Tenants Caught in Leasehold Feud : City Condemns 2 Workers’ Houses in San Pasqual Valley

For eight weeks, two families living in deteriorating city-owned houses in the San Pasqual Valley have been without running water, but at least they had roofs over their heads.

Within 60 days, they might not even have the roofs. This week, a San Diego City Council committee voted to tear down the houses, which were leased by the city to TMY Farms, a major agricultural interest in the fertile valley.

The condemnations were necessary, the council’s Public Facilities and Recreation Committee was told, because a county health department examination found that the well that serves the two homes contains more than twice the acceptable amount of nitrates.

Since that inspection, in December, the only potable water at the two houses has been delivered by city water trucks.

There is no provision for replacing the houses or relocating the families. Seventeen people live in the two houses.

“We are aware that farm workers’ housing is in critically short supply in San Pasqual Valley and the surrounding areas,” Deputy City Manager John Fowler said in a letter to TMY.

“It must be recognized, however, that the health and safety of the farm workers who reside within the city limits must be protected. Their well-being far outweighs any consideration or arguments for permitting them to inhabit buildings where they are exposed to a water supply which is known to cause a risk to their health.”

“Barring a miracle, those houses are coming down,” said Councilman William Jones, chairman of the Public Facilities and Recreation Committee.

The adult residents of the homes work at Konyn Dairy, and therein lies the rub. TMY and Frank Konyn, owner of the dairy, have for years battled for control of city leaseholds in the San Pasqual Agricultural Preserve.

For years, Konyn held leases for all the land in the valley, but, since 1973 when TMY outbid Konyn for leases on the land on which the workers’ houses sit, TMY and the dairy owner have feuded over who should maintain the structures.

“This is like the Hatfields and the McCoys,” City Councilman Bill Cleator said. “They’ve been fighting back and forth for years, and their dispute is never going to be solved. Frankly, I’m tired of hearing about it.”

Konyn, Cleator said, “always has had a very favorable lease from the city. It looks like he might have to bite the bullet if he wants those homes to remain standing.”

TMY has balked at spending money to fix up the houses for the benefit of Konyn’s employees. Konyn said he would fix the houses and the well--but only if the city agreed to transfer the leases on the houses to him.

TMY has refused to comment on the situation, citing longstanding litigation with Konyn over the leaseholds in the valley.

Caught in the middle are residents of about 40 houses, many of which are in disrepair. Bob Trettin, an aide to Councilman Bill Mitchell, whose district includes San Pasqual Valley, said, “Five or six more homes are going to face the same situation in the future unless the city steps in and corrects it. The city is guilty for letting this situation get as far out of hand as it has.”

If the city razes the homes, it shows that the city is forgiving TMY and “paying to clean up the situation, which isn’t right,” Trettin said. “With today’s decision, TMY has no reason to step in and help those tenants. They’re much more interested in spiting Konyn than they are in the revenue they receive from the houses.”

Konyn appeared before the committee and said, “I’m very concerned about my employees. If you transfer the leases to my name, I’ll make life livable for them.”