option on SB9 right now with a client. But, why don't you just do a normal lot split? What is your zoning?

My initial plan was to split the land into 3 different lots but the city official said it might take a decade to finish and suggested to go through SB9. I was looking for an expediter but didn’t work out. Are you a land use consultant? I would love to talk to the experts. 

Hi,

I am reaching out to seek assistance with a matter concerning my property in the North Hollywood area. Specifically, I purchased a sizable lot of approximately 30,000 square feet in the R1 zone, which included an older house that I have recently finished remodeling.

My intention is to subdivide this land into three separate lots, but I have encountered challenges with my current land use consultant, who has proven to be inadequate for this particular task. As such, I am seeking recommendations for a reliable and competent land use consultant who can guide me through this process effectively.

Ideally, I would like to meet with the city personnel directly to discuss about the process but not sure where I should be contacting: would it be city planning department of North Hollywood? (That's where I'm going to start tomorrow...)

If you are able to suggest any reputable consultants or possess detailed knowledge of the subdivision process, I would love to meet and discuss further. 

Thank you!

Hi all, 

I recently got a property under contract and currently doing due diligence for the property. 

The lot is about 27k sqft. and there is an old house (about 70 year-old). 

Initially, I was thinking about flipping the property but searching for better development options now since I found a potential partner who could bring in some funds. 

The property is zoned R1 so technically, there would be only one house and two ADU (garage conversion and detached) allowed.

However, since the minimum requirement for a single dwelling residents changed to be 5000 sqft, I can put in at least 5 houses if I can subdivide the lot. 

I haven't met with the planner yet so not sure if anything is possible for sure yet. 

Is there any land-use consultant or developers on this forum who has an answer (or any ideas other than subdivision) to develop the property? 

Should I just demolish the little house and build a big one with ADU? (Is this the best option I got?)

Thanks in advance. 

Best, 

J.K