Neighbors had tried everything to convince the owners to fix the fourplex at 2205 20th Street in Bakersfield. The building had been damaged beyond recognition in a fire a century after being built in 1920.

An article from Bakersfield.com detailed a neighborhood petition to have the owner fix up the property. One neighborhood resident told the outlet "It could have been salvaged; it could have been saved.” The resident went on to say, "At this point, nobody is going to build it back to what it was…. It's disappointing to know you've lost another one.”

California Receivership Group (CRG) was appointed by the Court as Receiver for this property on February 1, 2022, in a move that would see the City of Bakersfield exercise this option for the first time. Receiver Mark Adams noted that, thanks to decades of successful work and hundreds of receivership remediations in California, "We are perceived as the industry leader in health and safety receiverships." If a city or county decides to move forward with a receivership program, "It's common for us to get the first phone call."

Court filings at the time noted that the property “was extremely dangerous and unsanitary for human inhabitation, and posed a health and safety hazard to the community and the adjacent school. The exterior walls and windows were mostly missing and partly boarded up. There were multiple holes in the roof, exposing the interior to the weather resulting in extensive water damage throughout the entire structure. Planks and other roofing materials had collapsed into the living spaces. The rear of the house showed signs of extensive and severe fire damage, and the structure was thought to have been possibly unsalvageable.”

Photos of the Nuisance Property Before Receivership

CRG, however, saw the potential. The receivership worked with experts and was able to save the structure. In under 18 months, CRG and its contractor transformed a burned-out shell into a beautiful building ready to shelter new families. "The City of Bakersfield trusting CRG to be the first receiver in the city is a testament to our knowledge of the receivership process," said Adams.

Photos of the Nuisance Property After Receivership

Gone is the yard devoid of life, replaced with a lush lawn and landscaping. The once sagging and deteriorated front porch has been replaced with a more open and welcoming entry. The building’s interior was renovated from top-to-bottom. Four beautiful apartments await their new occupants.

Vice Mayor and Bakersfield City Councilman Andrae Gonzales praised the work done in the City’s first-ever receivership action.

“This property was once a chronic nuisance for the neighborhood…and the city. It became a dangerous structure threatening the health and safety of all residents in this area,” he told ABC 23. “We have a safer and more secure property for the neighborhood.”

Gonzales called the health and safety receivership option “a robust strategy” for the City of Bakersfield.

Now neighbors are talking about the property again, but in a much different light. As one neighbor told Bakersfield.com in a follow-up article in 2023, "It feels like part of a new future for the neighborhood…. It helped everyone."

Vice Mayor and Bakersfield City Councilman Andrae Gonzales praises impact of receivership in a report by ABC23.