News 8 first reported on the property in 2024, when neighbors complained about suspected criminal activity and questioned why the city wasn’t taking action.
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego City Attorney’s Office is suing a North Park homeowner more than two years after neighbors told News 8 they feared for their safety because of suspected criminal activity at a home on their street.
The city alleged in a new lawsuit filed against Edwin Austin, the owner of an abandoned property on the 3300 block of Dale Street, that he has not addressed dangerous living conditions, repeated break-ins and code violations despite years of warnings.
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San Diego police responded to 48 calls at the property and have spent more than 340 hours there between Nov. 2023 and April 2026 while responding to reports of alleged trespassing, drug use and domestic violence, among other crimes, the lawsuit reads.
Now, the city wants a judge to appoint someone to take control of the property and make the repairs Austin allegedly failed to complete.
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In 2024, News 8 was Working for You and spoke with neighbors who said the home sat vacant for decades before squatters took over the property.
“It’s horrifying that grandmas can’t walk their grandchildren down to Jack in the Box for an afternoon milkshake,” North Park resident Maureen Stavas told News 8 in 2024.
She also said she saw a man bringing a girl who appeared to be a minor into the home. When Stavas approached, she said the man dropped a machete near her.
At the time, neighbors questioned why the city wasn’t enforcing its own codes. When News 8 contacted the City Attorney’s Office in 2024, the office confirmed it did not have an open case involving the property.
However, the city’s Building and Land Use Enforcement Division started investigating in May 2024 after receiving complaints about people cutting locks, using blowtorches and fighting at all hours of the day.
City inspectors reported backed-up plumbing, loads of trash scattered across the property and a garage that was illegally converted into a living space with unpermitted electrical and plumbing work.
An investigator also reported smelling raw sewage from the public sidewalk in July 2024 after a sewer line had been severed. Sewage spilled into the yard.
The problems also extended to a neighboring property on Dale Street. Squatters allegedly created a hole in the fence separating the two properties, allowing people to move between them without being noticed.
On Aug. 20, 2024, a fire broke out at the property just before 6 a.m. Surveillance video obtained by News 8 at the time showed several people leaving the property with their belongings as flames spread.
The fire caused extensive damage, prompting officials to red-tag the building because it was unsafe to enter. San Diego Fire-Rescue crews spent more than 20 hours addressing the fire and related safety concerns, according to the lawsuit.
For neighbors who had spent months asking the city to intervene, the fire was another sign of how dangerous the property had become.
“I’m happy nobody got hurt, but I’m happy as hell that the fire happened because the city can’t ignore this,” neighbor Andy Laub told News 8 in 2024. “A fire is about as dangerous as it gets.”
In the 2024 fire coverage, San Diego police said they were working to get the owner to sign paperwork that would give officers legal authority to enforce trespassing violations on the property.
Despite the damage, Laub feared squatters would return once the attention surrounding the fire died down.
WATCH RELATED: Squatters in North Park homes forced to evacuate during early morning fire
The city ordered Austin to secure the property and remove trash and debris in July 2024. Another notice in September ordered him to vacate the property and either repair the violations or demolish the structures.
According to the lawsuit, Austin eventually had the buildings boarded up, but failed to address the underlying safety violations, including the fire-damaged structure and sewage problems.
City inspection records show the property remained boarded and secured during multiple inspections throughout 2025 and into February 2026. Prosecutors allege the owner still had not brought the property into compliance.
“Neighbors on Dale Street have lived next to raw sewage, a burned-out building, and constant break-in attempts for more than two years,” City Attorney Heather Ferbert said in a statement. “When a property owner refuses to fix dangerous conditions, my office will ask the court to put the property in the hands of someone who will.”
The City Attorney’s Office is asking a judge to appoint a receiver who would take control of the property, hire licensed contractors and oversee repairs needed to bring it into compliance. They could also sell the property.
The lawsuit also seeks to have the property declared a public nuisance and requests civil penalties of up to $2,500 per day for each code violation.
News 8 attempted to contact Austin but could not reach him before this story was published. It will be updated to reflect any comment he provides.