Court steps in on former American Sports University Dormitory

The San Bernardino Superior Court has placed the former American Sports University Dormitory, located at 340 West Fourth Street under receivership, the City of San Bernardino announced in a statement.

The ruling by Judge Thomas Garza, dated January 18, 2024, appoints Richardson Griswold of Griswold Law in Encinitas as Receiver.

This means the court has authorized Griswold to either rehabilitate the property, demolish the building, or (an unlikely event), sell the property to an entity who will “promptly undertake the rehabilitation and correct the identified deficiencies and violations.”

“We are pleased that Judge Garza has granted our motion to appoint a Receiver,” said San Bernardino City Manager Charles Montoya in the statement. “He agreed that the site conditions have likely worsened since we made our initial request for a receiver a year ago and the property poses a danger to the community.”

In his ruling, Judge Garza called the property a public nuisance and is being maintained in a manner that violates State and local laws.

“The substandard conditions on the Subject Property are ongoing and will likely persist unless this Court appoints a receiver to take possession of the Subject Property and undertake responsibility for its rehabilitation,” the ruling read.

The current property owner, Ji Li, Fox Property Holdings, and its representatives are barred by the court, from entering the building, making changes to existing insurance policies, selling or encumbering the building, or collecting rents or other income from the building.

The City red tagged the building last August due to unsafe conditions and relocated the tenants that remained. Despite boarding up the property, there have been repeated fires and break-ins.