S.F. Landlord Ordered to Pay $12 Million for Deck Collapse

The landlord of a Victorian apartment house must pay $12 million because a deck collapsed during a party, killing a woman and injuring 14 other people.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the payment was one of the largest ever granted in San Francisco from claims that a landlord had neglected responsibilities to tenants.

An attorney for the landlord said her client plans to go after the company he had hired to maintain the building.

During a party Feb. 17, 1996, the fourth-floor deck collapsed, sending 10 people falling to the deck below. Five other victims plunged 32 feet to the ground.

The damages against landlord Randall Nathan include $8.2 million to Shalini Malhorta, 27, who suffered massive head injuries and permanent short-term memory loss in the accident.

Daniel Slane, 35, whose wife, Mary, 32, died, received $1.4 million. Karin Lewis, 28, who had severe facial and dental injuries, received $1.2 million.

“This decision will help bring an end to a tragedy that could have and should have been prevented,” said attorney Frank Pitre, who represented 13 of the victims.

Under an agreement between both sides, retired state appeals court Justice John Benson heard the case. Nathan waived any appeal rights, and the plaintiffs’ attorneys agreed not to seek punitive damages.

Nathan’s attorney, Howard Janssen, said the landlord was expecting significant damages.

“Someone died, another young lady has permanent brain damage,” Janssen said. “This was a tragic case.”

Last year, a jury deadlocked on involuntary manslaughter charges against Nathan. The panel found him guilty of two misdemeanor charges of failing to maintain a building in a safe condition and failing to obtain a permit for remodeling work.

He was ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, pay a $1,000 fine and serve two years of unsupervised probation.