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yesterday

Oakland Sues Mosser Over La Peralta Elevator Outages

The suit seeks rent repayment, court-ordered repairs, relocation authority, oversight under a 2024 law that requires landlords to house residents who cannot use stairs.

The Mosser Company-owned La Peralta apartment building can be seen on 13th Street in Oakland on Monday. The apartment building is at the center of a lawsuit where tenants are suing over an elevator broken over sustained periods.
Kathy Vaquilar sits for a portrait at La Peralta apartment building in Oakland on Monday. Vaquilar is one of several tenants named on the lawsuit suing Mosser Living over sustained elevators outages in the building.
Empty plastic covers show where elevator-related credentials are missing at La Peralta apartment building in Oakland on Monday. Kathy Vaquilar, pictured, is one of several tenants named on the lawsuit suing Mosser Living over sustained elevators outages in the building.
Attorney Phil Johnson stands for a portrait near an elevator at La Peralta apartment building in Oakland on Monday. Johnson is one of the attorneys helping Peralta tenants over a lawsuit against Mosser Living and a failure to fix sustained elevator outages.

Overview

  • The City of Oakland filed suit on August 12, 2026 in Alameda County Superior Court, using the city’s 2024 elevator ordinance to pursue civil remedies against Mosser Companies for conditions at La Peralta.
  • During the summer of 2025 both elevators at the six-story, 98-unit La Peralta were out of service for 52 consecutive days, leaving many elderly and mobility-impaired residents stranded or forced to climb multiple flights of stairs.
  • The city’s complaint says the prolonged outage was part of a broader pattern of neglect that included repeated Oakland Fire Department rescues from stuck elevators, pest infestations, water and fire damage, missing permits and no required on-site manager.
  • Seven tenants filed a separate negligence and disability-discrimination lawsuit on July 7, 2026 seeking damages for personal harm and loss of dignity caused by the outages and building conditions.
  • Mosser says aged equipment and hard-to-find parts caused repair delays and that it offered some lower-floor accommodations, while the city is asking the court to order rent repayments, relocation authority and outside oversight as a test of municipal enforcement powers against large landlords.