SAN DIEGO — The city of San Diego is suing to stop a local house‑flipping business from gutting old, distressed homes and rebuilding them without any permits or historical review. The company, according to a new civil injunction, then sells the properties while under renovation to unsuspecting buyers.
The lawsuit alleges that California Dreamin’ Properties LLC and three related companies, all owned and operated by San Diego resident Zack Kyle Lawrence, bought several homes throughout San Diego, renovated them, and sold them quickly and without review.
Attorneys for the city say the company “poses an ongoing threat” to unsuspecting buyers, nearby residents and preservation of San Diego’s historical homes.
According to the complaint, Lawrence’s companies focused on distressed houses in working‑class areas, including Chollas Creek, Mountain View, Stockton, Sherman Heights, Cherokee Point and City Heights.
As an example, the civil complaint outlined the company’s purchase and renovation of a home at 3865 Shiloh Road in Chollas Creek. According to the complaint, California Dreamin’ Properties bought the lot, which included two small 1940s houses and a detached garage. Lawrence, according to the injunction, demolished the garage and began building a new one‑bedroom unit without a demolition permit or building approvals. Inspectors later documented unpermitted plumbing, mechanical and electrical work in both original homes and a bedroom addition that converted one dwelling from two bedrooms to three.
Similar work was done at 3747 Hemlock St., in Mountain View. After buying the property, which had been damaged by a fire, the company allegedly gutted and expanded the home. City inspectors discovered the renovation and issued citations, but within months, the property was sold without any disclosure made to the buyers.
The pattern occurred at homes in Stockton, Sherman Heights, and Dwight Street, according to the complaint.
In each case, neighbors complained about construction and city inspectors took appropriate action.
The city alleges that Lawrence would change company names to buy time to sell the homes.
The lawsuit describes a network of limited liability companies — California Dreamin’ Properties, Jumpin’ Zack Flash, Rock N Roll Life, California Dreamin’ Rentals and Comfortably Numb — all allegedly controlled by Lawrence and used to buy, transfer and sell the same properties.
The city is seeking to stop Lawrence’s companies from continuing to illegally flip distressed homes as well as impose fines for doing so.
CBS 8 attempted to contact Lawrence on his personal phone and at the number for California Dreamin’ Properties but the numbers were no longer in service.
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