"The word that keeps coming in my mind is dignity, right? I think that all of us deserve to have a place to live that's safe and dignified," said City Attorney Ryan Richardson.
Those elevators were out for almost two months, and the lawsuit says the company only made repairs after feeling the pressure from our report.
The Oakland City Attorney's lawsuit echoes what I found last summer, that "during a 52-day period ... both of the elevators were out of service" at the six-story La Peralta apartment building on 13th Street. Elderly, disabled and health-impaired residents were either stranded in their homes or forced to climb up to six flights of stairs.
Tenat April Dawn told Seven On Your SIde Investigates, "It kind of really sucks for me because I have a bad knee and it's hard to get downstairs, and I have a tricycle, and I can't get it down the stairs."
Phil Hohnson added, "It's never been reliable in the five years I've lived here. We've had it where it's been down for three months or longer. It's, I've been trapped in it three times myself."
RELATED: Elevator not working for 5 weeks at Oakland apartment building; tenants turn to I-Team
Public records showed that the Oakland Fire Department had to rescue tenants from stuck elevators at the building at least fifteen times in the year before our first report - six rescues in April of last year alone.
The lawsuit seeks restitution for the tenants and civil penalties.
Richardson said, "We think most landlords would not behave this way, just out of a sense of moral responsibility, legal responsibility, but for those who might be tempted to cut corners this way, we want them to think again."
The Oakland City Attorney told 7OYS Investigates that he believes not fixing the elevators may have been a business strategy. "A practice to cut corners and maximize profit, and in some cases, to incentivize tenants to move out who may have been paying, rent-controlled, you know, below-market rents."
So the company could find higher-paying tenants.
DAN NOYES: "What's it like having that elevator out? Does it affect your life?"
RICHARD JOHNSON: "It affects my life every day."
We interviewed 80-year-old Richard Johnson for our August 2025 report; he passed away this summer, before the lawsuit was filed.
"And I know he's looking down on us saying, 'Good job.'"
The city councilmember from District 3, Carroll Fife, told Seven On Your Side Investigates, "This has been a bad actor for quite some time. I've had dealings with Mosser for years and the face that we can move forward and have accountability for individuals who need it most is of critical importance."
We reached the Mosser Companies CEO, Neveo Mosser, through an intermediary. They issued a statement that reads in part, "The well-being and safety of our residents is of the utmost importance to us. We understand how disruptive a broken elevator can be. ... Unfortunately, due to the age of the equipment, tracking down the right parts caused a frustrating delay."
Mosser would not comment directly on the lawsuit that was just filed yesterday. Below is the full statement from the company.
"While we are unable to comment on any active litigation from this elevator repair that took place in 2025, the well-being and safety of our residents is of the utmost importance to us. We understand how disruptive a broken elevator can be and worked tirelessly to get the elevator repaired as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, due to the age of the equipment, tracking down the right parts caused a frustrating delay. To help ease the burden, we offered alternative accommodations on lower floors and personally coordinated package and essentials deliveries directly to higher floors for any resident who needed our support. Since it was fixed a year ago, the elevator has been well-maintained and is in operation."
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