San Francisco family with cancer-stricken son faces eviction

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A San Francisco family is facing eviction from their apartment while their 18-month-old son is in the hospital awaiting a bone marrow transplant.

Unfortunately, there is little the family can do to stop the eviction.

Arlene Brock spends most of her day at UCSF Children's Hospital with her son Apollo.

Last April, he was diagnosed with cancer. In a few days he's scheduled to receive a bone marrow transplant. "You think the terrible two, you don't think being in the hospital getting chemo, getting a bone marrow transplant," Arlene said.

It gets worse because her husband Adrian Brock received a termination letter from his employer called Structure Properties, an apartment management company in San Francisco. Brock has been a resident manager for one of their buildings, which means he also lives there rent free.

Structure Properties said because he is no longer needed, he must also give up his apartment by the end of the month.

ABC7 News consulted with the Housing Rights Committee. "It doesn't look like he had tenant's rights, unfortunately. He's an employee and he's being treated as an employee only without tenant's rights," Housing Rights Committee spokesperson Tommi Avicolli said.

The Brocks now have a lawyer. "He's basically asking for a reasonable accommodation at this point because we obviously can't pack up and move out when half of our family is in the hospital," Adrian said.

The Brocks also have another son named Armand. "There is no humanity in business, that's what bothers me the most. We're already at the peak of high stress, the highest stress in your life and then to be given this on top of it," Arlene said.

The family said they know they'll eventually have to move out, but they just want some time and compassion.

Click here if you would like to make a donation to help the family.

** EDITORIAL NOTE: On Thursday, March 3, 2016, a spokesperson with Structure Properties sent a statement about the situation from the company to ABC7 News. Then on Friday, March 4, 2016, the family sent a response to ABC7 News, addressing Structure Properties' response. Both statements are provided below:

STRUCTURE PROPERTIES

"Structure Properties' contract to manage the apartments at 1010 Bush Street was terminated as of March 1st. Adrian Brock-Rasche was an on-site employee of Structure Properties, meaning his employment and housing was contingent upon Structure Properties management of the apartments. With the termination of Structure Properties' contract, our on-site employees are no longer contracted to reside in the apartments as a new company has taken over that building.

When we learned of our contract termination, we immediately provided Adrian with a courtesy notice and offered him a seven week extension even though his contract only called for a 10 day notice. Given his unfortunate family situation and the illness of his child, we went above and beyond to ease Adrian's transition by offering him two different employment opportunities, one of which would provide alternative housing where he and his family could live rent free. We also offered to pay his health insurance for an extended period of time and a severance that would have more than covered his moving and transition costs. Adrian turned down all of our offers to provide assistance.

We are saddened by his family situation and want to help Adrian but unfortunately, beyond the assistance we have already offered and he declined, we cannot take any other actions as we no longer manage the building."

ARLENE BROCK

"Structure Properties is the owner (not just the property manager) of 1010 Bush Street. Recently they made the choice to contract out the management of the building and no longer want my husband to be the live-in manager for the property.

After they made that decision, Structure Properties verbally offered my husband a 20-hour a week job and a studio apartment in Oakland; rent would be charged (not an offer to live for free as they claim in the statement they issued through a public relations firm), and for significantly less pay than his present position.

Despite that verbal offer, when the paperwork arrived for my husband to sign, it contained only a termination letter and an offer of $3,000 severance - no offer of any job or any alternate housing options. Please note that $3,000 is significantly less than my husband is currently owed by Structure Properties for wages and commissions. Offering Adrian less than what he is currently owed and labeling it "severance" is neither fair nor reasonable. Please be assured that had a just and equitable offer been made, we would have taken it willingly.

Our 18 month old son is currently in the hospital receiving heavy doses of chemo in advance of his bone marrow transplant on March 9th. At best he will be in hospital (and I at his side) for 6 weeks, followed by 6-9 months of recuperation in what must be in the most hygienic of surroundings imaginable in order to maximize his chance of healing. For Structure Property to ask Adrian to find us a new apartment that we can afford by the end of this month, and to pack up and move our 3-year old son and all our belongings while I am in hospital with our ailing baby is unreasonable and unkind. For Adrian to be told personally by the Jeff Jurow, CEO of Structure Properties that he (Mr. Jurow) will ensure we get an eviction on our record is unconscionable. It should also be noted that Structure Properties is paying for our health insurance until the end of this month because they could not meet the deadline to cancel the insurance by March 1st because Adrian was still technically an employee on that date, and not because Structure Property offered to pay our "health insurance for an extended period of time" as they claim.

The agony of what our baby has endured for the last 7 months and will soon suffer is unimaginable. There is no pain and fear like that we are facing. For us to simultaneously undergo the loss of our home, income, and health insurance at a time when we are faced with a terrible unknown is indescribable. This is not a position we ever imagined we would be in and not a scenario we would ever wish on anyone. Adrian and I are private people and native San Franciscans who want only to live, work, and keep our family safe and together during this painful time. We ask that Structure Property pay Adrian what they owe him, and for them to allow us to remain in the building where we have lived and he has worked for 5 years (again, a building they own) long enough to find safe and healthy alternate long-term accommodations for us and our two small children.

I would like to close by extending our family's eternal gratitude to all those people who have supported us with their kind words, thoughts, prayers, and contributions through Go Fund Me - we are overwhelmed and moved beyond words. Thank you all so very much."