On April 14, the San Francisco Superior Court issued a new Order extending and expanding San Francisco’s eviction moratorium related to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. One thing that is unchanged from the prior Order: Almost all unlawful detainer cases are paused until June 19, 2020. The sole exception is cases resulting from violence, threats of violence, or health and safety issues. The Order extended the dates that are deemed holidays for purposes of responding to the unlawful detainer complaint.
The new Order states that:
- All actions in unlawful detainer cases, including trials, motions, discovery, and ex parte applications, with the exception of unlawful detainer cases resulting from violence, threats of violence, or health and safety issues, are stayed until June 19, 2020.
- The period from April 6, 2020 through June 19, 2020 is deemed a holiday for purposes of computing time under Code of Civil Procedure section 1167, with the exception of unlawful detainer cases resulting from violence, threats of violence, or health and safety issues in which the court finds in its discretion and on the record that the action is necessary to protect public health and safety.
- Trials and Mandatory Settlement Conferences set in unlawful detainer cases as of April 6, 2020 will be continued for at least 60 days on a rolling basis, with the exception of unlawful detainer cases resulting from violence, threats of violence, or health and safety issues in which the Court finds in its discretion and on the record that the action is necessary to protect public health and safety.
- No summons will be issued on a complaint for unlawful detainer unless the court finds, in its discretion and on the record, that the action is necessary to protect public health and safety.
The Order implements many of the orders put in place by the Judicial Council on April 6, 2020.
The full Order can be viewed here.
More information relating to tenant protections during the COVID-19 crisis can be found here.