I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. Whomever owns the property across the street (old K-Mart) should just remove the fencing (it's ugly & does nothing) should be held liable for the encampment.

This is the exact same thing that happened to the Old Bill Lang Dealership.
This is exactly why Property owners need to keep their properties secure(locked and frenquently check for trespassers) and clean of trash, debris and fire hazards.
This is also why we should not turn a blind eye to squatters on private property. When we ignore this and allow squatting this happens nearly everytime.
It causes a lot of damage and puts our firefighters lives in unnecessary danger.
Empty buildings either needs regular police sweeps or property owners need hire private security.
This is unacceptable.

This has happened to numerous buildings which many were historic or architecturally significant through out the bay area for decades. I don't see how neighbors etc. in the vicinity don't get involved or are able to look the other way. All vacant buildings should have at least a once a week visit by someone.

In many cases neighbors and even the police know that these buildings are being inhabited by squatters but choose to ignore it.
This is not compassionate because the homeless, neighbors and first responders lives, health and safety are put in danger by these incidents.
If residents know someone is squatting in a building they should persistently report it until the trespassers are removed.
VPD needs to stop in and check these buildings while out on patrol if they have time between calls.

It’s not hard to tell if there is squatting going on in a building. There is usually trash/clothing accumulating outside/near doorways.
Windows and doors are oftenbroken or boarded up. There may be people loitering nearby.
Look at the old Raleys, Walmart and Food 4 Less buildings, they are are boarded up and some have already had squatters break in multiple times.
Are they next?
Please, it’s not too late to do something before these other properties end up like Staw Hat.

It had a fence around it, but not enough. Insurance claim filed I'm sure.
No Policing...
Again if they paid the vacant building monitoring fee, why was it not caught in one of Code Enforcement's inspections? I have asked and was assured that the Building dept. is collecting them and is enforced by Code Enforcement. Anyone got the eTRAKiT case number handy? Perhaps all questions should be directed to that officer.

eTRAKiT case number for 3780 Sonoma
CE18-2710 opened 10-31-18 with followup slated for 1-14-19
14 past cases associated with the property, all similar in nature.

Here is the answer I received after asking about the motoring fees:

CLOSED Code Enforcement Division (Verified Official)
Thank you for your inquiry. Yes, the City of Vallejo Vacant and Foreclosed Property Registration is an actively running program administered by the Vallejo Police Department's Code Enforcement Division. For more information on the program, please visit http://www.cityofvallejo.net/city_hall/departments___divisions/police/our_units/code_enforcement/Property%20Registration%20Program/ or you may contact our Property Registration clerk, Roberta Jalbert, at Roberta.Jalbert@cityofvallejo.net or 707-648-4091.

So why are we seeing so many building not in compliance? It's a program for the safety of Vallejo residents and to protect the investment of owning a home here. When does negligence become criminal? Have the fees been used for something else that's deficient in the city's budget? Love to see some accountability.

Why does the city allow empty bldgs stay upright for years after the business is no longer? That makes no sense at all!

The buildings are left standing for lease or sale by the owner... just a guess
Then after paying the city for unoccupied property registration what happens?
The owner cannot give permission to arrest humanoids breaking in ahead of time for as long as the property is boarded up to code?
Does the owner really have to press charges personally instead of the city or county or state?
I am going to guess this wasn’t the case in 1956 or 66’or 76’ ..So now we have a broken system and I wonder what buildings the humanoids will burn next possibly with someone trapped inside

My best guess is because they must continue to pay property taxes whether they’re occupied or not.

What building will be burned down next? Old Payless?

I’ll wager the abandoned Raleys burns next. Any takers?

Thank you for reporting! Code Enforcement Officer DAVID SIDIE has an active case on the property, case reference CE18-2710. You may visit our online tracking system, eTRAKiT, to view updates on current cases at http://web.ci.vallejo.ca.us/eTRAKiT3/ (please allow several business days for information to upload). SeeClickFix is one of the many tools available to the citizens of Vallejo to report non-emergency issues. We “close” an issue in SeeClickFix once we've acknowledged the complaint; however, this issue is not "Closed" per se; it will remain an "Open" case with us until it is corrected. If there is anything else we can assist you with, please let us know. Thank you for using SeeClickFix!